A New York man has filed a personal injury lawsuit against the manufacturers of AndroGel, alleging that the drug caused him to suffer a stroke.

AndroGel is a type of medication used in androgen replacement therapy. Androgen is a word for a family of hormones that includes testosterone.

As males age, their bodies produce less androgens. In some males, androgen levels may drop radically enough to cause clinical symptoms. This condition, dubbed “low T,” may cause symptoms including irritability, fatigue, and loss of energy.

However, an AndroGel class action lawsuit and personal injury lawusits like the one filed by Gary White have alleged that drug manufacturers have pushed drugs such as AndroGel to the point that they are over-prescribed. AndroGel is a specific brand of androgen-replacement drug, a gel designed to be rubbed onto the skin. It is designed to be absorbed through the skin to boost testosterone levels.

According to his AndroGel lawsuit, White suffered from a serious stroke on March 10, only five months after he began treatment with AndroGel. He had had no history of cardiovascular disease. According to the lawsuit, he was in good health and led an active lifestyle. As a result of his stroke, he must undergo medical monitoring, alter his diet, and take medication.

The lawsuit cites peer-reviewed studied that have linked drugs including AndroGel to an increased risk of blood clot-related ailments such as strokes. Hormone-based drugs including androgen-replacement therapies can make a person more likely to develop blood clots. These blood clots can lodge in various blood vessels, and block the blood supply to various tissues. Depending on what tissue or organ is being starved of oxygen, a person can suffer a stroke, pulmonary embolism, or deep vein thrombosis. Internal blood clots are medical emergencies, since they can cause lethal damage to the body.

White’s lawsuit joins others against the manufacturers of androgen-replacement drugs. These AndroGel lawsuits allege that drug manufactures were aware — or reasonably should have been aware — of the risks associated with these drugs. The AndroGel class action lawsuit alleges that in spite of this knowledge, drug manufacturers aggressively marketed their drugs for “low T,” endangering patients like White. To support this allegation, litigation against androgen-replacement drug manufacturers have cited the fact that roughly a quarter of men taking these drugs have never had their testosterone levels tested.

The Androgel lawsuit is formally titled Gary White v. AbbVie Incorporated et al, Case No. 1:14-cv-1667, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.