Carcinogenic (cancer causing) materials have been discovered in baby shampoo products made and distributed by Johnson & Johnson Company. These chemicals include Quarternium-15 which prevents products from spoiling and contamination by releasing formaldehyde to kill bacteria.

There is an argument as to how much risk these chemicals pose to users of these products. Johnson and Johnson claims that using a single dose of any of their products cannot cause a bad reaction in children. But the question remains as to how much risk repeatedly using these products can pose.

Johnson & Johnson has only taken corrective steps after threatened boycotts from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and proddings from thousands of consumers.

According to new warnings from federal health regulators, the cholesterol drug Trilipix may not reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke, and may actually increase the risk of heart problems among women. Trilipix (fenofibric acid) is an Abbott Laboratories drug approved by the FDA in December 2008. It is supposed to work by lowering “bad” cholesterol and increasing “good” cholesterol. It is often used in combination with cholesterol-lowering drugs like Zocor, known as statins.

Abbott Laboratories, which manufactures the medication, is being required to conduct new clinical trials to measure Trilipix heart effects for patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease, according to the agency.

This came after the FDA analyzed data from a clinical trial known as the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) Lipid trial. The trial compared the safety and efficacy of Trilipix plus Zocor therapy against taking Zocor alone.

The findings of that trial appear to indicate that Trilipix does not decrease the rate of heart attack or stroke on its own, according to the FDA. Also, women appeared to suffer an increased rate of cardiovascular events while on Trilipix.

The FDA is warning patients that the drug has not been shown to lower the risk of heart attack or stroke, and said patients should consult with their primary healthcare provider about the benefits and risks of taking Trilipix.

According to a Fox news report, more people die in America every year from prescription drug abuse than die from heroin and cocaine combined.  This leads us to the questions:

1. Are doctors over prescribing?
2. Are doctors closely monitoring drug usage of patients?
3. Are people illegally obtaining prescription drugs?

According to the Centers for Disease Control, most people who die from prescription drug overdose are taking someone else’s medicines, medicines that we left in the medicine cabinet, medicines that were given to a friend or a relative, maybe innocently, maybe maliciously.

In a study done by the CDC it was found that enough narcotics are prescribed every year to medicate each and every adult in America every day for a month.

Thomas Frieden, Director of the CDC, has said “It’s astonishing.  When I went to medical school, we were incorrectly assured, don’t worry, if patients have short-term pain, they won’t get hooked.  That was completely wrong, and a generation of doctors, patients, and families have learned that’s a tragic mistake.”

Although many states have passed new laws to monitor the prescribing of narcotic painkillers, the death rate due to this issue remains high.

A Sheriff of Pinella County in Florida, calls this issue widespread.  “This problem crosses all walks of life, crosses all socio-economic classes.  Crosses all races and gender, national origin, and age”, he said.

Preemies are sometimes given steroids known as glucocorticoids after birth to improve lung function and to stabilize low blood pressure. These are common complications of being born prematurely.  “Premature” is defined as being born under 32 weeks of gestation.

A new study conducted at University of British Columbia and University of CA, San Francisco shows that preemies given the steroids hydrocortisone or dexamethasone had on average a 10 percent smaller cerebellum than premature babies who were not given the drugs.

Lead study author Dr. Emily Tam said: “Their cerebellums were growing slower, and we know from other studies that a smaller cerebellum in preemies is associated with poorer outcomes.”  The cerebellum is the area of the brain that is associated with not only motor skills but also learning and behavior.

The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends avoiding high dose dexamethasone in babies after birth.

The study did not involve those premature babies that were given steroids BEFORE birth.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer, Suzette Fransen Cain and Julius Cain filed suit against Wyeth Company in federal court in New Orleans.

 The lawsuit alleges that Wyeth Co. knowingly made and manufactured hormone replacement drugs which are harmful to patients.

The drugs at issue are Prempro, Premarin, and Provera.  Wyeth is accused of manufacturing hormone therapy drugs that dramatically increase the risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, strokes, blood clots and cardiovascular disease.

Cain was prescribed Prempro for over eight years. She was subsequently diagnosed with breast cancer in late 2010 and has undergone a mastectomy and extensive treatment.

The defendants are accused of wrongdoing on several levels including providing an unreasonably dangerous product, unfair and deceptive trade practices, unjust enrichment, manufacturing a product with redhibitory defects, intentional misrepresentation or fraud, negligently misrepresentation and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

Cain is asking for more than $10 million in damages for loss of earnings, medical expenses, loss of earning capacity, pain and suffering, mental anguish, disability, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, court costs, interest and attorney’s fees.

Many women experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) that affects their mood and all the people around them.

