A Texas man recently filed a testosterone lawsuit against AbbVie Inc., alleging that the company failed to warn him and others of potentially serious AndroGel side effects.

The plaintiff, Marvin F., began taking testosterone replacement therapy — specifically, the product AndroGel — as prescribed in 2010. AndroGel is manufactured and distributed by AbbVie Inc.

The testosterone product lawsuit alleges that Marvin’s use of AndroGel led directly to his suffering from cerebrovascular attack and ischemic stroke. These serious, life-threatening AndroGel side effects occurred approximately one year after Marvin began taking AndroGel.

Marvin filed his AndroGel lawsuit on multiple counts, including design defect, failure to warn, negligence, fraud, and several others.

By filing this AndroGel lawsuit, he hopes to gain some kind of financial compensation in punitive damages for the pain and suffering he has endured as a result of using AndroGel.

Testosterone Side Effects

AndroGel, a drug manufactured by AbbVie, serves as a testosterone replacement therapy, treating low testosterone levels. Low testosterone – also known as hypogonadism – can be treated by AndroGel, but many AndroGel users have come forward alleging that the drug can also cause serious medical problems.

One of these AndroGel side effects is deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which occurs when a blood clot forms in the deep veins of someone’s body. Usually, the clot is located in the legs.

DVT can cause serious leg pain or swelling, but can often go undetected due to its subtle symptoms. Though the symptoms are sometimes unrecognizable, the condition can still be dangerous. DVT clots can break loose and lodge in the lungs, which blocks blood flow and many cause a pulmonary embolism.

A 2014 study on testosterone drug safety revealed that a serious testosterone side effect may be an increased risk of heart attacks. Indeed, the study showed that these kinds of drugs may as much as double the risk of heart attacks in men 65 years old or above.

For younger men who have a prior history of heart disease, the study showed that testosterone drugs could also increase their risk of heart attacks by as much as double.

Another study, this one done in 2015, suggested that first time testosterone users may be 40 percent more likely to have a heart attack when compared with men who did not use testosterone drugs.

Testosterone Lawsuits

According to AndroGel lawsuits, AbbVie Inc. had a duty to warn the public and the medical community of the risk of serious medical conditions and testosterone side effects such as heart attack, stroke, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and/or death associated with the use of their testosterone product AndroGel.

The plaintiffs in these AndroGel lawsuits allege that AbbVie Inc. failed to provide adequate warnings concerning the risk of these medical conditions, and even failed to update warnings based on information from product surveillance and studies after the FDA’s approval.

If you or someone you know has taken AndroGel or another testosterone replacement therapy and has suffered from testosterone side effects or complications such as deep vein thrombosis, heart attack, or stroke, you may be able to file a lawsuit.

The Testosterone Product Lawsuit is Case No. 1:15-cv-09620, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.