A 72-year old Louisiana woman has filed a Lipitor lawsuit against drug manufacturer Pfizer Inc. after developing type-2 diabetes as a side effect of the cholesterol medication.

Plaintiff Eileen O. claims she took the medication on and off again for years before developing the Lipitor type-2 diabetes side effect. She has accused Pfizer of failing to warn that Lipitor could cause diabetes and is seeking financial damages for the permanent physical and emotional injuries she has suffered.

Eileen is one of millions of Americans who have been prescribed Lipitor to lower cholesterol levels in order to reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke. Like so many others filing Lipitor lawsuits, Eileen alleges she was unaware of the serious side effect risk of developing type-2 diabetes, and claims Pfizer was negligent in their warnings.

Lipitor Diabetes Risk Studies

In a recent study, researchers followed 26,000 Lipitor patients who had no history of heart disease or diabetes and found they had a 87 percent greater risk of developing type-2 diabetes. Not only did the medical study conclude that Lipitor users had a significantly greater chance of being diagnosed with diabetes, but it also found that patients had a 250 percent greater risk of developing diabetes with complications.

This is not the only study to confirm the link between Lipitor and type-2 diabetes. In 2012, the Archives of Internal Medicine performed a study that found women using Lipitor between the ages of 50-79 had a 50 percent greater risk of developing type-2 diabetes over non-users.

International studies have also found similar conclusions. A Finland study found Lipitor patients had an increase risk of diabetes by 50 percent and a Canadian study concluded that Lipitor patients had a 15 percent higher risk of developing diabetes within two years of treatment.

Lipitor Side Effects

In 2012, the FDA required drug maker Pfizer to include a diabetes warning on Lipitor labels. However, patients claim that even with the label change, it still didn’t adequately warn of the significant diabetes risks linked to the cholesterol medication.

Lipitor diabetes symptoms include:

• Unexplained weight loss
• Frequent urination
• Fatigue
• Blurred vision
• Headaches
• Slow-healing sores or frequent infections
• Dry mouth
• Areas of darkened skin
• Increased thirst
• Increased hunger (especially after eating)

Lipitor Type-2 Diabetes Lawsuits

Eileen is one of thousands who have filed a Lipitor type-2 diabetes lawsuit accusing Pfizer for fraudulent misrepresentation of their product. These lawsuits similarly claim the drug manufacturer intentionally hid the risk of diabetes while they over-marketed the product.  Lipitor and other statins medications profit $14.5 billion in sales each year.

Typically plaintiffs filing Lipitor lawsuits claim Pfizer knew of the diabetes side effect but omitted it from the warning label in order to boost sales. Contact a Lipitor attorney if you developed diabetes after taking the cholesterol medication to see if you can file a Lipitor type-2 diabetes lawsuit either as an individual or by joining a Lipitor class action lawsuit.

The Lipitor Type-2 Diabetes Lawsuit is Case No. 2:15-cv-02175-RMG, in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina Charleston Division.