The Food and Drug Administration has already shared warnings about a higher risk of Viberzi pancreatitis for those patients who do not have a gallbladder and who have been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Viberzi is recommended to treat patients who have IBS with diarrhea, but studies indicate that this treatment option not be used with patients who do not have a gallbladder. Without knowledge of this connection, patients might not know that the symptoms they are experiencing are due to pancreatitis.

Pancreatitis involves inflammation of the pancreas. As many of the symptoms can be written off as minor or connected to other medical issues, a patient who has taken Viberzi as recommended by a doctor might not realize their situation until it’s much more serious or requires hospitalization.

Pancreatitis can be caused by digestive system muscle spasms in the small intestine, and an FDA investigation identified that patients who do not have a gallbladder are at a high risk of developing serious Viberzi pancreatitis that could require hospitalization or death.

Those patients who do not have a gallbladder should speak with their medical professionals about other treatment options if they suffer from IBS. Alternative treatment options for IBS patients include other prescription drugs or over the counter agents, and the determination of an appropriate treatment course depends on whether or not the IBS condition is predominantly associated with constipation or diarrhea.

The Viberzi drug was originally approved by the FDA in May 2015. Over 120 reports of severe pancreatitis or death were filed with the FDA since the drug came on the market. A total of 76 of those cases involved hospitalization and two patients suffered fatal injuries.

The correlation between Viberzi and pancreatitis is tied to the drug’s treatment mechanism and the control of the flow of bile – which is why the presence of a gallbladder plays a part. Of those reports of pancreatitis, 55 of the incidents occurred with patients who have had their gallbladder removed, including the two who suffered fatal injuries.

What is Pancreatitis?

The pancreas is essential for producing enzymes that assist with digestion as well as hormones that assist with the body’s reprocessing of sugar. Pancreatitis can occur as acute pancreatitis or chronic pancreatitis.

Acute pancreatitis means that the symptoms develop quickly and last for several days, whereas chronic pancreatitis involves the condition occurring over the course of many years. While a mild case of pancreatitis could be diagnosed and treated relatively easily, a more severe case could lead to life threatening side effects.

Both chronic and acute pancreatitis share the symptom of upper abdominal pain. Acute pancreatitis is noted by nausea, vomiting, fever, and abdominal pain that feels worse after eating and radiates to the back. Chronic pancreatitis is noted by oily, smelly stools or losing weight without trying.

Pancreatitis can become activated when the digestive enzymes flare up while still in the pancreas leading to inflammation because of irritation of the cells of the pancreas. Reporting these symptoms to a doctor is important for flagging pancreatitis as a possible diagnosis early on, and presenting the full list of medications being used at that point in time will also help narrow down the source of the problems.