A Texas man has filed an AndroGel lawsuit against the drug maker AbbVie Inc., alleging he experienced serious testosterone product side effects, including a dangerous pulmonary embolism.

Like many testosterone products, AndroGel is marketed as a safe and effective treatment for low testosterone or low-t conditions in middle aged men.

However, the plaintiff of this AndroGel side effects lawsuit claims AbbVie Inc. “knew that AndroGel  increases the risk of thromboembolism, heart attack, stroke, and death and that AndroGel is not safe and effective for treating men with symptoms such as fatigue, low energy, low libido, and other symptoms that are normal for aging men.”

Theodore Diesslin, 51, was prescribed AndroGel 1% in August 2011 by his physician and he continued to take AndroGel as directed until July 2012, when he was given a stronger AndroGel medication of 1.62%. Diesslin continued to take the stronger prescription of AndroGel until Sep. 10, 2012, when he allegedly suffered a pulmonary embolism.

According to his testosterone product side effects lawsuit, “As a direct and proximate result of Defendants’ fraudulent conduct, Plaintiff Theodore Diesslin suffered personal injury, economic and non-economic damages,  and will continue to suffer such harm, damages, and economic loss in the future.”

Diesslin further alleges in his testosterone drug lawsuit that AndroGel’s maker AbbVie Inc. was aware of the risk of pulmonary embolism, but failed to warn Diesslin and other consumers.

The Texas man’s charges against AbbVie Inc. include strict product liability, design defect, inadequate warnings or instructions, negligence, breach of implied warranty, breach of express warranty, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, violation of Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act, and fraudulent concealment.

Diesslin is not the only AndroGel consumer pursuing a testosterone product side effects lawsuit. Many men across the nation have allegedly suffered debilitating side effects stemming from their use of AndroGel or another testosterone product.

The AndroGel Testosterone Product Side Effects Lawsuit is Diesslin v. AbbVie Inc. et al., Case No. 1: 14-cv-06770, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.

Testosterone Product Side Effects

There are a number of testosterone gels, creams, and other products in the U.S. drug market that are specifically geared toward middle-aged men who are experiencing normal side effects of aging, including a decreased production of testosterone, which can lead to a decreased sex-drive, loss of muscle mass, and other concerns.

Many consumers allege that AbbVie markets its testosterone products in such a way that makes these prescription testosterone products very appealing to male consumers even though these products are only meant for treatment of real low-t conditions and not for simple signs of aging. Additionally, testosterone product manufacturers allegedly do not fully disclose all the risks associated with taking their products.

Some serious testosterone product side effects include:

• Blood clot
• Enlarged prostrate
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Death

Recent medical studies have reported that the spouses and children of testosterone product users have allegedly experienced secondary testosterone hormone exposure.

According to the FDA Drug Safety and Availability: “The manufacturers of two prescription topical testosterone gel products, AndroGel 1% and Testim 1%, were required to include a boxed warning on the products’ labels. The agency required this action after receiving reports of adverse effects in children who were inadvertently exposed to testosterone through contact with another person being treated with these products (secondary exposure).”

While secondary exposure in children leads to early virilization, in pregnant women, secondary exposure can lead to fetal damage and other physical changes to a woman’s body.

As a result many individuals and family members are pursuing Testosterone product class action lawsuits against the manufacturers of these products.