A plaintiff  has filed a lawsuit against the makers of Benicar after she developed sprue-like syndrome, allegedly caused by the medication.

Plaintiff Debra K. says she took Benicar (olmesartan) to control her high blood pressure from 2007 to 2009. Over the course of time, she developed “severe gastrointestinal” issues that caused her to suffer chronic diarrhea, severe weight loss, vomiting, malnutrition, and abdominal pain. Named defendants Daiichi Sankyo and Forest Laboratories make and market Benicar.

Sprue-like Syndrome Added to Benicar Warning Label

The FDA required Benicar to add a sprue-like enteropathy warning in part because of a study done by the Mayo Clinic, in which tests showed that patients thought to have celiac disease all tested negative for it.

The only common denominator among the patients exhibiting the sprue-like syndrome was they were all taking Benicar or other olmesartan medications. Fourteen of the 22 patients examined ended up in the hospital with gastrointestinal complications.

In May 2013, The American Journal of Gastroenterology published a report that said patients who tested negative for celiac disease were shown to have villous atrophy from Benicar. When patients quit taking Benicar, they gained weight and their sprue-like syndrome subsided.

Other examples of sprue-like syndrome have been reported. In January 2014, a woman reports she experienced a 45-pound weight loss and 20 bowel movements a day for a year. She was diagnosed with a colon perforation that improved after she stopped taking Benicar, according to a case report in Gastrointestinal Medicine.

Villous Atrophy Is Root Cause of Malnutrition

Our intestinal walls are covered by villi, which are tiny nubby growths that absorb nutrients in the foods we eat.

Benicar can cause villous atrophy, which means those villi have eroded away and the insides of the intestines are so smooth that they can no longer absorb nutrients. We then become malnourished.

Benicar belongs to the ARB (angiotensin receptor blocker) class of blood pressure medicines that block the activity of angiotensin-II in the cardiovascular system. The liver generates angiotensin-II, a protein that causes blood vessels to constrict, which raises blood pressure.

When blood pressure is too high, the heart works harder to pump blood and oxygen through the body. High blood pressure can damage other organs, such as the kidneys. When Benicar blocks the production of angiotensin-II, blood pressure decreases because the blood vessels don’t constrict blood flow.

While it lowers blood pressure, Benicar causes colitis and other gastrointestinal side effects.

In fact, Benicar is often prescribed to treat blood pressure for periods of six months to a year or more. Yet clinical trials for the drug last only up to three months.

Critic say these trials weren’t long enough to evaluate the long-term effects of Benicar. The sprue-like syndrome complaint alleges that Daiichi Sankyo and Forest knew or should have known that doctors “commonly prescribe olmesartan as treatment for hypertension for prolonged periods of six months to a year or more,” which should have prompted longer clinical trials.

If you or someone you know has suffered from Benicar intestinal side effects, you could benefit from seeking compensation to assist you with medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages and other losses.

The Sprue-like Syndrome Lawsuit is Case No. 1:17-cv-03979 in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, Camden Vicinage.