Knowledgeable Florida Benicar Attorney Spreads Awareness of a New Disease Linked to the Drug

Benicar users are being misdiagnosed with celiac disease

Olmesartan, a drug sold in the United States under the brand name Benicar, is a hypertension medication which blocks the hormone Angiotensin II from narrowing blood vessels, thus reducing blood pressure. Although Benicar has been on the market since 2002, two years ago the Food and Drug administration issued a warning that Benicar can cause a serious and rare gastrointestinal disease called sprue-like enteropathy.

Since that warning was issued, the knowledgeable Florida Benicar attorney at GS Law PA, attorney Geoffrey S. Schosheim, has closely followed both the clinical studies indicating a link between sprue-like enteropathy and Benicar, as well as multiple lawsuits filed by Benicar patients since that announcement, and we are ready to help South Florida and nationwide Benicar users whose severe digestive issues may be the result of taking this medication.

What is “sprue-like enteropathy”?

The disease caused by Benicar has been called “sprue-like enteropathy” by doctors seeking to describe it. “Enteropathy” is a blanket term for intestinal diseases and disorders and “sprue” refers to celiac sprue, commonly referred to as celiac disease, an autoimmune disease that is commonly associated with gluten intolerance.

Many doctors treating patients using Benicar initially misdiagnosed the side effects of Benicar as celiac disease. However, after noticing that certain patients did not respond to established celiac disease treatments such as a gluten-free diet, and that each of these patients lacked the genetic predisposition which is almost always a primary cause of celiac disease, doctors were able to identify Benicar as the cause of the symptoms.

What are the symptoms of sprue-like enteropathy?

The symptoms of sprue-like enteropathy are similar to those of celiac disease and they can be just as dangerous. The symptoms are all gastrointestinal in nature, and include:

These symptoms are all caused by villous atrophy, a condition in which the villi, the tiny projections on the wall of the small intestine that absorb nutrients into the body, have eroded away. Untreated, these symptoms can pose severe health problems, and permanent gastrointestinal damage can result.

Celiac disease is the most common cause of villous atrophy. Benicar users misdiagnosed with celiac disease are not only forced to continue enduring these often debilitating health issues while receiving ineffective treatment for sprue-like enteropathy, but run the risk of further damage so long as the sprue-like enteropathy remains undiagnosed.

If you have been taking Benicar and are experiencing symptoms of sprue-like enteropathy, swift action is essential

As awareness grows of the link between Benicar and sprue-like enteropathy, an increasing number of lawsuits have been filed by people affected by debilitating health problems which sometimes went untreated due to misdiagnosis—including wrongful death actions filed by the families of individuals dying from the disease. The FDA issued its first Benicar warning based on 23 reported cases of sprue-like enteropathy, but gastroenterology researchers feel that these 23 cases only represent the “tip of the iceberg”.

Contact an experienced Florida Benicar defective drug attorney today to find out more

Geoffrey S. Schosheim is a highly recognized Florida attorney at GS Law PA, and is committed to spreading awareness of the dangers of Benicar, and the dangers of misdiagnosing the severe health problems it can cause. If you take Benicar and have suffered any chronic digestive problems such as chronic diarrhea, severe weight loss, or malnutrition, we urge you to alert your doctor about these recent findings. As more and more lawsuits are filed across the country against the manufacturers of Benicar, we are committed to following each of the legal and scientific developments as they occur. To talk to our knowledgeable Florida Benicar attorney today, contact us online or call our Boca Raton office at (561) 706-5503 for a free initial consultation.