Posts Tagged ‘adverse side effects’

Many studies are done on the side effects of drugs before they are released to the market to properly inform patients of the potential side effects.  However, these studies often do not incorporate studies on drug-drug interactions, which are the effect of using a particular medication in combination with several other drugs that a patient is already taking.  Not only can these medications cause their own side effects, they can have additional and sometimes irregular side effects when taken with other drugs.

In the United Kingdom, fifteen percent of its residents over 75 years of age take five or more drugs on a daily basis.  People in nursing homes take an average of six to eight medicines a day.  In the United States, forty percent of people over the age of 65 take five or more drugs on a daily basis.  The number of drugs prescribed to people is on a rise, especially in western European countries.  While the reasons for prescribing more drugs are done to effectively treat older people, there are sometimes other less respectable reasons, such as more drug marketing by drug companies disguised as “disease awareness” campaigns.  Often, drugs are not needed to treat these “diseases” and prescriptions written for these purpose are unnecessary and can even lead to dangerous interactions with other necessary drugs patients are taking.

Various studies show that about five percent of hospital admissions in Europe and the U.S. are due to adverse reactions caused by two or more drugs patients are taking.  In addition, five to ten percent of hospital patients have additional drug reactions when being hospitalized, resulting in prolonged stays and inevitably higher hospital bills.  Another unfortunate reality is that even with drugs that do not have any drug-drug interactions, the patient might stop taking a drug without informing the doctor, because all of the drugs they are taking have cumulative side effects that the patient wants to avoid.  Doctors may prescribe even higher and often unnecessary doses because they think the lower doses are not working.  In addition, doctors themselves are often not aware of the cumulative side effects that patients can have by taking multiple drugs, causing the patients to suffer any unnecessary side effects.

In short, some patient advocates argue that compliance with prescribed doses is a precursor to effective treatment but if you have adverse reactions or are concerned about them, consult your doctor or pharmacist.  If you are injured by a dangerous drug or think you are the victim of medical negligence, contact a medical malpractice lawyer.

Source: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/34019120-498b-11de-9e19-00144feabdc0.html

A class action lawsuit has been filed in federal court in California on behalf of individuals who used Hydroxycut products that were recalled by the FDA on May 1. The recall encouraged consumers to discontinue use of at least 14 different versions of Hydroxycut due to its adverse effects on the body, including liver damage, seizures, heart problems, blood toxicity and various other conditions, including a rare form of muscle damage known as rhabdomyolysis. Effects of Hydroxycut, which accounts for 90% in sales of weight loss products, are not only severe, but have already resulted in one fatality.

The lawsuit is the second Hydroxycut class action suit filed in the U.S. The claim alleges that the makers, Iovate, made fraudulent, false and misleading statements, violated trade practice laws and profited off of the sale of a product about which they made unsupported claims of its safety and effectiveness. If you or a loved one has used Hydroxycut, you may be entitled to file a Hydroxycut lawsuit. For more information contact us.