Dangerous Drugs - Zelnorm

Missouri Zelnorm Side Effects Lawyers

One day after removing Parmax from the market, the FDA has removed Zelnorm, a medicine used primarily for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. The manufacturer, Novartis, was urged to pull the product upon finding that patients taking the drug had a rare but notably higher risk of cardiovascular side effects including strokes, heart attacks, and chest pain leading to heart attacks.

At the request of the FDA, Novartis has stopped selling Zelnorm and physicians who currently prescribe the drug are asked to work with their patients and transition them to other therapies as appropriate to their symptoms and need.

Patients taking the drug are urged to contact their physician to discuss alternative treatments for their condition and additionally are warned that they should seek emergency medical care right away if they experience severe chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, sudden onset of weakness or difficulty walking or talking or other symptoms of a heart attack or stroke.

After previously balking over worries of a higher rate of gall bladder and other abdominal surgeries in Zelnorm patients, the drug was approved by FDA in 2002 for the short term treatment of women with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation as well as patients younger than 65 years with chronic constipation.

The product came into popularity in 2004 following an expensive ad campaign featuring the close-up shots of women's midriffs on billboards, magazines and television commercials. In February and March of 2007, Novartis presented the FDA with results of a study showing that patients taking Zelnorm had a higher chance of having serious and life-threatening side effects than those who were treated with a sugar pill.

Even with this the case, the FDA is working with the drug company to reintroduce access to Zelnorm for treatment of special cases where no current treatment options are available and the side effects are outweighed by the benefit of the drug. There has already been discussion between Novartis and the FDA regarding the limited re-introduction of an updated version of the product but the actual roll out will be some time from now and only at the full approval of the FDA.

If you or a loved one has taken the drug Zelnorm for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and have suffered a heart attack, stroke or other brain or heart damage, contact a St. Louis, Missouri Zelnorm side effect attorney at Page Law right away. Call us 24 hours a day at 314.322.8515 or toll free at 1.800.500.4658 to discuss your case and answer questions you may have. The consultation is free.

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