A Florida man has filed a testosterone gel lawsuit against a group of pharmaceutical companies alleging that the testosterone gels Axiron and AndroGel caused him to suffer from a stroke.

Frank Lau filed his personal injury lawsuit against AbbVie Inc., Abbott Laboratories, Inc., Lilly USA, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company on Feb. 21, 2014 for injuries he claims he suffered as the result of taking their testosterone gels AndroGel and Axiron.

Lau began using both testosterone gels at 43-years-of-age in July 2011 until September 2011 to treat symptoms apparently due to low testosterone.

According to the testosterone gel lawsuit, “[Lau] was very healthy and had no history of heart disease prior to taking testosterone. In keeping with his healthy and proactive lifestyle, Plaintiff agreed to initiate testosterone treatment” because he believed that it was safe to use.

On Sept. 23, 2011, Lau suffered from a stroke, which he claims was caused by the testosterone gels.

“As a result, for the rest of his life he must undergo regular testing, adhere to a restrictive diet, and take medication. Due to his cerebrovascular accident he is now at markedly increased risk of additional cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular accidents, and death,” the complaint states.

Due to an increase in testosterone gel lawsuits, a class action lawsuit investigation has been launched. Men who used AndroGel, Axiron, or other testosterone gel products can seek compensation by joining the AndroGel class action lawsuit investigation.

AndroGel was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in February 2000. Axiron was approved in November 2010.

However, Lau says there weren’t adequate warnings about the AndroGel side effects.

“AndroGel and Axiron may produce undesirable side effects to patients who use the drugs, including but not limited to, myocardial infarction, stroke, and death. In some patient populations, AndroGel and Axiron use may increase the incidence of myocardial infarctions and death by over 500 percent,” Lau’s testosterone gel lawsuit states.

“In addition to the above, AndroGel and Axiron have been linked to several severe and life changing medical disorders in both users and those who come into physical contact with users or the unwashed clothes of someone who applied testosterone,” the complaint states. “Patients taking testosterone may experience enlarged prostates and increased serum prostate-specific antigen levels.”

The FDA issued a black box warning for testosterone gels in 2009, advising patients keep the gel away from both children and women.

According to the AndroGel class action lawsuit, “testosterone may also cause physical changes in women exposed to the drug and cause fetal damage with pregnant women who come into secondary contact with testosterone.”

Lau describes the marketing tactics as “aggressive” and alleges that the drug maker intentionally under-warned about AndroGel complications.

He further claims that the company used scare tactics in marketing to convince men that Low-T problems could be easily solved with few complications.

There are a number of testosterone gels, which are available and have been heavily advertised, but a few have been linked to heart issues including heart disease and strokes.

Lau’s charges against the drug makers include failure to warn, negligence, breach of warranties, fraud, negligent misrepresentation and punitive damages.

The Testosterone Gel lawsuit is Frank Lau v. AbbVie Inc. et al, Case No.: 1:14-cv-1298, in the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division.