Benicar (olmesartan) is a popular hypertension and blood pressure reducing medication which is meant to prevent heart disease and cardiac attack in patients. However, reported Benicar colonic side effects have caused a major stir in the medical community, leaving physicians wary of prescribing the medication to patients.

These Benicar colonic side effects have reportedly caused patients to develop sprue-like enteropathy, a condition whose symptoms include chronic diarrhea, severe weight loss, dehydration and other symptoms associated with celiac disease.

Sprue-like enteropathy often cases autoimmune problems in the small intestines, which can result in chronic gastrointestinal problems.

In the most serious cases, Benicar colonic side effects may cause patients to develop villous atrophy, which causes the lining of the small intestine to deteriorate. Villous atrophy directly interferes with the body’s ability to absorb nutrition from food and can reduce the patient’s ability to digest foods.

This can result in dehydration, malnourishment, diarrhea, vomiting and other adverse Benicar colonic side effects. For years since Benicar’s release in the early 2000s, patients have been misdiagnosed with celiac disease due to the similar nature of the symptoms.

It was not until a 2012 study by the Mayo Clinic in which doctors made the discovery of potential Benicar colonic side effects that the risks of Benicar became more widely known.

Overview of Benicar Colonic Side Effects

The study was conducted in August 2012. Twenty-two Benicar patients experiencing celiac disease symptoms were examined. After Benicar was discontinued, these patients showed signs of gastrointestinal improvement, and each of the patients tested negative for celiac disease.

This study was later submitted to the FDA, which later released a public warning in July 2013 regarding Benicar colonic side effects. The FDA stated that there was “clear evidence” linking Benicar and diarrhea, as well as other similar symptoms that could be confused with celiac disease.

In addition, the FDA warned that Benicar colonic side effects may occur months or even years after the patient’s prescription begins. The FDA further stated that the rate of celiac disease symptoms had a stronger association with Benicar than with other ARB blood pressure medications.

ARB, or angiotension II receptor blocker, medications work by preventing angiotension II from restricting blood vessels. This allows the blood vessels to dilate, which ultimately reduces blood pressure and eases the circulation process.

It is estimated that 10.6 million Benicar prescriptions are written per year, making Benicar colonic side effects a concern for a large patient population.

Even though Benicar colonic side effects can cause chronic gastrointestinal damage to patients, some claim manufacturing company Daiichi Sankyo failed to properly warn the public about that risk.

Many Benicar patients have filed legal action against the Japanese pharmaceutical giant, alleging negligence and failure to warn. Potential claimants should contact a pharmaceutical products lawyer to determine eligibility for a Benicar lawsuit.