If you ask government inspectors, the answer is a resounding— YES. Today, physciatric drugs– and anti-psychotic drugs in particular– are prescribed to an astounding 14% of all nursing home patients. The bulk of the psychiatric drugs are administered to patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s in order to calm their potentially aggressive behaviors. Despite the… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Dangerous Drugs
Subscribe to Dangerous Drugs RSS FeedIllinois Lawsuit Claims Actos Caused Man’s Bladder Cancer
Posted in Dangerous DrugsWhen Robert Bettorf started taking Actos in 2007, he thought it might help control his Type II diabetes. Instead, he got cancer. Bettorf is one of several people to recently come forward with allegations that Takeda Pharmaceuticals’ Actos drug directly causes bladder cancer. He joins Nancy Rios, 54, of Reading, Pennsylvania, who says she now… Continue Reading
New Lawsuit Claims Actos Caused Bladder Cancer
Posted in Dangerous DrugsA man with Type 2 diabetes has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the manufacturer of popular diabetes drug Actos following his development of bladder cancer after taking the drug. The lawsuit alleges that Actos’ manufacturer, Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America (and other entities including: Takeda Global Research & Development Center Inc., Takeda Pharmaceuticals Company… Continue Reading
Study Questions If Use Of Narcotic Painkillers Are Causing Unnecessary Harm To Elderly
Posted in Broken Bones, Dangerous DrugsIf you ever needed proof that there’s no such thing as a ‘safe’ drug, check out a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine conducted by Daniel Solomon. The results of the study were discussed in a New York Times article, “Narcotic Painkillers May Pose Danger to Elderly Patient, Study Says,” and… Continue Reading
Davocet & Darvon Pulled From Market After Study Correlates Use With Deadly Heart Problems
Posted in Dangerous DrugsOn November 19, 2010 the FDA ordered the popular painkillers Darvocet & Darvon to be pulled from the market. The decision to pull Darvocet & Darvon came after exhaustive studies and feedback from panels assembled by the FDA to evaluate the drugs safety. The results followed careful evaluation of advisory panel findings and… Continue Reading
Even After Warnings, Reglan Continues To Be Prescibed And Cause Devastating Problems For Many Patients– Including Tardive Dyskinesia
Posted in Dangerous DrugsIn a previous post, I talked about Reglan (Metoclopramide), a drug commonly used to relieve heartburn in patients with GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) or to relieve symptoms of slow stomach emptying for people with diabetes. Well, it turns out that this drug can also cause tardive dyskinesia (TD). Tardive dyskinesia is abnormal muscle movements, mostly in… Continue Reading
New Government Reports Provide Further Evidence Of Avandia’s Dangers
Posted in Dangerous DrugsNew reports to be issued following a Senate investigation and results from a clinical trial appear to further solidify the dangers associated with Avandia (rosiglitazone). As cited by The New York Times, the reports conclude that if Avandia patients switched to a similar diabetes drug, Actos, approximately 500 heart attacks and 300 cases of heart… Continue Reading
Zinc From Denture Creams Has Been Linked To Neurological Disease
Posted in Dangerous DrugsIn the wake yesterday’s announcement from GlaxoSmithKline that they will stop the manufacture, distribution and advertising of their well-known denture adhesive product Super PoliGrip, we have been inundated with calls from concerned clients and their families who are concerned about the health risks and their legal rights. At the heart of the matter is zinc,… Continue Reading
Nursing Home Patients Continue To Receive Drugs Associated With Known Dangers
Posted in Dangerous Drugs, Medication ErrorsThrough no fault of their own, many nursing home patients continue to receive medications known to potentially cause serious injury or death. Many of these situations involve claims for damage against the drug manufacturers themselves. In other cases, the prescribing physician may be partially responsible for failing to monitor the patient. MRI Danger: Gadolinium Liquid… Continue Reading
Use Of Reglan Has Been Linked To Development Of Tardive Dyskinesia Or Abnormal Muscle Spasms
Posted in Dangerous DrugsMy office frequently gets contacted by concerned family members who may be unable to specify the exact type of error and facility made, but nonetheless they have a clear belief that their loved one’s condition has changed for the worse due to improper care or taking an dangerous drug. Recently we were contacted by… Continue Reading
Medications Such As: Visocol, OsmoPrep, or Fleet Phoso-Soda May Cause Kidney Failure Or Death In The Elderly
Posted in Dangerous DrugsWe’ve all gone through the unpleasant task of preparing for a colonoscopy. Drinking an unpleasant liquid or popping pills for the purpose of giving the doctor a better view of our colon’s contents is…. anything but pleasant. Now, news has surfaced that, depending on the product you used to prepare for the procedure, the experience… Continue Reading
Medications Commonly Prescribed To Nursing Home Patients May Cause Stevens Johnson Syndrome
Posted in Dangerous Drugs, Medication ErrorsStevens-Johnson Syndrome (“SJS”) is a systemic disorder that affects the skin and mucous membranes, usually caused by a severe drug reaction. SJS often begins with flu-like symptoms (fever, sore throat, cough, burning eyes), then progresses to red or purple rashes and blisters (photos), especially around the mouth, nose, eyes. These symptoms eventually lead to skin… Continue Reading
Fentanyl Overdose Leads To 1.6M Nursing Home Settlement
Posted in Dangerous DrugsRuth Lomeo, a 44-year-old disabled person, will receive $1.6 million from the California nursing home responsible for her care. In July, 2005 Lomeo was admitted to Edgemoor Geriatric Hospital for treatment of Lupus, a chronic inflammatory disease. The nursing home staff was responsible for properly administering Fentanyl skin patches to help Lomeo cope with chronic… Continue Reading
Have You Suffered An Injury After Taking Avandia?
Posted in Dangerous DrugsWhat is Avandia? Avandia is the most commonly prescribed diabetes drug in the United States. Avandia (rosiglitazone) is used to treat type 2, non-insulin dependent diabetes by increasing the bodies sensitivity to insulin. Avandia is manufactured by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline and has been on the market since 1999. If you have type 2, diabetes there… Continue Reading
MRI Danger: Gadolinium Liquid May Cause Severe Reactions Such As Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis
Posted in Dangerous DrugsIn 1988 the FDA approved the use of Gadolinium for use as a contrast agent in MRI’s. Contrast agents help in enhancing the clarity of MRI images. Gadolinium bonds with damaged or diseased tissues giving doctors a much clearer picture of organs that they would without. On June 8, 2006 the FDA issued a warning… Continue Reading
Heparin May Put Nursing Home Residents At Risk
Posted in Dangerous DrugsHeparin is a commonly used blood thinner that has come under scrutiny for possible contamination. The FDA has recommended restricting the use of high doses of Heparin, or generally known as Bolus dosing in an attempt to limit the severity of adverse reactions to the drug. Bolus dosing is used to quickly thin blood in… Continue Reading