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.

Everyone wants to believe that if they are admitted to the hospital, the staff is adequately equipped to give you proper care.  That may not be certain today, though.  There is a current shortage on certain drugs leading to the endangerment of patients, disruption of hospital care, and raising the cost of care.

The primary drugs that are in short supply are injectable generic drugs that are ordinarily cheap.  These shortages cause a delay in surgeries and cancer treatments, leave patients in unnecessary pain, and cause hospitals to give less effective treatments, which often results in complications and longer hospital stays.

According to the Associated Press, the shortages could cost hospitals at least $415 million per year.  So far, hospitals have been absorbing the extra costs but they’ll soon have to start passing them on to insurers and patients.

The FDA says the primary cause of the shortages is production shutdowns and manufacturing problems.  Other reasons cited were theft of prescription drugs from warehouses and “gray market” vendors who buy scarce drugs from small regional wholesalers or pharmacies and then sell them to hospitals at many times the normal price.  These “gray market” sellers may not be licensed, authorized distributors.

The average price markup on drugs sold by secondary distributors is 650 percent.  In one extreme case, a vendor was offering a generic beta blocker for dangerously high blood pressure.  The normal price per dose is $25.90, but it was being sold for $1,200 (per dose).

The primary problem with buying stolen drugs is that hospitals can’t always tell whether a medication has been properly refrigerated or is expired.  Using these defective drugs can be dangerous because the active ingredient might have degraded and the drug might not work well or could even harm or kill the patient.

Although the Hospital Association urges hospitals not to buy from unaccredited vendors and to insist on proper documentation of the drug’s source if they must, only three states (Kentucky, Maine, and Texas) have price-gouging laws that specifically cover medicines.

How tired are you? Do you work night shifts? If so, you probably heard of the drug Provigil.

Some say it is the miracle drug, allowing pilots and military personal the ability to stay up and be alert during their shift.

Provigil is also used to treat excessive sleepiness caused by sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or shift work sleep disorder by affecting the central nervous system. That means this medication can also impair your thinking or reactions.

The FDA warned physicians that Provigil might cause mania, delusions, hallucinations, suicidal ideation and aggression, some resulting in hospitalization. It can also cause Steven Johnson Syndrome, a rare and deadly disease.

So really how tired are you? Do we as Americans turn to medications for energy to easily? Does the extra money we could make outweigh the psychological risks?

If you or someone you love has suffered adverse side effects from taking Provigil, contact one of our defective drugs attorneys today.

Is the physical risks of smoking worth the mental and psychological problems that may arise by using Chantix? Changes in behavior, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal thoughts or actions make Chantix dangerous.

Chantix is a prescription anti-smoking drug designed to lower nicotine cravings and ease nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Chantix received FDA approval in 2006 after the drug was proven to block the brain receptors responsible for the pleasurable effects of smoking.

In February 2008 the FDA issued a Chantix public health advisory and warning. Prescribing physicians and Chantix users were cautioned that the drug had been linked to neuropsychiatric symptoms, including depression, agitation, and actualized suicidal behavior. In the statement issued by the FDA, the public was also alerted that Chantix may raise the reoccurrence risk of past psychiatric illness or may aggravate current mental illness.

If you have suffered adverse side effects from taking Chantix, call our defective drugs attorneys today and set up a no-cost consultation.

Lexapro is prescribed to treat patients with depression and generalized anxiety disorder. However, the drug is not without its problems. The FDA has issued two alerts concerning injuries caused by Lexapro.

The first alert is that Lexapro has been known to cause persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHT) in babies whose mothers used the drug during pregnancy.

Babies with PPHT have an inadequate blood supply to the lungs which causes oxygen depleted blood to return to the heart. Although some infants can recover quickly, others can have complications and require care throughout the rest of their lives. Statistics show that if the mother was on Lexapro while pregnant they are six times more likely to have a child with a birth defect.

The second FDA alert is regarding serotonin syndrome. Serotonin controls moods, emotions, sleep cycles and appetite. Some drugs like Lexapro can contribute to having too high of levels of serotonin in your body.

Serotonin syndrome can be fatal. Symptoms of this syndrome may include: restlessness, increased heart beat, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, tremor, muscle spasms, and several others.

If you believe you have suffered injury by taking Lexapro please call one of our defective drug attorneys today. You may have a case against the makers of Lexapro.

Has your doctor ever prescribed a drug for you and told you that you need to consider the benefits and risks of taking a medication?

There have been many lawsuits against drug manufacturers for not fully disclosing the risks of their medications. One such drug is Actose, which is prescribed to help manage Type II diabetes.

In some cases, Actose may lead to congestive heart failure and increase the risk of heart attacks. According to the FDA, there is a 40 percent chance of increased risk of bladder cancer due to taking Actose.

The longer a patient remains on Actose the higher the risk of bladder and heart damage. Our defective drug attorneys can help to answer your questions about health damages due to Actose and help determine if you may have a case.

Who wants to think that a physician would prescribe a drug that may cause you to attempt or commit suicide? Unfortunately, that may be the case.

Chantix, a drug prescribed as a cessation aid to stop smoking, has been known to cause an increase in both suicides and suicide attempts in those who have taken it. It is currently unclear why Chantix has caused these symptoms.

