Imodium Lawsuits
Imodium lawsuits file against manufactures due to severe heart complications.
Prescription and over the counter Imodium medications have caused severe heart complications and many are suffering severe cardiac related injuries and drug interactions due to the anti diarrheal drug.
IMODIUM CAUSE CARDIAC INJURY? If you used Imodium and have experienced cardiac injury, our skilled legal cousel is here to fight for you with filing a Imodium lawsuit.
Imodium linked to heart problems, patients may be entitled to compensation.
New findings show Imodium may cause heart problems when taken along with certain drugs or in high doses.
Patients who developed heart problems after taking Imodium or other anti-diarrhea drugs may be eligible to file suit against drug manufacturers for damages.
What is Imodium?
Imodium is the leading brand name for Loperamide Hydrochloride, one of the most common anti-diarrhea drugs. Loperamide acts on opioid receptors in the digestive system, working to regulate digestion by slowing down muscle contractions within the gut and allowing the body to properly process food. These antidiarrheal drugs let the body process fluids and nutrients more thoroughly, helping to reduce bowel movements and prevent diarrhea.
Loperamide is sold under a number of names, including Imodium A-D, Imodium A-D EZ Chews, Imodium Multi-Symptom Relief, Imogen, Diamode, Imperim and Imotil. Imodium brand drugs are manufactured by Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Johnson & Johnson.
Does Imodium pose a risk for consumers?
In 2010, the US Food and Drug Administration began receiving reports of dangerous side effects and drug interactions from patients taking Imodium, including reports of serious heart problems. At first, the majority of reports came from people abusing loperamide drugs to achieve an opioid-like high, or from patients with opioid addictions using the drug to self-medicate and prevent opioid withdrawal symptoms.
These patients were taking loperamide in amounts much larger than the recommended dosage of 8-16 milligrams—sometimes between 50 and 300 milligrams. But these initial reports pointed towards a larger risk for many consumers: in 2016, the FDA issued a warning about the risks of taking Imodium in high doses, for “off-label” uses, or in combination with certain drugs. According to the FDA, taking loperamide in high doses “may lead to abnormal heart rhythms and serious cardiac events leading to death.”
Researchers have since shown that high doses of Imodium may cause cardiac arrest, arrhythmia, ventricular tachycardia or syncope—a brief loss of consciousness—and that Imodium also poses additional risks to patients who take opioids.
The increase in the number of reports of loperamide-related heart problems is tied to the prevalence of opioids and opioid abuse. According to the FDA, many patients were “attempting to achieve euphoria or self-treat opioid withdrawal.” In addition, patients often combined Imodium with interacting drugs in order to increase these effects.
The rise in heart problems among Imodium is also related to the increasing use of a range of drugs that have negative interactions with the antidiarrheal. As more patients are taking drugs like Zantac, Pevpac, Lopid and Biaxin along with Imodium, the risks to consumers rise dramatically. The drugs that appear to have a dangerous interaction with loperamide vary widely and researchers and patient advocates are still collecting data.
In 2018, the FDA issued a follow-up warning about Imodium, citing an increasing number of reports about patients who developed serious heart problems after taking loperamide in high doses. The administration said they would work with drug companies to modify the designs and size of packaging.
Imodium may cause heart problems when taken with:
– Zantac (ranitidine)
– Prevpac (lansoprazole, amoxicillin and clarithromycin)
– Omnel (itraconazole)
– Ketoconazole
– Tagamet (cimetidine)
– Sporanox (itraconazole)
– Biaxin (clarithromycin)
– Lopid (gemfibrozil)
– Kaletra (ritonavir)
– Qualaquin (quinine)
– Nuedextra (quinidine)
Patients who developed heart conditions after taking Imodium may be entitled to compensation.
As the link between Imodium and heart conditions grows stronger, personal injury and product liability attorneys are building cases against loperamide manufacturers. Drug companies may be liable for the risk their products pose to consumers and their failure to inform patients and health care providers about these risks.
The risks to consumers and the fact that pharmaceutical firms may have withheld information from health care providers mean there is the potential for a mass tort suit against loperamide manufacturers. Patients who developed heart problems or other conditions after taking Imodium are advised to register their case with both the FDA and consumer advocate attorneys.
