Articles Posted in Unsafe Drugs

In December 2007, New Jersey mother of two, Jackie Bozicev collapsed one morning on her way to the shower. Her husband called 911, and the EMT’s did whatever they could to revive her based upon what little information they had about the problem, but Jackie, just 32 years old was dead before they reached the hospital.

To unravel the mystery of her death, and autopsy was performed, and the M.E. determined that Mrs. Bozicev died of a blood clot that started in her pelvic area and migrated up to her lungs.

Prior to her sudden death, Jackie had been perfectly healthy. Her husband, Rob, did what any of us would do after losing a loved one to a sudden illness. He conducted research. As stated in a 2009 article “Is NuvaRing Dangerous” Rob believes that his wife’s death was caused by her birth control method, the NuvaRing. Rob retained an attorney to file a complaint against the ring’s manufacturers, Organon, and Schering-Plough, who are now a part of Merck.

Rob’s Story was published on MotherJones.com in 2009. At that time there were about 100 Federal Lawsuits pending against the manufacturers of NuvaRing. As of June 2011, there were about 900 lawsuits. The amount of clams increased by 9 times in two years. These lawsuits were filed by people who, like Rob, did some research. What about all of the people out there who did not think to research their medical mysteries? After all, aren’t blood clots a known risk of birth control. Are many victims simply believing that are within the small percentage of cases that these injuries do occur? Is there something special in NuvaRing that makes them more likely to suffer these potentially fatal side effects? If so, why isn’t there a warning?
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Earlier this month, major media outlets reported that researchers at George Washington University found problems with the use of Propecia for male pattern baldness. Of the 54 men under 40 years old, a whopping 96% of the men experienced sexual dysfunction after months of stopping the Propecia.

The reason men took Propecia was to look and feel sexier and more desirable. Now Propecia has played a cruel joke on them. Men reported a variety of sexual problems including diminished libido, trouble achieving orgasm, erectile dysfunction, and painful and shrinking genitals. Some men also reported anxiety, cognitive haziness, and depression.

On April 11, 2012, the FDA announced changes to the professional labels for Propecia (finasteride 1 mg) and Proscar (finasteride 5 mg) to expand the list of sexual side effects reported as some of side effects had been reported to continue after the drug was discontinued.

Since 1550 B.C. humans have been experimenting with various forms of birth control. Over the last century, our options have come a long way since homemade fruit and wool concoctions.

In the early 1950s Researcher, Gregory Pincus, and Margaret Sanger, founder of the modern day, Planned Parenthood, began researching the use of hormones in contraceptives. Mexican chemist, Carl Djesarri created the first progesterone pill. A few years later, the first clinical trial was conducted in Massachusetts with 50 women volunteers.

Once on the market, almost half a million American women began taking the pill for therapeutic purposes, such as difficulties with their menstrual cycle. In May 1960, the FDA approved Envoid as a form of birth control.

50 Years later, women have the amount of birth control options have improved. However, although the amount of options has improved, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the new birth control options are improvements.

Consumers first learned in the 1970s that birth control pills came with side effects. As a result, the manufacturers began using a lower dose hormone, but warnings for side effects such as Stroke, DVT, Pulmonary Embolism, and Blood Clots, among others, are still named on the packaging inserts. In the 1970s, Chemists took a step to make new birth control safer than the predecessor, yet, today’s options are carrying more risks.
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21 years ago Zithromax gained FDA approval. Zithromax is a drug manufactured by Pfizer to treat common infections including respiratory infections such as bronchitis, pneumonia, and sinusitis. The five day course of treatment has made Zithromax a popular antibiotic among patients. However, as the drug marks its 21st birthday this year, a new study has come out that has some experts concerned about its safety.

The study published in a recent issue of the New England Journal of Medicine found that Zithromax users face twice the risk of sudden cardiac death as users of other types of antibiotics. Those at greatest risk of Zithromax sudden cardiac death appear to be those with pre-existing heart conditions.

While the FDA is recommending that people taking Zithromax continue to do so, it is important to know that the potential risk / benefit calculation has changed and that safer options may exist. Before you agree to treatment for your next infection, please talk to your doctor about your risks and about the potential benefits of your antibiotic options.

If you take OxyElite Pro then it is important that you be informed of potential risks before you take the supplement. While it is still legal to buy DMAA containing supplements, such as OxyElite Pro, in the United States, the United States Army has expressed concerns about the safety of DMAA and is currently doing a review to determine whether it should allow the supplements to be sold on Army bases. The review comes after the death of two servicemen who allegedly took DMAA supplements prior to their deaths.

Are OxyElite Pro Deaths common? There is simply not enough information to answer that question yet. With OxyElite Pro and Jack3d taken off market on Army bases, we know that there is a concern and we know that supplement users should be aware of the Army’s concerns and take the necessary steps to protect their own health.

When the FDA issues a warning, such as it did in June 2011 for the diabetes drug Actos, patients and their families often have lots of questions. In this post, we’ll answer three common questions about Actos and bladder cancer to provide you with some information that you can speak about with your doctor when discussing your diabetes treatment plan.

Question 1: When Did Actos Come on the Market? Actos came on the U.S. market in 1999. While other countries have taken Actos off the market for safety concerns, Actos remains on the market in the United States as of February 2012.

Question 2: Is Actos Safe? The FDA has warned patients and doctors that the use of Actos for more than one year, particularly in patients who have had or currently have bladder cancer, may be dangerous. Specifically, the prolonged use of Actos for these patients may increase the risk of developing bladder cancer.

During a recent meeting between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and two of its advisory panels, the safety of several common drugs used to treat female bone density problems was called into question. As a result, the FDA is anticipated to revise the labeling in November for medicines classified as bisphosphonates. Specific drug products include Actonel, Boniva, and Fosamax.

Women travelled from all over the country to share experiences involving injury with the FDA panels as part of the hearings on bisphosphonate dangers. Most of the stories showed similar factors, with the majority of cases involving a critical, abnormal fracture of the femur bone that occurred unexpectedly after using one of the listed bone density drugs for several years, in many instances five or more. According to statistics, over five million women and approximately 11 percent of females 55 years of age or older use these medicines to reduce bone density loss associated with pre-osteoporosis, which can also result in breaks and fractures. The current product labeling alerts users and their doctors to monitor for symptoms of pain which may be a sign of an impending fracture.

While it was concluded that heightened and clarified product warnings were necessary, it was not yet revealed what exactly that would entail. In a 45-page statement given by the FDA, the agency cited examples from data that suggest there are no documented benefits for using the drugs more than three to five years. The report also connected the problems testified by users to long term usage, which may or may not be part of the label revision.