Attorney
Sometimes pharmaceutical companies rush prescription drugs to consumers before they fully understand the drugs’ side effects. The Food and Drug Administration thoroughly tests prescription drugs and provides information on proper dosing, warnings, and side effects, but even this is not always enough. Some drugs may require a longer period of study to be fully aware of potential effects. In unethical cases, pharmaceutical companies may sweep negative reports about the drug under the rug in order to start selling the drug as soon as possible.
The FDA has recently issued warnings about the cholesterol-lowering drug Zocor, which companies also sell as simvastin. When patients combine Zocor with certain other drugs, there is an increased risk of muscle injury and rhabdomyolysis, which can result in fatal kidney damage. Studies indicated that the increased risks appeared more in patients taking the 80-milligram dose of Zocor as opposed to the lesser, 20-milligram dose.
Besides higher doses, there were also dangers associated with taking Zocor along with other drugs. Patients should contact their physicians prior to taking Zocor if they currently take any of the following drugs: Itraconazole, Ketoconazole, Erythromycin, Clarithromycin, Telithromycin, HIV protease inhibitors, or Nefazodone. Patients should never take more than 10 milligrams of Zocor if they are taking any of the following three drugs: Gemfibrozil, Cyclosporine, or Danazol.
Please contact a Washington, D.C. personal injury attorney, such as Washington, D.C. personal injury lawyer Peter DePaolis, at Koonz, McKenney, Johnson & DePaolis L.L.P. if you or a loved one has experienced side effects from taking a prescription drug.