If you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D), you might wonder how does Viberzi cause pancreatitis?

Approved to treat IBS-D in May 2015, Allergan’s Viberzi drug allegedly has been linked to at least two deaths caused by pancreatitis. Viberzi (eluxadoline) can cause an onset of pancreatitis symptoms after just one or two 75 mg doses, says an announcement from the FDA. Pancreatitis appears to occur in patients who no longer have a gallbladder.

The FDA received 120 complaints of pancreatitis or death from May 2015 through February 2017. Of 68 patients who indicated the status of their gallbladders, 56 no longer had them. Of the 76 hospitalized patients, two died, and neither of them had a gallbladder.

How Does Viberzi Cause Pancreatitis?

Viberzi may cause pancreatitis because of the way it works to control diarrhea in IBS-D. The Viberzi drug controls diarrhea by decreasing contractions in the large intestine. Diarrhea in IBS-D patients can be accompanied by cramping, abdominal pain, bloating and gas.

How does Viberzi cause pancreatitis? While the Viberzi drug often effectively reduces diarrhea symptoms, Viberzi might also cause spasms of a valve known as the sphincter of Oddi. This valve is a muscular mechanism in the small intestine that controls the flow of bile and pancreatic juices into the duodenum.

These spasms can activate the digestive juices from the pancreas before they enter the small intestine, causing the digestive enzymes to break down the pancreas itself.

How does Viberzi cause pancreatitis? The FDA warns that it may be caused by these spasms of the sphincter of Oddi.

Symptoms of the Viberzi drug causing pancreatitis might include:

• Abdominal pain
• Swollen, tender abdomen
• Fast heart rate
• Sweating
• Back pain
• Fever
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Weight Loss

Severe pancreatitis can cause bleeding into the pancreas, tissue damage, infection and the formation of pancreatic cysts. The heart, lungs and kidneys can suffer damage, as well, from severe pancreatitis. The patient is also at risk of developing diabetes if the insulin-producing cells suffer damage.

Pancreatitis drug causes include Viberzi, especially in patients who no longer have their gallbladders.

Allergan has updated the drug’s Important Risk Information to include warnings regarding the risks of pancreatitis and of the spasming of the sphincter of Oddi. The website for Viberzi now explicitly states, “Do not take Viberzi if you do not have a gallbladder or have or may have had a blockage in your gallbladder or a sphincter of Oddi problem.”

If you have been affected by pancreatitis drug causes such as the Viberzi drug for IBS-D, you could be eligible for compensation through legal representation.