Daiichi Sankyo is facing a new Benicar lawsuit from a Nevada woman who claims she suffered adverse effects from the blood pressure medication.

Plaintiff Sheryl C. started taking Benicar (olmesartan) in July 2012 to treat her hypertension or high blood pressure. According to Sheryl’s complaint, Benicar side effects may have caused permanent gastrointestinal damage along with nutritional deficiencies.

Currently over 60 million patients in the United States suffer from hypertension, one of the most common contributors of heart disease, with Benicar being the third best selling drug in its medication class.

Benicar works by dilating the blood vessels, which makes blood circulation much easier for the heart. With health diet and exercise, Benicar is meant to help extend the patient’s life.

However, a number of patients, like Sheryl have reported suffering severe Benicar side effects, including chronic diarrhea and sprue-like enteropathy.

Overview of Benicar Side Effects

Approved by the FDA in the early 2000s, Benicar was meant to be a treatment option for adult patients suffering from the effects of hypertension and are at risk for heart disease.

However, many Benicar patients reported suffering form severe diarrhea and gastrointestinal damage, which led many to believe that these patients were suffering from Celiac disease. This was recently disproved by a 2012 inquiry by the Mayo Clinic, which found that the patients who reported Benicar side effects tested negative for Celiac disease.

This study outlined 22 cases of Benicar side effects, which spurred the FDA to launch its own investigation into the correlation. The agency issued a public warning in July 2013, warning patients against the possible Benicar side effects of sprue-like enteropathy and gastrointestinal injuries.

The agency went on to say that these problems may develop months or years after Benicar treatment begins, and that the drug should be discontinued under the consulting physician. Lastly, the agency noted that Benicar patients faced a 30% increased risk of sprue-like enteropathy and similar side effects compared to other medications in the same class.

Sheryl was one of these patients, as she soon started experiencing adverse intestinal problems from Benicar side effects. The injuries alleged in her Benicar lawsuit include chronic diarrhea, weight loss, and small bowel villous atrophy.

Villous atrophy is a condition characterized by nutrition absorption deficiencies in the small intestine, which means that Sheryl will have to be vigilant against malnutrition for the rest of her life.

According to her Benicar lawsuit, Sheryl is suing Daiichi Sankyo for failing to warn her of the drug’s adverse effects.

Her Benicar lawsuit is joining a group of similar claims, alleging the same or close to the same injuries. By joining a multidistrict litigation (MDL), Sheryl avoids a long individual battle through an intense litigation battle.

In addition, she also will avoid conflicting rulings from different judges and will experience greater convenience as part of the MDL process.

The Benicar Lawsuit is In re: Benicar (Olmesartan) Products Liability Litigation, Case No. 1:16-cv-02265 in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey, Camden Vicinage.