Chantix works by blocking the pleasant effects of nicotine on the brain.

Chantix has also been linked to other physical ailments including Stevens Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis.

Our defective drug attorneys can to help you determine if you have a case against the makers of Chantix (Pfizer, Inc.). Call for a no-obligation consultation today.

Did you know that some drugs can have a severe, negative impact on your bones?

Boniva is one such drug. It is used to prevent and treat osteoporosis in women who are past menopause.

Boniva has been linked to osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ), a rare condition in which the jawbone in the mouth dies. ONJ is commonly referred to as “dead jaw”.

The typical signs and symptoms of osteonecrosis of the jaw may include pain, swelling or infection of the gums, loosening of the teeth, poor healing of the gums, numbness or a feeling of heaviness in the jaw, drainage and exposed bone.

In the most serious cases, some patients may require the removal of sections of the jaw.

Boniva is in the same drug class as Fosamax and Actonel.

If you have experienced any of these symptoms or have been told you have ONJ while taking or after taking Boniva, contact us today. You may have a case against the makers of Boniva.

Terbutaline is a drug often given to pregnant mothers to delay delivery.

When it is given during the gestation period, it can cause certain transmitters in the brain to become over stimulated. This excessive stimulation can result in a condition called nueroinflammation, which can be very damaging to the brains’ development.

The neuroinflammation can be enough to scare a family but what if terbutaline made your child more susceptible to environmental pollutants so that simple raw foods like fruits and veggies from the grocery store made them ill?

Researchers found that Terbutaline may contribute to autism spectrum disorder by making the brain abnormally venerable to environmental pollutants and pesticides.

While the actual cause of autism is unknown, many researchers believe the environment’s negative factors contribute immensely.

Educating yourself on the risks and benefits of terbutaline or any other substance can change the outcome of your child health.

As Americans in today’s society expectations of complete trust and safety are given to doctors when prescriptions are written after a diagnoses. Many never hesitate to ask why they prescribe this new prescription and only hope the judgment in the health decisions will be for the better.

As a woman entering motherhood our hopes and dreams for a healthy baby are conscience on our mind; questioning everything put in our bodies only to ensure the unborn baby is equipped with the best start possible. The OBGYN becomes the best friend and closest confidant during pregnancies. When an expecting mother is forced to take a medication due to the possibilities of preterm labor and the risks outweigh the side effects of the drug, that woman trusts her doctor and hopes only for the best.

Most OBGYNs diagnose preterm labor with a tocolitic medication; Tocolytics are medicines that attempt to stop labor. They are used if labor begins before term.

Tocolytics can stop labor or delay labor to give the baby’s lungs time to mature. When taking this medication, you may need hospitalization or home therapy. Even more worrisome than giving birth pre-term are the risks tocolitics may cause.

Terbutaline, also known as Brethaire, Brethine, and Bricanyl is often used as a tocolitic remedy. Terbutaline sulfate Brethine is said to be generally safe for women who are pregnant. In previous animal studies involving terbutaline and pregnancy, the drug did not cause any problems. Making this drug a category B classification by the FDA regulation. Pregnancy Category B is given to medicines that have not been studied in pregnant humans but do not appear to cause harm to the fetus in animal studies.  Yet, maternal deaths have occurred due to terbutaline use during pregnancies.

Some of the side effects include nervousness, restlessness, insomnia, headache, rapid heart rate, nausea, hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and hypokalemia (low blood potassium). A rare but serious side effect is pulmonary edema. The side effects are identical in the mother and unborn born baby because the drug crosses the placenta. The mother and baby should be monitored while taking this drug.

In one review of 8,709 patients only 47 had one or more cardiopulmonary problems. Pulmonary edema was reported in 28 patients, 17 of whom had been treated concurrently with large amounts of IV fluids or tocolytic agents and four of whom had been diagnosed with pregnancy-induced hypertension and preterm labor symptoms.

Other cardiovascular effects occurred in 19 patients, including electrocardiogram changes, irregular heart rate, chest pain, or shortness of breathe.

Duke University studied the risks of terbutaline in infants; they found an increased risk of brain damage and cognitive deficits in babies whose mothers were treated with terbutaline during preterm labor. The study showed that the use of terbutaline might predispose babies to autism and other toxins.

Proving the drug caused autism creates debate but fraternal twins may scientifically prove this concept. Fraternal twins are two separate eggs fertilized by two separate sperm to form two separate embryos and then make two separate babies.

Fraternal twins are no more genetically alike than other siblings in the family. Finding fraternal twin pairs in whom both twins have autism spectrum disorders is the key finding that puts a spotlight on the use of terbutaline during pregnancy.

How can the FDA classify this drug as a category B when statistically deaths and birth defects clearly correlate with the use of this medication? How can the FDA warn doctors of the side effects but allow them to prescribe this medication as an off-label remedy. Furthermore, why do doctors continually prescribe this medication to expecting mothers knowing the risks that may occur?

As a woman expecting prayer and hope for perfect health is a daily process.

Expertise and trust within the doctor help suppress any negative thoughts but at the end of the day reality proves each patient is simply another number.