Defective Drugs and Medical Devices
Is Your New Year’s Resolution Putting Your Life in Danger?
The most common New Year’s resolutions always involve health: this will be the year we eat better, exercise more, and quit our bad habits. For many people, the overall goal is to lose weight – thus explaining the increase in gym memberships each January – and some people choose to take weight loss supplements to…
Read MoreBeing Exposed to Anesthesia Could Cause Children to Develop Learning Disabilities
Sometimes when a child is born with a birth defect or a cognitive impairment, there seems to be no reason why. Other times, that child might have been the victim of medical negligence, or exposed to a substance which permanently altered their body chemistry or their brain. Discovering the “whys” is often one of the…
Read MoreThe Dangers of Opioid Painkillers Likely Outweigh the Risks
Opioids, or narcotic pain medication, is the strongest pain killer available. Doctors typically prescribe opioids for the most severe pain that cannot be helped by other pain relief medications. The problem with these powerful medications is that they are dangerous because of the risk of death by overdose, or addiction and other side-effects. Opioids work…
Read MoreHeart Failure, Pancreatic Cancer and Severe Joint Pain Linked to Onglyza and Januvia
Onglyza (saxagliptin) is a prescription drug that was approved by the FDA in 2009 as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. The drug, which is manufactured by AstraZeneca, gained popularity because it helped patients control their blood sugar without causing weight gain as can occur with other diabetes medications. Onglyza belongs to a class of…
Read MoreDefective IVC Filters Spur Defective Medical Device Lawsuits throughout the Country
An inferior vena cava filter, or IVC filter, is a medical device designed to prevent blood clots from traveling into the heart or lungs. They are primarily used in patients who, for myriad reasons, cannot take blood thinners. When they work properly, IVC filters have the potential to save lives. When they fail, they have…
Read MoreFDA Approves Praluent a Pricey New Cholesterol-lowering Drug
On July 24, 2015, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration approved Praluent (alirocumab) the first in a new class of cholesterol-lowering drugs known as PCSK9 inhibitors (protein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9). This new class of medications hold the promise of reducing heart attacks and strokes, which kill approximately 610,000 Americans every year. The PCSK9…
Read MoreCDC Uncovers a Link to Birth Defect Risk for Pregnant Women Taking Paxil and Prozac
The Centers for Disease Control has published an analysis on the use of a class of SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) such as Prozac and Paxil during pregnancy and whether or not there is a link to birth defects in babies born to women who took these antidepressants immediately before becoming pregnant and in the…
Read MoreIs There a Link Between Glyburide and Gestational Diabetes?
A recent study that was published in the JAMA Pediatrics on the risk of birth injury connected to gestational diabetes has been connected to the mother’s use of glyburide during pregnancy. Glyburide, which is sold under the brand names, DiaBeta and Micronage, is an oral diabetes medication that controls blood sugar levels in people with…
Read MoreNew Contraceptives and the Increased Risk of Fatal Blood Clots
Birth control pills have always carried the risk of blood clots and stroke, but a new study published in the British Medical Journal has found that the pill can be linked to anywhere from a two to a more than four-fold increased risk of blood clots when compared to women who are not taking oral…
Read MoreCan Sleep Aid Drugs Contribute to Higher Car Crash Risk?
A new study finds a markedly increased risk of car crashes for new users of sleeping pills. The data shows there was an increased risk of car crashes for people who began taking Restoril (temazepam), Desyrel (trazodone) or Ambien (zolpidem), and this increased risk continued for about a year, according to University of Washington researchers.…
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