A Mississippi man has filed a lawsuit against Daiichi Sankyo, the manufacturer of Benicar HCT, claiming that he suffered from serious gastrointestinal injuries from the hypertension drug.

Plaintiff Ulysses D.’s Benicar HCT abdominal injuries are allegedly as a result of his use of the drug beginning in 2008.

Benicar HCT Side Effects

Benicar (olmesartan) is a popular hypertension medication Olmesartan. It is a angiotensin II receptor antagonist drug designed, manufactured, and sold by Daiichi Sankyo,

Daiichi introduced Benicar to the American market in 1995 and since that time, Benicar has been prescribed to over 11 million blood pressure patients every year.

However, there has been a link between Benicar use and gastrointestinal issues.

Benicar HCT abdominal injuries can sometimes be mistaken for celiac disease. They symptoms are so similar to the autoimmune disease that Benicar side effects can be misdiagnosed.  But because celiac disease is most usually diagnosed early in life, it is rare for Benicar side effects to diagnosed as celiac disease.

However when a Benicar patient suffers from abdominal side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and electrolyte abnormalities, celiac disease is often offered as a cause. Celiac sufferers are put on a strict, life-long gluten-free diet.

But if it is Benicar HCT abdominal injuries, the side effects subside when the patient stops taking the drug. However, there may permanent GI damage as a result.

Benicar HCT side effects can include:

• Chronic diarrhea
• Sudden and severe weight loss
• Electrolyte imbalance
• Sprue-like enteropathy
• Villous atrophy
• Other GI problems regularly misdiagnosed as celiac symptoms

In July 2013, the FDA issued a public health notice warning Benicar patients and doctors of various medical reports claiming that a complication of Benicar use is a sprue-like enterophathy, a condition which causes severe GI problems.

A Mayo Clinic study found that 22 Benicar patients from 17 different states were allegedly found to exhibit celiac symptoms even though they did not have a genetic predisposition to celiac disease.

Benicar HCT Abdominal Injuries Lawsuit

Ulysses alleges that as a direct and proximate result of using Benicar HCT to treat his hypertension, he suffered many injuries, according to his Benicar HCT abdominal injuries lawsuit.

These injuries include serious gastrointestinal injuries and colonic injuries including villous atrophy, sprue-like enteropathy, colitis, kidney failure, malabsorption, malnutrition, dehydration and atrophy.

The Benicar HCT abdominal injuries he suffered also included symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and abdominal pain, he claims.

The plaintiff incurred medical expenses related to these injuries.

The causes of action in this Benicar HCT abdominal injuries lawsuit include design defect, failure to warn, gross negligence, negligence, negligent design, negligent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, constructive fraud, breaches of express and implied warranties, unjust enrichment, violation of Mississippi consumer protection law and punitive damages.

Benicar HCT patients who have been hospitalized for severe gastrointestinal problems may qualify to file or join a Benicar lawsuit or Benicar class action lawsuit.

This Benicar HCT Abdominal Injuries Lawsuit is Case No. 1:16-cv-04201 in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.