A new Benicar lawsuit was recently filed against the pharmaceutical manufacturers Daiichi Sankyo and Forest Laboratories, alleging that Benicar is a dangerous and defective medication that caused the plaintiff to suffer serious personal injuries, like colitis.

The Benicar lawsuit is brought by Marilyn M., a resident of Canton, Ohio. According to the lawsuit, Marilyn was prescribed Benicar by her doctor to treat her hypertension.

While taking the appropriate dose of the medication, Marilyn began to experience severe intestinal and colonic injuries which included sprue like enteropathy, colitis and intestinal malabsorption. These injuries caused Marilyn to suffer from chronic diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, rapid weight loss, dehydration, malnutrition, and acute renal failure.

Marilyn alleges that Daiichi Sankyo and Forest Laboratories violated consumer protection laws. Claims alleged against the defendants include failure to warn, design defect, breach of warranty, negligence, fraud and miscommunication, and gross negligence. Marilyn is seeking damages for the medical bills she incurred relating to the injuries along with her pain and suffering.

What is Benicar?

Benicar, generically known olmesartan, is a popular medication prescribed to treat hypertension or high blood pressure. After it was introduced to the market, the hypertension medication quickly gained popularity and today over 11 million prescriptions for Benicar are written by medical professionals. But patients taking Benicar may experience a spectrum of side effects.

Benicar Side Effects: Sprue Like Enteropathy

Benicar side effects
may include severe and chronic diarrhea, substantial weight loss, electrolyte imbalance, villous atrophy, and colitis. It may also include sprue-like enteropathy.

Sprue like enteropathy is a disease that has symptoms very similar to celiac disease. Sprue like enteropathy may cause patients to experience diarrhea, weight-loss, and other side effects. These symptoms may occur weeks or even months after a patient begins taking Benicar.

Because of the potential late onset of symptoms, sprue like enteropathy is easily misdiagnosed by medical professionals as celiac disease. When patients are misdiagnosed the actual cause of the symptoms goes untreated, often making symptoms worse.

While symptoms generally disappear once the patient stops taking Benicar, in some cases the damage is permanent and the patient may suffer from a condition known as villous atrophy. Villous atrophy occurs when the lining of the small intestine is permanently damaged which can lead to malnourishment and dehydration.

What is Colitis?

Colitis is a condition where a patient suffers from inflammation in the inner lining of the colon. Symptoms of Colitis include abdominal pain, cramping, and diarrhea. Colitis can be caused by numerous things including allergic reactions, inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn’s disease.

Patients who have taken Benicar and suffered serious side effects may be able to bring a lawsuit against the pharmaceutical manufacturer. Successful plaintiffs may receive compensation for their past medical bills along with their pain and suffering.

Lawsuits against these companies can help hold pharmaceutical manufacturers accountable for their actions and serve as a reminder that these companies owe their consumers a specific duty of care.

The Benicar lawsuit is Case No.: 1:15-cv-02497-RBK-JS, filed in the United States District Court in the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division.