A Benicar lawsuit was filed by a Tennessee couple claiming the blood pressure medication caused chronic diarrhea requiring continual medical treatment.

Plaintiffs Sandra and John M. accused Benicar manufacturers Daiichi Sankyo and Forest Pharmaceuticals of not fully warning consumers of the medication’s side effect risks. The plaintiffs claim that the life-threatening Benicar side effects outweigh any potential good the drug might cause.

Sandra claims she was prescribed Benicar (olmesartan) and took it as directed by her physician but then developed sprue-like enteropathy. That allegedly not only caused her physical pain but diminished her abilities to engage in daily activities.

Sandra alleges she experienced the following side effects of Benicar including significant weight loss, vomiting, malnutrition, nausea, chronic diarrhea and dehydration. Both Sandra and her husband claim that Benicar’s manufacturers were aware of the serious health risks but failed to warn consumers.

The Benicar lawsuit states that “although defendants knew, or recklessly disregarded, the fact that defendants’ olmesartan products caused potentially severe gastrointestinal side effects, defendants continued to market the olmesartan products to consumers, including plaintiff, without disclosing these side effects.”

Benicar Complications

According to Benicar consumer reports, the gastrointestinal complications of Benicar can take anywhere from a few months to a few years to develop. Therefore, it’s not always easy to connect to the medication.

However, patients claim that once they stop taking the blood pressure medication, the chronic diarrhea generally stops. Often, Benicar consumers will develop permanent intestinal damage such as villous atrophy, even after symptoms cease.

In 2013, the FDA urged manufacturers to include “sprue-like enteropathy” warning on the Benicar label. The agency has received numerous severe adverse event reports from Benicar users concerning the chronic diarrhea side effects. According to the FDA, Benicar and other olmesartan containing medications are the only blood pressure medications linked to sprue-like enteropathy.

Benicar Lawsuits

Sandra claims her medical condition caused by Benicar side effects requires her to be continually monitored, tested and treated. She claims the life-threatening physical injuries and emotional distress she has endured could have been avoided if Benicar consumers were fully informed of the serious health risks.

The plaintiffs also allege that manufacturers had a duty to “use reasonable care to design a product that is not unreasonably dangerous to users and to adequately test its product.”

The number of Benicar lawsuits being filed by patients who suffer from chronic diarrhea continues to grow. Plaintiffs like Sandra and John who file as a couple can sue for loss of intimacy which typically awards a higher amount in damages.

If you took Benicar and suffered from sprue-like enteropathy contact a Benicar lawyer to see if you can join a Benicar class action lawsuit.

The Benicar Lawsuit is Case No. 1:15-cv-03679-RBK-JS in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.