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News Articles >> Avandia Black Box Warning Comes too Late
Avandia Black Box Warning Comes too Late
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| June 13, 2007. By Jane Mundy |  RSS  Del.icio.us  Seed Newsvine  Facebook |
Knoxville, TN: "I'm not at all surprised that Avandia has been given a black box warning considering what it has done to me," says Helen H, pausing to catch her breath. "I just can't understand why it didn't happen sooner."
On June 7, 2007 the FDA issued its strictest warning to the diabetes drug Avandia that it may cause heart attacks or cardiovascular problems. Helen (anonymous pending a lawsuit) was prescribed Avandia in 2001, along with thousands of other diabetes patients, ostensibly to lower her blood sugar level. But she also had heart problems—she should never have been prescribed the drug in the first place.
"I first asked my doctor about Avandia in 2000—I saw it advertised in a magazine," she says in a whisper. Helen's breathing is labored and she can barely speak. "He told me that he wouldn't prescribe it because there were problems with the drug in Europe, mostly Germany. But a year later I went in for my annual checkup and he said my blood sugar was a bit high so he put me on Avandia.
I got really sick at first, nauseous and dizzy and didn't feel right, I was tired and ached all over, especially around my kidney and liver area. But my doctor said to stay with the drug and these symptoms would soon disappear. I figured he knows best. At first I thought it might have been something to do with my diet; it never occurred to me that Avandia could have been making me ill.
About two years ago, I asked my doctor to take me off this drug because my gut feeling was that it wasn't working. By now I had edema in my legs and ankles and lungs—it was so painful. And I had anemia and was given three units of blood. Still, the doctor wouldn't take me off the drug. At the time they had no idea what was wrong. My husband and son-in-law started to do some research online about Avandia. They found that I shouldn't have even been prescribed it in the first place because of my heart problems.
I went back to the doctor's office and told him what we found out. He went into another office and called another doctor and came back a few minutes later, telling me to never take another pill.
I think doctors just want to get you a prescription and get you out of there. And they get these drug sales reps telling them about these so-called super drugs: Avandia was supposed to me the miracle cure for diabetes.
My doctor sent me to a gastroenterologist in February of 2007. He found out that my liver was functioning less than 50 percent!
If I hadn't taken Avandia, I am certain that I would be in pretty good shape today. I am very angry with the drug makers and the doctors should have let me know sooner. We rely on our doctors; they are supposed to know about these drugs—why didn't the drug company tell him sooner?"
Avandia Legal Help
If you or a family member have used Avandia and have suffered heart attack or liver damage after taking Avandia, please contact a lawyer involved in the [Avandia Lawsuit] who will review your case at no cost or obligation.
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