All of us take different kinds of medicines for different purposes. Some take food supplements and multivitamins, while some take maintenance medicines for their high blood pressure, heart problems, lung problems and others. We trust our doctors and take whatever medicine they give us, since we know that they have our best interests in mind. However, there have been several lawsuits filed against pharmaceutical companies for selling faulty or destructive medicines.

Drug Recall

Some examples of medicines that were found to have severe side effects and has been recalled by the US Food and Drug Administration were Avandia (a medicine for diabetes), Mirena (contraceptive), Accutane (a drug for the skin), Actos (a drug for diabetes) and Crestos (a drug to prevent heart diseases), among others. These drugs were proven effective, but they also cause some severe side effects.

Avandia, for example, was linked to heart attacks and heart failures that were experienced by its users. Mirena, which is a device used by many women, caused serious problems as it moved from its original position in the uterus to other parts of the female body. Acutane was successful in reducing cystic acne but caused fetal death. Actos was linked to bladder cancer and Crestor was found to cause memory loss and Type 2 diabetes.

There are several lawsuits against the companies that made these drugs, and the number increased immediately after FDA recalled these drugs from the market. The patients who used these drugs were advised by their doctors to stop using these products, but unfortunately for those who already suffered from the side effects, the only thing that they can do is to file for a personal injury lawsuit against the pharmaceutical companies.

In these cases, it is a bit difficult to protect yourself from faulty medicine, especially since your doctor prescribed the medicines for you.

Things You Can Do to Protect Yourself from Faulty Medicine

• Immediately consult with your doctor if you think the medicine is not compatible with you. There are several drugs available in the market, and your doctor should know what’s best for you.
• You should always be truthful when your doctor asks for your medical history and your allergies. These are essential information that your doctor should know so as to give you the right kind of medicine. If you fail to do so, and you experience some irregularities while taking the medicine that your doctor prescribed, it would solely be your fault and you can’t blame anyone for it.
• It is also advisable not to disregard any pain or discomfort that you might feel while taking a specific medicine. People tend to disregard pain or discomfort, thinking that these shall pass, but they end up as symptoms of more serious problems, causing more pain in the future.
• Never try to self-diagnose your illness, or some other people’s illness. If you are not a doctor, never prescribe anything to other people, even if you are prescribing or recommending over-the-counter products. A medicine may have a different effect on other people and you wouldn’t want to cause serious injuries.

If you are taking some medications, make sure to watch out for any side effects. Check yourself regularly to make sure that the medicines that you are taking are doing their job properly.

Marissa writes for Booth & Koskoff, a law firm in Southern California that specializes in personal injury and wrongful death cases.