Patients are often prescribed Viberzi to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, a growing number of patients are reporting side effects like pancreatitis, and the FDA recently issued a warning about Viberzi drug risks. If you have suffered from pancreatitis after exposure to the Viberzi drug, you may be able to file a Viberzi lawsuit.

Basics of the Viberzi Drug

Viberzi (generic name eluxadoline) is an irritable bowel syndrome medication. IBS-D (irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea) affects a patient’s large intestine, and is associated with symptoms like cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and diarrhea. In order to treat some of these symptoms, the IBS medication Viberzi works to decrease bowel contractions.

Unfortunately, patients who take Viberzi with no gallbladder may be at risk of developing serious side effects. Indeed, Viberzi may be one of the drugs causing pancreatitis, a life-threatening inflammation condition. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning to Viberzi drug patients about risks they may not have known about. When a patient takes the Viberzi drug with no gallbladder, they may increase their risk of suffering from pancreatitis.

FDA Warning

The FDA released a safety communication on March 15, 2017, noting that Viberzi may be one of the drugs causing pancreatitis. According to the agency, Viberzi patients were hospitalized or in some cases even died due to pancreatitis post-cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal).

Essentially, pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas, which can be a serious and even  life-threatening issue. Symptoms of Viberzi pancreatitis include abdominal pain, back pain, fast heart rate, fever, loss of appetite, nausea, sweating, vomiting, and weight loss. More severe problems may even include injury to the heart, lungs, and kidneys.

When the FDA issued its alert, the agency had received 120 reports of patients who suffered from pancreatitis after taking Viberzi with no gallbladder. Hospitalization was required for 76 of these patients. In two cases, patients died because of pancreatitis complications after gallbladder removal. According to the FDA alert, pancreatitis can occur even when a patient has taken as few as two doses of Viberzi.

Filing a Viberzi Lawsuit

Patients who have taken Viberzi with no gallbladder and since developed pancreatitis may be able to join a Viberzi lawsuit investigation, intending to hold drug manufacturers accountable for failing to give adequate warning that Viberzi is one of the drugs causing pancreatitis.

If you or someone you love has taken the Viberzi drug with no gallbladder, and have since suffered from pancreatitis, you may be able to file a lawsuit. Filing a Viberzi lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by the Viberzi drug, or bring a loved one back to life, but it can help to alleviate the medical expenses and lost wages caused by this serious side effect.