Consumers in Oklahoma and throughout the United States rely on pharmaceutical products to help alleviate illness, medical conditions and other ailments. However, what happens when a prescribed medication or over-the-counter drug causes an individual to suffer severe side effects, endure serious injury, or become afflicted by another health problem altogether?
While the answer to this question may not always be so simple, drug manufacturers are responsible for designing, manufacturing, accurately marketing, and including appropriate warning labels for the pharmaceutical products that they put on the market.
According to a Huffington Post article, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a black box warning against Reglan, or Metoclopramide, and its generic forms for being connected to causing tardive dyskinesia. Reglan use has been named the leading cause of tardive dyskinesia among patients with the disorder in the U.S. This may be attributed to the fact that the drug’s labels originally did not contain accurate warnings against the very serious risk of tardive dyskinesia. As a consequence, multiple lawsuits for the dangerous drug were filed across the country against its manufacturer, Wyeth, as well as against the makers of generic forms of the drug.
It has been determined that patients who take Reglan over a long period of time, and often in high dosages, may develop tardive dyskinesia. This condition involves uncontrolled, recurring tick-like movements mainly in the muscles of the face and less commonly in the toes, fingers, limbs, hips and torso. What makes this condition all the more risky is that a person may develop symptoms long after he or she has used Reglan.
While there is no known cure for tardive dyskinesia and the best treatment is said to be prevention, some drugs may help lower symptoms in addition to lowering the dosage of the medication that has caused the condition.
If you or someone you care about has suffered serious side effects or symptoms of tardive dyskinesia after taking Reglan or a generic form of the drug, the Oklahoma defective drug lawyers at Maples Law Firm will protect your rights. We have the legal knowledge and experience to handle product liability litigation relating to dangerous pharmaceuticals, such as Reglan, and other defective products that have caused innocent consumers harm. Call (405) 705-5050 today for a free consultation of your case.
