Medications can work wonders with their ability to treat seemingly insurmountable conditions in the human body. Many people in Houston often forget, however, that they do this by prompting unnatural reactions in a person’s system.
Often that reaction is to suppress the function of a specific body symptom. While done under controlled conditions (and/or the supervision and advice of a physician), this may not produce a significant threat. Yet when people do not appreciate this fact, it can often have unintended (and sometimes tragic) consequences).
Common respiratory drugs linked to potentially fatal breathing problems
The assumption is that drug manufacturers will make those potential consequences known to consumers (indeed, such is the standard mandated by the law). Yet that does not always occur. Recent developments in the use of two popular medications illustrate this point. The Food and Drug Administration issued warnings that the medications gabapentin and pregabalin can cause serious breathing problems. These potential issues are nothing; authorities have long linked them to accidental overdoses when used in conjunction with opioids. However, new evidence suggests that they could cause problems even when users take them alone. Pregabalin may not be commonly known to general public, yet gabapentin (under its many brand names) ranks among the top ten most commonly prescribed medications in the U.S. Claims against it have to date resulted in over $430 million in settlement payments.
Holding drug manufacturers accountable
The general public is no doubt grateful to drug manufacturers that develop the medications aimed at treating their collective ailments. Yet such gratitude does not also provide a license for a company to push a drug on the public that may not be safe. When it appears one has, affected users may want to work with an attorney to pursue the appropriate action.
