Diseases & Conditions Blog

Permax and Dostinex Pose Serious Heart Problems - Thursday, August 30, 2007

The New England Journal of Medicine has published two new studies that confirm that the Parkinson's drugs Permax (generic pergolide) and Dostinex (generic cabergoline) increase the risk of heart valve damage. Permax and Dostinex have also been prescribed to treat the tremors associated with restless leg syndrome. Permax is manufactured by Ili Lilly & Co., and Dostinex is manufactured by Pfizer, Inc. The type of heart valve damage these drugs cause is the same problem that led to the recall of the diet drug combination known as Phen-Fen.

As the heart muscle contracts and relaxes, the valves open and close, letting blood flow into the ventricles and out to the body at alternate times. Heart valves can have one of two malfunctions:

Regurgitation: The valves do not close completely, causing the blood to flow backward instead of forward through the valve.

Stenosis: The valve openings become narrowed or do not form properly, inhibiting the flow of blood out of the ventricle or atria. The heart is forced to pump blood with increased force in order to move blood through the stiff stenotic valves.

Heart valves can have both malfunctions at the same time. When heart valves fail to open and close properly, the implications for the heart can be serious, possibly hampering the heart's ability to pump blood adequately through the body. Heart valve problems are one cause of heart failure.

In a study conducted in Great Britain, the medical records of over 11,000 patients showed that patients taking the highest doses of Permax had a 37 times greater risk of developing heart valve damage than those who took other drugs. The patients taking the highest doses of Dostinex had a 50.3 times greater risk of developing heart disease.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Permax was withdrawn from the market in March 2007; Dostinex has not yet been recalled and carries only the precaution of heart valve damage.

Erectile Dysfunction Drugs May Produce Many Side Effects - Monday, August 27, 2007

To date, there are only three FDA-approved drugs to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). The drugs Viagra, Cialis and Levitra work by increasing the flow of blood to the penis so that when a man is sexually stimulated, he can get an erection. All three drugs take approximately 15-30 minutes to take effect, but how long the drugs last varies.

Viagra typically lasts about four hours; Levitra about five hours; and Cialis can work up to 36 hours. These drugs must be prescribed by a doctor and are not suitable for everyone with erectile dysfunction. Your doctor will determine if you have ED and will decide if one of these drugs is right for you.

Men who have suffered a heart attack, stroke, or arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) should not take ED drugs, and if you have uncontrolled low or high blood pressure or have chest pain during sex, you should avoid these drugs.

Some of the common side effects include headache, heartburn, flushing, nasal congestion, changes in vision, and back pain. More serious adverse effects and ones that require immediate medical attention are rash, painful erection, prolonged erection, fainting, chest pain, and itching/burning during urination. Blindness has been reported in several cases of men taking Viagra. Please see the August 6, 2007 blog entry entitled, "Viagra Linked to Blindness" to learn more about this.

Bowel Cleansing Solution Associated with Renal Insufficiency - Thursday, August 23, 2007

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning that the use of oral sodium phosphate (OSP) products for bowel cleansing has, in some patients, caused a rare but serious and potentially fatal form of kidney failure (renal insufficiency) referred to as acute phosphate nephropathy. Three over-the-counter OSP products used for bowel cleansing prior to colonoscopies, radiographic procedures, and surgeries are Fleet Phospho-soda solution, Fleet Accu-Prep solution, and Visicol tablets.

Serious side effects of Fleet Phospho-soda solution, Fleet Accu-Prep solution, and Visicol tablets include severe electrolyte abnormalities, cardiac arrhythmias, and renal (kidney) failure. Users of these products who already have renal insufficiency and bowel perforation are at an even greater risk for suffering these serious side effects, and patients who have misused or overdosed on sodium phosphate are also at a greater risk for serious side effects. Patients of advanced age and those taking diuretics, ACE inhibitors, ARBs (angiotensin receptor blockers), and NSAIDS (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are also at-risk groups and are more prone to developing the above-mentioned side effects.

In mid-May, 2007, a Texas woman filed a $10 million personal injury lawsuit against the C.B. Fleet Company, maker of Fleet Phospho-soda Bowel Prep Solution. The lawsuit alleges that the Fleet solution interacted with her medication prescribed for hypertension (high blood pressure) and caused kidney damage and failure. The suit further alleges that Fleet was well aware of the potential life-threatening danger of their OSP products but did nothing to protect users of these products. Currently, there are 21 documented cases of patients diagnosed with acute phosphate nephropathy following use of an OSP solution for bowel cleansing prior to a colonoscopy, radiographic procedure, or surgery.

