Elmiron Lawyers in Colorado
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You may have begun experiencing some extremely adverse side effects from Elmiron a few months or years after you started using it to treat your symptoms. The medicine that was supposed to make you feel better may have caused you even more damage, leaving you to deal with the consequences. Unfortunately, this is the case for several people who have been prescribed Elmiron.
In this article, you will learn what Elmiron is, why you might be getting sick from it, and whether you should hire a Colorado personal injury lawyer. Specifically, you will learn what a lawyer could do to help you if you took Elmiron and experienced side effects, from filing your claim to getting you compensated for your injuries.
If you or a loved one has been hurt by Elmiron, call our attorneys at Zinda Law Group at (800) 863-5312. Our experienced lawyers will be able to give you a free case evaluation.
What is elmiron?
Doctors prescribe Elmiron to treat bladder inflammation that is usually caused by interstitial cystitis (IC). If you have IC, you are familiar with the pain and inconvenience it causes. Elmiron is the United States brand name for the prescription drug pentosan polysulfate sodium. It comes in the form of an orally ingestible capsule and can reduce the painful symptoms of IC.
While researchers are unsure of how Elmiron works exactly, they know it functions differently from other pain-relief drugs like Tylenol or ibuprofen. The main reason that Elmiron functions differently is that it is not an anti-inflammatory drug at all. Instead, researchers assume that Elmiron stops inflammation by creating a barrier along the lining of the bladder to prevent irritants from coming into contact with the bladder wall.
Your doctor likely informed you of potential side effects of Elmiron, but you may not have anticipated how serious and even life-changing those side effects could be.
What if elmiron made me sick?
Elmiron, like almost any drug, has side effects. The brand itself lists several, including bruising, which is typical of a mild blood thinner. Other less common side effects include permanent hair loss and digestive disturbances.
These symptoms are usually relatively mild and were included as side effects when the drug first came out. However, one unexpected side effect from Elmiron is retinal pigmentary changes.
Retinal Pigmentary Changes
Some people who have taken Elmiron have noticed changes to their vision; some have even developed maculopathy. Maculopathy is a common form of blindness. It can be brought on by age, diabetes, or other underlying genetic conditions, but it can also be linked to Elmiron.
They have trouble adjusting their eyes in environments with lower lighting, and they have blurred vision and difficulty reading. The connection between the drug and this condition are unclear, but people who take Elmiron have been reporting the negative impact to their vision since 2018.
Who is at Risk?
Those who reported new negative effects to their vision had been taking Elmiron for 3 to 22 years, with the median duration of intake at 14.5 years. The median dosage amount was 300 mg, but the range was again very wide, from 150 mg to 592 mg. The ages of patients ranged from 37 to 79.
This shows that a variety of patients are experiencing these adverse effects. You are not alone if you have noticed changes to your vision after taking Elmiron.
Lawsuits against Elmiron
Because Elmiron did not include the risk of retinal changes when it was first released, many people who have been injured by the drug have begun suing the company in order to get compensated. Some patients have sued the marketers and distributors of the drug as well. This issue is finally receiving some of the attention that it deserves, and this could help your chances of being compensated for your injuries.
What should I do if I notice vision loss?
First and foremost, if you have been taking Elmiron and you notice changes to your vision, you should visit an optometrist or ophthalmologist immediately. Either of these specialists should be able to determine whether you have developed maculopathy.
Unfortunately, maculopathy is an irreversible degenerative condition. While it is unlikely that patients will improve their vision, there are preventative laser treatments that can reduce vision loss moving forward.
Vision loss can seriously impact your life. It can affect what times of the day you can drive and whether you can drive at all, and it can impact your ability to read and work. A drug that was meant to help you cope with one chronic, life-impacting condition caused another. Although you may not be able to fully recover physically from your injury, you might be able to recover financially.
Should I hire a personal injury lawyer Near me?
Once you have confirmed your vision loss with an eye doctor and determined a plan for treatment, you may want to seek compensation. If you were prescribed Elmiron and experienced retinal changes, you should consider hiring an attorney. Having a skilled advocate to fight for your rights throughout negotiation and possibly trial can increase the chances of your case’s success.
You already know the pain and suffering that you are experiencing as a result of IC and vision impairment, and it can be helpful to have someone who understands the legal system to help you recover. The legal process is already daunting enough, but when you are also learning to cope with a permanent physical injury like vision loss, it can be especially frustrating. A skilled attorney can help you at every stage of litigation so that you do not need to struggle with the details and formalities of the system. The following are more in-depth explanations of how a drug injury lawyer can help you.
Filing a claim
The safest way to ensure that your case is handled properly at this beginning stage of litigation is to hire a lawyer. If you are unsure of whether you would like to hire a lawyer, you should consider a free consultation anyway so that you have a better idea of your options. An attorney will know where and how to file your claim and the kinds of personal injury claims that you can make in your unique case.
A lawyer will also know what paperwork you will need to provide. Some of the things that you will need in your case are documents of any medical care you have received that is linked to your claim, including proof of your Elmiron prescription and the diagnosis of your vision loss. The lawyer can help you gather any other evidence that you might need at this stage.
There are many ways to make a mistake if you have never filed a claim. Issues of timing and formatting can be difficult to navigate alone. An attorney can help ensure that you do not miss any deadlines or do anything else that affects the legitimacy and strength of your case in the eyes of the court.
Reaching a settlement agreement
The filing stage is not the only point at which an error on your part could ruin your case. At the negotiation stage of your claim, you must communicate with insurance companies to attempt to get the compensation to which you are entitled. This can be tricky since insurance companies know which questions to ask to make you hurt the value of your claim.
Personal injury lawyers communicate with insurance companies frequently, and many have mastered the ability to recognize these tactics. They know how to answer those questions without lowering the amount of compensation their clients could receive. This is usually the stage at which the case ends, but if the parties cannot agree on the settlement amount, your attorney might need to represent you at trial.
Getting Compensated
If you are successful in getting a settlement agreement, you will be compensated. Even with your insurance, your covered costs may not accurately reflect the pain and suffering that you have endured. An experienced attorney knows what kind of compensation you can get based on your injuries.
It is possible that your attorney could help you receive both economic damages for your medical bills and non-economic damages for your pain and suffering. You expected the drug to help improve your quality of life, but instead it gave you a new condition to treat. If your case falls under this category, you might have a good argument for receiving non-economic damages.
OUR Personal Injury lawyers in Colorado could help you recover
If you are looking for someone to understand your case and advocate for you, our compassionate lawyers are ready to listen. Call the Zinda Law Group attorneys at (800) 863-5312 so that they can schedule your free consultation.
Not only will we make your consultation free, but we also want to avoid making you pay even more for the injuries you have suffered from taking Elmiron. Our No Win, No Fee Guarantee ensures that you do not owe us a cent unless we win your case for you.
Meetings with attorneys are available by appointment only.
