A Mississippi woman has filed suit against Daiichi Sankyo, Inc., claiming its blood pressure medication Benicar caused colitis.

Barbara S. began taking the Benicar (olmesartan) in 2003 to control her blood pressure and later discovered she had developed Benicar caused colitis.

Benicar caused colitis can introduce a variety of gastrointestinal complications, including, but not limited to:

• Sprue-like enteropathy
• Villous atrophy
• Malabsorption
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Chronic diarrhea
• Dehydration
• Malnutrition
• Kidney failure
• Abdominal and gastrointestinal pain
• Colitis

Villous atrophy involves the walls of the intestines, which are covered by villi. These tiny tentacle-like growths absorb nutrients from the foods we eat.

Villous atrophy means those villi have eroded away and the insides of the intestines are so smooth, they can no longer absorb nutrients. This leads to malnourishment.

Sprue-like Enteropathy

Sprue-like enteropathy is a disease that mimics Celiac disease because symptoms include severe, chronic diarrhea and substantial weight loss. A blood test can eliminate Celiac disease as the cause.

In July 2013, the FDA insisted that Benicar add a warning that side effects could include sprue-like enteropathy.

The FDA’s decision to add the sprue-like enteropathy warning was due in large part to a study done by the Mayo Clinic, where tests showed that patients thought to have Celiac disease all test negative for it.

Researchers found out the only thing the patients had in common was they were all taking Benicar. 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. Once the patients stopped taking Benicar, they were able to gain weight and colitis symptoms subsided.

Benicar Caused Colitis

The lawsuit contends that Benicar caused colitis because of the symptoms listed above.

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, the result is lower blood pressure because the blood vessels don’t constrict blood flow.

The active ingredient, olmesartan, is the double-edged sword in Benicar. While it lowers blood pressure, Benicar causes colitis and other gastrointestinal side effects.

Benicar Lawsuits

Unfortunately, patients usually have taken Benicar for years before they link their gastrointestinal complications to the blood pressure drug.

Studies Benicar caused colitis, sprue-like enteropathy, severe diarrhea, malnutrition and kidney problems in many patients who thought they had Celiac disease.

If you or someone you know has taken Benicar and developed severe gastrointestinal complications, you could benefit from a class action lawsuit to assist you with medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages and other losses.

The Benicar Lawsuit is filed within the Benicar MDL No. 2606 in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey Camden Vicinage.