A new class action lawsuit suggests patients taking Elmiron may incur devastating side effects including blindness, retinal damage, and the deterioration of overall eye health. If you’ve taken Elmiron to treat interstitial cystitis, and have experienced side effects, call the law firm of Florin|Roebig for a free consultation.
What Is Elmiron?
Elmiron, also known as pentosan polysulfate sodium (PPS), is a semi-synthetic drug which mimics the anticoagulant heparin. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September 1996, it is the only approved oral treatment of Interstitial cystitis.
How Does Elmiron Treat Interstitial Cystitis?
Interstitial cystitis (IC), also known as painful bladder syndrome (PDS) is a disease which causes painful inflammation of the bladder/pelvis, in addition to ulcers and bleeding. The cause of Interstitial cystitis is unknown, as well the science of how Elmiron helps to treat IC. It is believed that pentosan coats the lining of the bladder which prevents irritating substances in urine from reaching the bladder lining.
Elmiron Eye Damage Lawsuits
Elmiron is a medication manufactured by Janssen Pharmaceuticals and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Doctors at the Emory Eye Center in Atlanta released findings that the prescription drug, Elmiron, an oral medication for treating painful bladder syndrome, was causing vision problems in patients, presenting symptoms similar to age-related macular degeneration, called maculopathy.
Maculopathy occurs when the central part of the retina, called a macula, sustains eye damage causing symptoms that start with blurred vision, difficulty reading, dark spots, trouble seeing in low light and trouble focusing. In this case, the eye damage is a result of eye disease. In some cases, pigmentary maculopathy occurs due to retinal degeneration. In this case, patients struggle to identify certain pigments, resulting in symptoms similar to color blindness. Ultimately, all symptoms are a result of vision loss that occurs due to the treatment of interstitial cystitis with the drug Elmiron.
Because the eye condition is not listed as a side effect associated with Elmiron in it’s FDA disclaimer, millions of patients prescribed Elmiron prior to research that made the connection between eye disease and the prescription drug in 2015 and 2018, may have had no reasonable way of knowing the risks. Even today, the drug Elmiron is being used to treat painful bladder syndrome. For this reason, you need Elmiron lawyer, like the ones at Florin|Roebig, to bring your claim to court.
Side Effects Of Elmiron
One of the major issues for people who are involved in the class action mass tort legal action against Johnson & Johnson is macular degeneration is not listed as a side effect, even though doctors began connecting Elmiron with the retinal problem in 2015. Below are the side effects listed for Elmiron today:
- diarrhea
- hair loss
- feelings of nausea
- spontaneous headaches
- upset stomach
- pain moodiness
- dizziness
- itching skin
Less common side effects of using the prescription drug Elmiron include: bruising and bleeding, mental fatigue and moodiness, heartburn or discomfort .
Unfortunately for those who take Elmiron for painful bladder syndrome, eye disorders, macular degeneration, vision loss, or blindness were not listed among potential complications.
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Vision Loss And Declining Retina Health From Taking Elmiron
A 2020 study, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, suggested the prolonged use of PPS, the active ingredient in the prescription drug, Elmiron, caused vision problems, specifically associated with the condition pigmentary maculopathy.
Use of Elmiron causes vision problems that can result in permanent eye injury. The study by Neiraj Jain and colleagues suggests that patients who use it over a long period of time are at risk of impairment, vision damage and permanent vision loss.
Why Should I File An Elmiron Lawsuit?
Bladder Pain Syndrome costs time, money, energy and other important resources. It’s costly enough without adding serious eye damage to the list of conditions that you require treatment for. When it comes to brand name pharmaceutical companies, like Janssen Pharmaceuticals by Johnson & Johnson, you should expect to get a quality product that doesn’t leave you with serious eye damage and retinal disease.
However, chronic exposure to Elmiron in some patients has caused macular degeneration and injury leading to increasingly more serious eye damage and retinal disease. Serious side effects such as blindness are undoubtedly life altering, and injury victims should receive fair compensation as such.
How Do I Know If I am Eligible To File An Elmiron Lawsuit?
The current criteria are required for filing an Elmiron lawsuit:
- Used the prescription medication Elmiron for at least 1 year
- If taken for less than 3 years, a diagnosis of one of the following is required:
- Pigmentary Maculopathy
- Retinal Maculopathy
- Retinal Pigmentary Endothelium Injury
- Pigmentation Maculitis
- Pigmentation Maculopathy
- Pigmentation Macular Degeneration
- Dry macular degeneration
- If taken for more than 3 years, you must have two or more of the following symptoms:
- Prolonged light to dark adaption (20 min – 1 hour; need to wear sunglasses)
- Blurry vision (blurs in the middle of the picture)
- Metamorphopsia (lines look curvy)
- Central vision loss in more advanced cases (NOT peripheral vision loss)
- Generalized dimming of vision
- Paracentral scotomas (blind spots)
- Floaters
- Blind spots
- Impaired color vision (central vision only)
If you meet the following criteria it is important to reach out to an Elmiron lawyer immediately.
Top-Rated Elmiron Lawsuit Lawyers Serving The U.S.
If you’ve taken Elmiron and experienced macular degeneration or other severe side effects, consult with an attorney to help you determine if taking legal action is possible and in your best interest.
At Florin|Roebig, our top-rated dangerous drug and Elmiron lawsuit attorneys include:
- Wil H. Florin, B.C.S.
- Tommy D. Roebig, B.C.S.
- Shaun M. Cummings
- Luca G. Esposito
- Chad K. Florin, M.B.A., LL.M.
- Nicholas S. Costantino
- John J. Hart
With over 30 years of experience, our law firm has successfully won over $1 billion in settlements from personal injury cases by providing our clients with high-quality legal representation. Florin|Roebig can not only serve clients in Florida, Colorado, Texas, and Minnesota, but throughout the entire United States.
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Contact The Elmiron Lawsuit Lawyers Of Florin|Roebig
It’s been established by ophthalmologists, Elmiron is a dangerous drug. Don’t let your bladder condition result in something just as serious, like an eye disorder. Toxicity in the drug Elmiron is causing mass tort legislation in the United States.
Florin Roebig is an award-winning law firm with over 30 years of experience. As trial lawyers they have the time and resources required to take on pharmaceutical companies to ensure you are compensated for injuries, like retinal problems, maculopathy and other eye diseases as a side effect of Elmiron. The law firm of Florin Roebig will provide a free case evaluation. We understand the importance of attorney-client relationships, and keeping your confidence, regardless if you choose us as your attorneys.
Big companies, like Johnson & Johnson, have attorneys to protect their interest and help them issue disclaimers. If you have interstitial cystitis, and believe the use of Elmiron, by drug manufacturer Janssen Pharmaceuticals, caused eye disease for you or a loved one, you may have a claim to the Elmiron class action lawsuit and be entitled to financial compensation. Call Florin|Roebig, today. We are Elmiron lawyers working for you.
