Flomax Lawsuit

A Brief Guide to Filing a Flomax Lawsuit:

What is Flomax?

Floamx (brand name of Tamsulosin) is applied to men to treat the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH or an enlarged prostate), including difficulty urinating, urinary frequency and painful urination. Flomax belongs to a class of medications known as alpha blockers; the drug is effective by relaxing the muscles in the prostate and bladder to help improve urination flow.

Flomax is a popular prescription drug that is proven effective in treating the symptoms associated with BPH. That being said, Flomax side effects can be bothersome and occur regardless of your adherence to prescription intake instructions. For more detailed information concerning Flomax side effects, please continue reading:

Flomax Side Effects:

As stated above, Flomax side effects may present themselves regardless of dosage levels or adherence to prescription instructions. Please inform your doctor if any of the below Flomax side effects are particularly painful or persistent:

• Common Flomax Side Effects include: difficulty falling or staying asleep; weakness; back pain; diarrhea; stuffy or runny nose; pressure or pain in the face; cough, sore throat, fever, chills or other signs of infection; blurred vision; difficulty ejaculating

• Severe Flomax Side Effects include: rash; itching; hives; painful erection that lasts for hours; swelling of the face, tongue, lips, throat, hands, arms, ankles, feet or lower legs.

Those symptoms listed under “serious Flomax side effects” require immediate medical attention. Please monitor all Flomax side effects and talk to your doctor concerning treatment or discontinuation of use.

Flomax and the FDA:

First approved for prescription sale in 1997, a Flomax is prescribed to patients with enlarged prostates. The drug is currently issued with attached prescription information detailing the above-listed Flomax side effects. However, this information does not include a black box warning-- the strongest level of FDA caution regarding a drug.

Treatment with a Flomax dosage is contraindicated for patients allergic to medications containing sulfates. Such patients are likely to experience allergic reactions, including potentially fatal skin conditions. Doctors are responsible for ensuring they do not issue the medication to those with kidney or liver problems to avoid a Flomax lawsuit concerning malpractice—a number of medical negligence Flomax lawsuits have been filed under this circumstance. That being said, the bulk of Flomax lawsuits revolve around under-reported Flomax side effects, including eye complications.

In 2009, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reviewed 92,218 cataract surgeries performed on men over 65 years of age between 2002 and 2007. This information has been used as the foundation for a number of Flomax lawsuits.

An analysis of the above data revealed that men taking a Flomax dosage two weeks prior to surgery were almost three times more likely than others to experience complications in their eyes. More specifically the development of floppy Iris Syndrome (complication where the iris becomes flaccid and billows in response to ordinary intraocular currents) has spearheaded hundreds of Flomax lawsuits in the past.

Along with this study, the journal published an editorial urging a "black box warning" to be added to the drug’s label to accurately describe potential Flomax side effects. However, so far the FDA has not fulfilled this request.

Flomax Famous Lawsuits:

Patients experiencing adverse effects should consider filing a Flomax lawsuit. That being said, the bulk of prominent Flomax lawsuits have been filed against Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals (the drug’s manufacturer) and individual pharmacies/doctors. One prominent Flomax lawsuits filed in 2008 involved a Florida man who was administered the wrong person's prescription. The incorrect prescription in this Flomax lawsuit led to an assortment of complications including kidney failure and liver failure. These severe Flomax side effects, which ultimately killed the man, stemmed from an inaccurate dosage; the man ingested a toxic amount of the drug. The man’s family filed the Flomax lawsuit against the pharmacy for mixing-up the prescription dosages. This Flomax lawsuit was settled in a private manner in 2009.

Flomax lawsuits can be filed against the manufacturer if the patient develop floppy iris syndrome following cataract surgery. This development may prompt a Flomax lawsuit because studies have linked Flomax use with the medical condition. This affirmation, when combined with underreporting on part of the manufacturer, laid the framework for a Flomax lawsuit.

Filing a Flomax Lawsuit:

Many pharmaceutical attorneys can be found to evaluate the potential success of Flomax lawsuits. Because Flomax lawsuits can lead to large settlements, it is not hard to find a lawyer willing to consider your Flomax lawsuit for free. To initiate a sound Flomax lawsuit, you must provide your attorney with medical records documenting your development of the aforementioned side effects (particularly floppy iris syndrome). To secure a settlement, your Flomax lawsuit must affirm the link between your development and Flomax use.

Sources:

1. United States national Library of Medicine “Tamsulosin” retrieved from:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001025/

2. http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/ucm197087.html

3. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/EnforcementActivitiesby

FDA/WarningLettersandNoticeofViolationLetterstoPharmaceuticalCompanies/UCM168222.pdf