Pregnant Mothers Taking Antidepressants May Risk Baby's Health - Wednesday, August 22, 2007

In recent years, women have been advised to avoid medications during pregnancy and while breastfeeding their infants; yet, at the same time, some conditions pregnant women suffer such as hypertension (high blood pressure), asthma, epilepsy and depression require long-term and continued medication management.

It appears as though pregnant women suffering from depression may be in a no-win situation because failure to manage depression with continued SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) medication may affect the health of both mother and child. However, in February 2006, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study indicating that mothers taking SSRI antidepressants after the 20^th week of pregnancy were six times more likely to give birth to an infant with a serious hearth defect than mothers not taking SSRI antidepressants.

Depression is a serious illness that often carries with it an increased risk of suicide in the sufferer and should be treated by your doctor(s). For decades, SSRIs have helped thousands of men and women fight depression. However, the statistics clearly show that there are serious risks involved with taking SSRI medication during pregnancy.

Drug Allergies Can Result in Deadly Stevens Johnson Syndrome - Tuesday, August 14, 2007

August 2007 has been designated as Stevens Johnson Syndrome Awareness Month and has been recognized in the following states so far: Colorado, Arizona, Alabama, Connecticut and Tennessee. Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) affects more than two million Americans and causes more than 140,000 deaths annually. Hopefully, more states will take notice of this deadly disease and recognize SJS Awareness month, also.

SJS is an allergic reaction that is commonly caused by drugs, many of which are over-the-counter. Allergic drug reactions are the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, and almost any drug can cause SJS, even ibuprofen. Other drugs that have been linked to SJS are Bextra, Celebrex, Daypro Allopurinol, Carbamazepine, Phenytoin and sulfa and penicillin antibiotics. SJS can also occur in response to infections or illnesses, and 25-50% of all cases derive from unknown origin.

SJS patients suffer from inflammation of the skin and mucous membranes. The disease process for SJS typically begins with a nonspecific upper respiratory tract infection. Early SJS symptoms occur in the first 1-14 day period during which fever, sore throat, chills, headaches and malaise may be present. Vomiting and diarrhea are sometimes also noted in the early symptoms. Skin and mucous membrane lesions can develop abruptly with clusters of outbreaks lasting from 2-4 weeks. Continued fever and localized worsening of the lesions suggest a superimposed infections; however, continued fever has been shown to occur in 85% of SJS cases. In some cases, the lesions of the mouth and mucous membranes are so severe that patients may not even be able to eat or drink.

Up to 15% of serious SJS patients die. In the most severe cases, the lesions lead to significant scarring of the involved organs and loss of function of the organ systems. SJS treatment is focused on the management of disease symptoms because at the current time there is no treatment able to stop the spread of the disease.

Most Stevens Johnson Syndrome patients are older than 40, but cases have been reported for children as young as three months old. The ratio of male to female occurrence is two to one. In the United States, cases of SJS tend to cluster in the early spring and winter, with a rate of about two to three cases per million persons. The incidence and frequency outside the United States is similar.

Viagra Linked to Blindness - Monday, August 6, 2007

Viagra (generic sildenafil citrate) is prescribed for the treatment of erectile dysfunction and is manufactured by Pfizer Pharmaceutical Company. ED (erectile dysfunction) is the repeated inability to get or maintain an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse. Viagra increases the body's ability to achieve and maintain an erection during sexual activity. Viagra was first introduced in the United States in 1998 and has become one of the most well-known drugs of all time.

But for two years now there has been an alarming number of men reporting vision problems and blindness after taking Viagra.

Viagra has been a generally well-tolerated drug, but there are side effects associated with the drug including: headache, flushing, upset stomach, urinary tract infection, diarrhea, stuffy nose.

Viagra Blindness

But for two years now there has been an alarming number of men reporting vision problems and even complete blindness after taking Viagra. Viagra blindness is a potentially devastating side effect that has been under investigation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Viagra blindness is caused by a condition called nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). This causes a restriction in blood flow to the optic nerve, which can lead to temporary or permanent vision loss.

NAION is the most common form of blindness that can affect people over the age of fifty. It is estimated that approximately six thousand Americans suffer from NAION blindness each year. NAION blindness is caused by the restriction of blood flow through the optic nerve to the eye. This leads to inflammation of the optic disc, compressing the optic nerve until NAION blindness occurs. NAION blindness is sometimes referred to as a “stroke of the eye” because the blood supply to the eyes is cut off with NAION just as the blood supply to the brain is cut off during a stroke.

Pfizer has refuted claims that the drug caused vision problems, and, instead, states that some of the underlying causes and conditions related to erectile dysfunction may also predispose an individual to developing serious vision problems.

If you would like to learn more about this potentially dangerous drug and its link to NAION blindness, please visit the website of the experienced Viagra Attorneys at the Oklahoma Law Offices of Stipe, Harper, Laizure, Uselton, Belote, Maxcey and Thetford.