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Crestor Class Action Lawsuits Information
In August of 2003, the United States Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) approved Crestor, the latest in a series of
cholesterol-reducing drugs called statins. Like the other six statins to enter
the US market, Crestor is approved for use only in conjunction with a
low-cholesterol diet and an exercise program designed to lower cholesterol.
Crestor is only available in doses of 5, 10, 20, and 40 milligrams. The 40
milligram dose of Crestor is only available to patients who meet special
restrictions.
According to drug manufacturer AstraZeneca, Crestor works by lowering the total
cholesterol in the bloodstream, as well as a form of fat known as triglycerides.
Crestor also increases the amount of HDL cholesterol (called "good cholesterol")
in the blood. AstraZeneca also warns that taking Crestor with certain other
medications (including antacids) could lead to serious complications. Although
the manufacturer's web site states that Crestor side effects include nausea,
constipation, stomach pain, weakness and muscle pain, it does not list the most
deadly potential side effect of Crestor: kidney failure brought on by a type of
muscle damage known as rhabdomyolysis.
In March 2004, the Public Citizen consumer group called on the FDA to
immediately remove Crestor from the market because its link to cases of
life-threatening muscle damage and kidney failure or damage. In the group's
press release it said, " Since it was approved just over five months ago, three
patients in the United States who were taking approved doses of rosuvastatin
developed kidney failure or muscle damage. One of those patients, a 39-year-old
woman, died of kidney failure and rhabdomyolysis, or muscle damage. Data
obtained from the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada show seven cases
of rhabdomyolysis and nine case of kidney damage or failure occurred after FDA
approval."
While AstraZeneca continues to tout Crestor as a miracle drug for the treatment
of cholesterol problems, the potential side effects are potentially devastating.
If you or a loved one is taking Crestor and suffering from adverse effects, you
may wish to contact an attorney to receive a legal evaluation. Crestor users
should watch for muscle pain, weakness, tenderness, malaise, fever, dark urine,
nausea, and vomiting-all symptoms of rhabdomyolysis. Makers of Crestor may be
held liable for the costs arising from muscle damage and/or kidney failure
caused by the use of Crestor. An attorney with experience in drug litigation
will be able to give you the proper legal advice regarding the use of Crestor
and potential damages.
Crestor Side Effects
When the FDA approved Crestor on August 13, 2003, seven
people had already reported serious Crestor side effects during the pre-approval
drug trials. Following the drug's approval, three more patients experienced
potentially lethal Crestor side effects, including muscle damage (rhabdomyolysis)
and kidney failure. One 39-year old woman died from these Crestor side effects.
Now, two of the largest health insurance providers in the country have left the
drug off their recommended lists, due to the serious nature of the reported
Crestor side effects, and a consumer watchdog group is calling for the FDA to
ban the drug entirely.
The Crestor side effects listed on the web site of drug manufacturer AstraZeneca
do not include the possibility of muscle damage and the associated kidney
failure. Rather, AstraZeneca lists some of the signs of these Crestor side
effects and recommends that patients experiencing these symptoms contact a
physician.
Non-profit public interest group Public Citizen claims that Crestor side effects
are severe enough to warrant a ban on the drug, and that the FDA should never
have approved Crestor in the first place, since at least seven incidences of
severe Crestor side effects were reported during the drug's trial phase.
Rhabdomyolysis was also a side effect of another cholesterol drug, Baycol, which
has since been removed from the market. While Crestor side effects appeared
prior to its approval, Baycol's side effects only appeared after the drug had
been approved for the market.
Crestor side effects could prove crippling or even deadly-rhabdomyolysis occurs
when a large number of skeletal muscle cells die, resulting in the release of a
massive amount of muscle protein into the bloodstream. This leads to the
deadliest of Crestor side effects, when the muscle protein becomes trapped in
the kidneys, affecting the filtering process of the kidneys and leading to
kidney failure. Related Crestor side effects include cardiac arrest resulting
from potassium released from the damaged muscle cells, causing malignant heart
rhythms.
These Crestor side effects could lead to debilitating medical conditions, or
even death. For persons suffering from Crestor side effects, the financial costs
can be enormous, not to mention the mental and emotional strain. If Crestor side
effects affect you or your loved ones, you may wish to contact an attorney to
investigate legal options. Attorneys who have worked in drug litigation can help
you determine if your Crestor side effects qualify you to take legal action.
More Crestor Information
Recently, a non-profit public interest group known as Public
Citizen accused the FDA of ignoring recent Crestor information that should have
caused the cholesterol drug (one of six drugs known as "statins") to be banned.
According to Public Citizen, the Crestor information in question shows that the
medication causes a muscle condition known as rhabdomyolysis and related kidney
failure. As additional Crestor information becomes available, more groups are
beginning to question the use of the drug.
Crestor information available on the web site created by the drug's
manufacturer, AstraZeneca, makes no mention of these known side effects.
Instead, the only Crestor information related to side effects mentions the more
common and benign problems, such as constipation and stomach pain. By contrast,
Crestor information gathered even before the approval of the drug showed that
patients were at risk for rhabdomyolysis and kidney failure. This Crestor
information has been cause for concern among a number of different groups,
especially since a similar drug, Baycol, was pulled from the market for causing
the same problems, which resulted in over 100 deaths.
Citing the Crestor information, two major American health insurance companies
have refused to include Crestor in their list of recommended drugs, instead
steering patients to comparable products Lipitor and Zocor. Other Crestor
information shows that the medication fails to reduce the risk of heart attack
and stroke, a benefit of lower cholesterol levels offered by three other statins.
Crestor information is available from a variety of independent sources like
Private Citizen, and patients whose doctors recommend this drug should discuss
the Crestor information fully before deciding to begin this drug regimen.
Individuals who feel that they may be suffering ill effects of the medicine
should review Crestor information with an attorney to determine whether or not
legal action should be taken. If it is found that drug manufacturers withheld or
attempted to conceal Crestor information relating to patient safety, then
persons harmed by the drug may be eligible for financial restitution.
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