More Benicar lawsuits have been filed by plaintiffs alleging that the blood pressure medication caused gastrointestinal complications including chronic diarrhea and sprue-like enteropathy.

The three lawsuits filed by residents of Nevada, Colorado and South Carolina accuse Benicar’s manufacturers Daiichi Sankyo and Forest Laboratories of knowing about the life-threatening side effects but failing to fully warn physicians and consumers of the possibility.

All three plaintiffs allege developing intestinal injuries, rapid weight loss, and malnutrition after taking Benicar. One of the plaintiffs Mary H. of Nevada claims she also was hospitalized after developing a secondary Benicar side effect – kidney failure.

According to the Benicar lawsuits, not only did the manufacturers insufficiently test the blood pressure medication for side effects, they also did not adequately warn patients of the full risks linked to Benicar.

Benicar Complications

Benicar was FDA approved to treat hypertension in 2002, and quickly became one of the most popular blood pressure medications. However, since its release, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has received numerous reports from Benicar patients alleging life-threatening side effects.

Patients who claim they took Benicar as directed by their physicians have reported the following Benicar side effects to the FDA:

• Sprue-like enteropathy
• Rapid weight loss
• Nausea
• Debilitating diarrhea
• Malnutrition
• Dehydration
• Acute renal failure
• Villous Atrophy

Sprue-like enteropathy and villous atrophy typically require hospitalization as the medical condition occurs due to intestinal lining damage. Often times, patients taking Benicar who develop chronic diarrhea are often misdiagnosed with having celiac disease.

Benicar Side Effects

According to patients who developed gastrointestinal problems after taking Benicar, the side effects don’t often occur right away making it difficult to diagnose. Many consumer claim it took months or even a few years before the Benicar chronic diarrhea symptoms began.

Unfortunately, this means that many patients continued to take the blood pressure medication even though they were experiencing intestinal problems.

Most Benicar consumers report that once they stopped taking the medication, the chronic diarrhea stops but they are often left with permanent intestinal damage. 

The FDA states that sprue-like enteropathy has not been a reported side effect with any other hypertension medication other than olmesartan containing drugs like Benicar. The federal agency asked Benicar manufacturers to include the risk of sprue-like enteropathy in 2013.

Benicar Lawsuits

The plaintiffs in these three lawsuits allege that they would not have taken the blood pressure medication had they known of the severe side effect risks.

In general, Benicar plaintiffs allege that the medical conditions they developed as a side effect requires continual monitoring and treatment. Plaintiffs claim that had Benicar manufacturers fully informed of the health risks related to taking the medication they would not have had to suffer from the unreasonably dangerous medical conditions.

A number of Benicar lawsuits are filed by couples who can also sue for loss of intimacy which typically awards a higher amount in damages. If you took Benicar and suffered from chronic diarrhea or sprue-like enteropathy contact a Benicar attorney to find out if you can join a Benicar class action lawsuit.