Earlier this year, I wrote about the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recall of valsartan, the active — and potentially cancer-linked — ingredient in several blood pressure medications. Unfortunately, that’s only part of the story. Currently, more than half a dozen varieties of hypertension drugs have been recalled. Last month, one medication, irbesartan, became the first non-valsartan pharmaceutical of this type to be recalled. As a valsartan recall lawyer Memphis TN has trusted, I want to help you better understand the irbesartan recall.
The Reason for the Irbesartan Recall
As with the valsartan recall, a dangerous carcinogen, N-nitrosodimethylamine, or NDMA, is at the heart of this call back. NDMA is naturally found in certain substances, such as cured meats, but is most widely used to make industrial products, from fabric softener to liquid rocket fuel. (Yes, you read that correctly.) And, according to a recent test, the FDA found that irbesartan contains NDMA as well.
Recent studies have found that NDMA can cause liver fibrosis, scarring, and tumors in rats. Humans, of course, are also at risk — it has been found to possibly cause the following cancers:
- Liver cancer
- Lung cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Kidney cancer
The irbesartan tablets under recall were manufactured by ScieGen Pharmaceuticals in doses of 75 mg, 150 mg, and 300 mg.
What to Do if You’ve Taken Irbesartan
The FDA and most medical professionals do not recommend stopping to take your medication, even if it’s under recall. Rather, contact your physician right away to talk about a replacement. Unfortunately, there are negative effects of abruptly stopping blood pressure medication.
Get Help From a Valsartan Recall Lawyer Memphis TN Trusts
More often than not, people who take these medications are dealing with life-threatening conditions. It is, of course, a cruel irony that trying to treat your cardiac condition inadvertently increases your risk for cancer. A health scare of this kind is not something to be taken lightly, and that’s why I am a committed valsartan recall lawyer TN can depend on. Here at Darrell Castle & Associates, PLLC, I am leading a team of attorneys who are already hard at work fighting for families like yours.
If you took medication containing valsartan for at least thirty consecutive days between 2014 and now, then developed cancer one or more years later, we want to hear from you right away. Even if you only took one 30-day prescription during that time, don’t wait. Contact us online or call us at (901) 327-2100 today. The call is absolutely free, and we are only paid if we win your case.