Lescol Lawsuit

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Federal health regulators are warning that Lescol (generic: fluvastatin) and other similar cholesterol-lowering drugs may increase the risk of rhabdomyolysis, myopathy, kidney damage, and diabetes. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced in February 2012 that it was requiring Lescol warning labels to be updated to alert the public of several new health concerns. Statin dugs like Lescol are some of the world’s best-selling prescription medications, generating nearly $15 billion in sales in 2008 alone.

Lescol Update 3/1/12: The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued a press release today informing healthcare professionals of updates to the prescribing information concerning adverse interactions between protease inhibitors and certain statin medications. When these two types of drugs are taken together, they may raise the blood levels of statins and increase the risk of a severe muscle injury known as myopathy. Click here to learn more.

Free Lescol Lawsuit Evaluation: If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury you feel may have been caused by Lescol, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a suit against the manufacturer of Lescol and we can help.

What’s the problem with Lescol?

Lescol belongs to a class of drugs known as HMG CoA reductase inhibitors, or ‘statins,‘ that work by reducing levels of ‘bad‘ cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL) and triglycerides in the blood while simultaneously increasing levels of ‘good‘ cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein, or HDL). First approved by the FDA in 1999, Lescol is prescribed to treat high cholesterol in adults and children who are over the age of 10. Lowering cholesterol levels can help prevent heart disease and hardening of the arteries, conditions that can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and vascular disease.

In addition to Lescol, other potentially-dangerous prescription medications in the statin class include:

• Zocor
• Crestor
• Vytorin
• Simcard
• Simcor
• Simlup
• Simvacor
• Lipitor
• Mevacor
• Altoprev
• Livalo
• Pravachol
• Advicor

Lescol Side Effects

Lescol and other drugs from the statin class have recently been linked to the following serious side effects:

• muscle damage
• myopathy
• kidney damage
• kidney failure (also known as renal failure)
• rhabdomyolysis
• diabetes
• death

Lescol Kidney Failure

Kidney failure is characterized by the sudden inability of the kidneys to remove waste and concentrate urine without losing electrolytes. The condition can occur from an acute situation, chronic problems, or from high doses of statin medications like Lescol. Signs and symptoms of kidney failure may include:

• vomiting
• nausea
• weight loss
• nocturnal urination
• more or less frequent urination habits
• itching
• bone damage
• muscle cramps
• abnormal heart rhythms
• muscle paralysis
• swelling of the legs, ankles, feet or hands
• dizziness
• low blood pressure

Lescol & Rhabdomyolysis

Rhabdomyolysis is a rare but extremely serious health condition that occurs when damaged muscle tissue releases a protein called myoglobin into the bloodstream. Myoglobin breaks down into substances that can damage kidney cells, which, in turn, can lead to renal failure and other serious health complications. Symptoms of rhabdomyolysis caused by Lescol may include:

• muscle pain
• tenderness, weakness or swelling of the affected muscles
• low blood pressure
• shock
• nausea
• vomiting
• confusion
• coma
• abnormal heart rate and rhythms

Lescol & Diabetes

On February 28, 2012, the FDA issued a press release stating that it would be requiring Lescol and other statin medications to carry a new warning about the increased risk of elevated blood sugar in certain at-risk users. The warning was prompted by findings from the so-called JUPITER trial involving Crestor, which found an unanticipated 27% increase in new onset diabetes among test subjects taking the drug. Signs and symptoms of Lescol-induced diabetes may include:

• frequent urination
• unusual thirst
• extreme hunger
• unusual weight loss
• extreme fatigue and irritability
• frequent infections
• blurred vision
• cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
• tingling/numbness in the hands/feet
• recurring skin, gum, or bladder infections

Do You Have a Lescol Lawsuit?

The Product Liability & Defective Drug Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in Lescol lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new rhabdomyolysis, myopathy, kidney damage, and diabetes cases in all 50 states.

Free Lescol Lawsuit Evaluation: If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury after taking Lescol, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a Lescol injury suit and we can help.