Dallas Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog

July 15, 2009

Nature & Health Co. Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Six Male Enhancement Products Marketed as Dietary Supplements

Opteron 1 Inc. dba Nature & Health Co., announced today that it is conducting a voluntary nationwide recall of the company’s five supplement products sold under the following names: LibieXtreme, Y-4ever, Libimax X Liquid, Powermania Liquid and Capsule, Herbal Disiac.

The Company has been informed by representatives of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that lab analysis by FDA of these five samples found they contains either tadalafil, an active ingredient of an FDA-approved drug for erectile dysfunction (ED) , its analog aminotadalafil, or the analog of sidenafil, an active ingredient of another FDA-approved ED drug, making these products unapproved drugs. None of the active drug ingredients are listed on the product labels. The undeclared ingredients may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs such as nitroglycerin and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. Consumers with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease often take nitrates. Additionally, the product may cause side effects, such as headaches and flushing.

July 15, 2009

Rhabdomyolysis and Cholesterol Lowering Drugs

by Dr. Shezad Malik

A serious and potentially fatal muscle condition, known as Rhabdomyolysis, could be caused a number of different prescription medications.

The use of statin drugs, such as Baycol and Crestor, have been linked to side effects of Rhabdomyolysis, and the combination of drugs containing simvastatin, such as Zocor, Vytorin and Simcor, with heart drugs containing amiodarone, such as Cordarone and Pacerone, could increase the risk of the disorder. Recent reports also suggest that the dietary supplement Hydroxycut is associated with reports of rhabdomyolysis.

July 14, 2009

Shoulder Pain Pump Litigation

by Dr. Shezad Malik

The use of intra-articular pumps, also known as pain pumps or pain balls, to deliver medication to the shoulder following arthroscopic shoulder surgery has been linked to the development of a painful and debilitating condition which causes the loss of cartilage in the shoulder. The condition, known as Postarthroscopic Glenohumeral Chondrolysis or PAGCL, has no consistently successful treatment and often results in permanent shoulder pain.

STATUS OF SHOULDER PAIN PUMP LITIGATION: Lawsuits are currently pending and potential cases are still being reviewed by product liability lawyers. Motions have been filed to consolidate all Federal shoulder pain pump lawsuits and transfer the cases to one court for pre-trial proceedings.

July 14, 2009

Gadolinium MRI Dye Linked to Skin Disease

by Dr. Shezad Malik

A Rhode Island woman has joined 516 other plaintiffs in a massive lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies that make certain dyes used for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

The woman, who did not want to be identified, was diagnosed with nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) in 2006 after being injected with a contrast-agent made with gadolinium . It’s a rare disease that affects people with renal failure, such as kidney disease.

The contrast-agent, or dye, is used during an MRI to help technicians and doctors examine tissue. Patients with healthy kidneys simply flush the gadolinium out. People diagnosed with NSF, however, describe their skin turning wood-like, eventually cracking. The disease can move to organs where it can be fatal.

July 14, 2009

Bayer Sued Over Safety of Birth Control Pills Yaz and Yasmin

by Dr. Shezad Malik

First came the warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; now lawsuits.

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals has been hit with four individual federal lawsuits — three in Ohio, one in Wisconsin — involving the safety of its popular birth control pills Yaz and Yasmin.

The lawsuits — which were filed on July 7, 9 and 10 — come after Bayer reached an agreement with the Food and Drug Administration in 2008 to run a $20 million corrective ad campaign for overstating the benefits of Yaz and downplaying its risks. The FDA had issued Bayer a warning letter about the ads, noting that Yaz actually has additional risks compared to other birth control pills because it contains the progestin drospirenone, which can increase potassium levels.

July 13, 2009

Medtronic Paradigm Recall: Quick-Set Infusion Sets for MiniMed Insulin Pump

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Medtronic Inc. has recalled three million disposable infusion sets designed for their MiniMed Paradigm insulin pumps after discovering that some of them could deliver incorrect doses of insulin, potentially leading to injury or death.

The Medtronic Paradigm recall involves one lot of Quick-set infusion sets, which are disposable plastic tubes used to infuse a diabetes patient from the Medtronic insulin pump. They are usually replaced after three days. Medtronic issued a press release on July 10 alerting users that approximately 2%, or about 60,000 units, from one lot of its infusion sets have a defect that could give too much insulin to the patient.

July 13, 2009

W. Va. Soldiers sue KBR for Chemical Exposure in Iraq

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Russell Powell wondered for years after he returned from Iraq why he couldn’t run even short distances without wheezing.

Following his yearlong tour of duty that ended in 2004, he coached his son’s Little League team, but had to stop because it exhausted him.

The 34-year-old, who was able to run two miles in 9:44 before he went to Iraq in 2003, said now he is lucky to finish in 20 minutes.

He was discharged from the West Virginia Army National Guard for medical reasons at the end of 2008 because he was unable to meet physical requirements. Since he started his new job as a corrections officer for a West Virginia prison earlier this year, he’s had to use several sick days and vacation days to visit doctors.

July 12, 2009

Jury Finds Pregnant Officer was Discriminated Against

by Dr. Shezad Malik

A federal court jury sided with a Suffolk Park Police officer who claimed she was discriminated against when her employer denied her request for a “light-duty” assignment when she became pregnant in 2007.

Tara Germain, who was given the choice to either work during her pregnancy or take unpaid leave, prevailed on several claims she made against Suffolk County, as jurors found that her civil rights were violated.

“We are really happy,” said Janice Goodman, an attorney who argued the case before U.S. District Court Judge Arthur Spatt with Gillian Thomas, an attorney for Legal Momentum, a women’s rights group formerly known as the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund.

“We believe the rights of women have been affirmed a second time on the issue of not forcing a woman to have to choose between her job and having a family,” Goodman added, referring to an earlier case against Suffolk County involving pregnant officers.

July 11, 2009

Texas Firm Agrees to Clean up Mercury Spills to Settle Lawsuit

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Two years after several environmental groups sued, a Houston energy company has agreed to clean up mercury contamination around its natural gas wells in the Monroe area.

EnerVest Operating LLC will decontaminate land in Ouachita, Union and Morehouse parishes and replace about 400 leaky mercury meters the company uses to gauge well and pipeline pressure, according to a settlement approved last week by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.

The deal comes more than two years after EnerVest was sued for allowing mercury to seep into the land surrounding its wells in northeast Louisiana. The company failed to properly dispose of mercury and clean up spills from meters, according to the lawsuit filed by the Louisiana Audubon Council, the Sierra Club, the Gulf Restoration Network and the Louisiana Environmental Action Network. Nor did EnerVest upgrade its meters to more environmentally friendly models that have become “the industry standard,” the groups said.

July 10, 2009

Zicam Lawsuit and the FDA

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Has a Zicam nasal cold remedy robbed you of your sense of smell, and possibly the ability to taste? If so you have probably been stricken with a condition called anosmia – loss of sense of smell, sometimes accompanied by loss of sense of taste – related to the presence of zinc gluconate in Zicam intranasal cold remedies. Like thousands of other people who have used Zicam nasal gel or swabs, you probably had no idea that these products could be so dangerous.

Matrixx Initiatives, Inc. has had to remove several varieties of Zicam nasal cold remedies from the market because of their association with anosmia. The lawyers at our firm are currently representing scores of people in personal injury lawsuits who lost their ability to smell, and in some cases taste, after using a Zicam nasal gel or swab to treat or prevent a cold.