So when a company claims they produced a miracle birth control that helps with the disorder almost every woman wants to try it. The risks of this birth control fail to outweigh the benefits because of the numerous side effects.

There are numerous warnings associated with the use of YAZ including, venous and arterial thrombotic and thromboembolic events (such as myocardial infarction, thromboembolism, stroke), hepatic neoplasia, gallbladder disease, and hypertension.

YAZ has additional risks because it contains the progestin, properties which can lead to hyperkalemia in high-risk patients, which may result in potentially serious heart and health problems.

Some side effects include: sudden numbness or weakness, confusion, pain behind the eyes, problems with vision, speech, or balance; chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, nausea, sweating, general ill feeling; a change in the pattern or severity of migraine headaches; stomach pain, loss of appetite, jaundice; a breast lump; or symptoms of depression.

After a 3-year investigation into the arthritis drug Vioxx, the study revealed an increase of cardiovascular complications after 18 months of use.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Lester M. Crawford stated in a press release that the FDA would closely monitor other drugs in this class for similar side effects. Crawford added, “All of the NSAID drugs have risks when taken chronically, especially of gastrointestinal bleeding, but also liver and kidney toxicity. They should only be used continuously under the supervision of a physician.”

There are many existing lawsuits filed against Merek, the company producing the drug, and Crawford expects many more. The alternative method for patients diagnosed with arthritis is Celebrex, Bextra, and Arcoxia just to name a few.

Ortho-McNeil Neurologics Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced it is voluntarily recalling two lots of TOPAMAX 100mg Tablets.

These two lots were shipped and distributed in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

While the recall encompasses approximately 57,000 bottles of TOPAMAX, the company believes there are fewer than 6,000 bottles remaining in the marketplace. The recall stems from four consumer reports of an uncharacteristic odor thought to be caused by trace amounts of TBA.

TBA, a chemical preservative sometimes applied to wood often used in the construction of pallets on which products are transported and stored. An internal investigation is underway to evaluate the potential source of this TBA issue.

In addition, the company is working with peer companies to better understand how and where TBA is entering and impacting the supply chains and what can be done to further mitigate this exposure.

Since the launch of medications meant to treat osteoporosis over 15 years ago, millions of women began taking prescribed medications meant to treat this disease.

After evidence has been introduced that many of these long term use drugs may do more harm than good, doctors have started suggesting a “drug holiday” to patients.  In other words, patients are being instructed to stop usage of these drugs for a certain period of time.

Dr. Richard Eastell of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research has stated:  “Worldwide, it’s a commonly discussed question as to how long you should go on with these treatments.  Beyond 10 years, we have no knowledge of how these treatments work.”

In rare cases, drugs used to treat osteoporosis such as Actonel, Fosamax, and Boniva have been linked to jaw necrosis, a condition in which the jawbone begins to deteriorate.   Long term users of these drugs can also develop fractures in the thigh bone (femur).

Specialists state that drug holidays may be justified due to the fact that these medications remain in bone tissues for 1-2 years after they are discontinued.

Dr. Reid of the University of Auckland in New Zealand says “After 5 years, it’s a good time to reassess.  If the bones don’t show osteoporosis, we typically stop the drug and monitor bone density.  If they still have osteoporosis readings or have a fracture, we keep them on medications for out to 10 years.”

Dr. Cosman, clinical director of the National Osteoporosis Foundation, claims that it has been difficult to get people to take the drugs.  She went on to say, “… we need to be clear that a 2-5 year course of these drugs saves fractures, pain, disability and life.  There is just no question about that.”

Researchers are finding more and more that all metallic hips are causing what doctors refer to as a “biological dead zone”.  In this “dead zone”, strands of tissue stained gray and black along with strips of muscles that no longer contract can be found.

Over a decade ago, some researchers warned that these all metallic hips can shed tiny pieces of metal that posed potential health threats to patients, yet those warning were not heeded and now there is a growing health crisis among hip replacement patients.

Often, patients are bounced from doctor to doctor to diagnose the problem and some doctors do not have the knowledge or the tools to properly diagnose a defective hip implant.

According to an investigative article by the New York Times, the particles that are shed by these hips pose a special threat because “scavenger cells dispatched by the body to neutralize the debris convert it into biologically active metallic ions.  In some patients, a chain reaction begins that can destroy tissue and muscle.”

All metallic hips seem to be failing at a rate three times as high as those replacement hips made of both metal and plastic components.  In the first six months of this year, the FDA received more than 5,000 reports about problems with the all metal hips.

If you or a loved one has been permanently injured by having a hip replacement in which an all metallic hip was used, our lawyers may be able to help.