While Viberzi is a popular irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) medication, a growing number of patients are reporting serious complications, including the risk of Viberzi causing pancreatitis.

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.

Viberzi Drug Side Effects

Unfortunately, reports of Viberzi causing serious complications continue to pile up, and patients who takes Viberzi without a gallbladder may be at an increased risk of developing serious side effects. Patients report Viberzi 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. The agency released a safety communication on March 15, 2017 noting the risk of pancreatitis with Viberzi, and that Viberzi users with no gallbladder may increase their risk.

According to the FDA, Viberzi patients were hospitalized or in some cases even died due to pancreatitis post-cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal). Pancreatitis can occur even when a patient has taken as few as two doses of Viberzi, the FDA says.

Pancreatitis Dangers

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.

If you have suffered from side effects like pancreatitis after taking Viberzi with no gallbladder, you may be able to join a Viberzi lawsuit investigation working to hold drug manufacturers accountable for failing to give adequate warning about Viberzi risks.

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.

If you or someone you love has suffered from Viberzi drug side effects, you may be able to pursue litigation. While filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by Viberzi complications, filing claims of Viberzi pancreatitis or other complications can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses or lost wages.