Elmiron is a drug used to treat interstitial cystitis (IC), otherwise known as bladder pain syndrome. For the moment, IC is not fully understood, but its symptoms include chronic bladder pain, urinary frequency, and urinary urgency.
Though Elmiron was meant to treat the symptoms of IC, its use has been shown to be the likely cause of a serious eye condition known as pigmentary maculopathy. The degeneration of the macula, which is a part of the retina set in the back of the eye, can lead to blindness. It was in 2018 that an article was published in the journal American Academy of Ophthalmology that a number of patients who began treatment at the Emory Eye Center in 2015 experienced pigmentary maculopathy. It was noted that these individuals suffered from a loss of low light vision, a generalized loss of vision, reading difficulties, and difficulty with near-vision sight. Additionally, while there was growing evidence of these harmful side effects, studies were showing that Elmiron was not an effective treatment for interstitial cystitis. It is for these reasons that lawsuits have begun to be filed.
While the reasons for why Elmiron causes this eye condition are as yet unknown, the links are beginning to be established with the studies previously mentioned. If you have taken or are taking Elmiron, it is important to know the first symptoms of maculopathy, which are:
- Blurred vision
- Dark spots
- Trouble focusing
- Dimming of vision
- Distortion of images
- Black spots at the center of your vision
- Straight lines that become curved or squiggly
- Change in the color of the retina
- Muted color vision
- Difficult time adjusting to dim light
With new evidence in constant development, Elmiron’s manufacturer, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, has neglected to offer drug warnings. In fact, the information from studies about the inefficacy for treating interstitial cystitis goes back to the earliest drug trials in the 1990s, so this drug may have been causing harm for decades. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has encouraged people to report unexpected side effects or adverse effects to drugs, and this process has been the one that many Elmiron users have turned to. But as of now, Janssen Pharmaceuticals has not listed eye disease as a side effect for the drug.
If you took Elmiron and are suffering from maculopathy or another form of eye damage you may be eligible to seek compensation from Janssen Pharmaceuticals. Your compensation claim can take into account
- Past and future medical expenses
- Past and future pain and suffering, both from a physical and mental standpoint
- Loss of wages if your eye damage has caused you to lose your job
- Additional economic losses that you have incurred
- And punitive damages
If you or a loved one have been harmed by Elmiron you will want to consult an injury attorney that specializes in these types of cases. As of now, there are no large class action suits against Janssen Pharmaceuticals, but if you are over the age of 18, have taken Elmiron, and have developed the symptoms of maculopathy, then you may be eligible to file a suit.
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