Baycol Recall - Background Information
In May 2001, Baycol's manufacturer, Bayer Pharmaceutical Division, lowered the recommended dosage of Baycol in response to a report of the increased occurrence of severe rhabdomyolysis. Bayer claimed that patients were taking a larger dosage than recommended by its label and insisted Baycol was still safe for consumption. Doctors were instructed to monitor their patient's dosage more closely. However, on August 8, 2001, Bayer voluntarily withdrew Baycol from the U.S. market after reports of fatal rhabdomyolysis. While the FDA did not require the recall, but supported the company's decision.
The Baycol recall came about only after a report of at least 31 deaths linked to the use of Bayer's drug. Baycol has since been linked to over 100 deaths and over 1,000 injuries, including numerous cases of severe rhabdomyolysis.
Side Effects of Baycol
Rhabdomyolysis is a fairly common side effect associated with all statin (lipid-lowering) drugs, the class of drugs that includes Baycol. However, patients taking Baycol are ten times more likely to develop rhabdomyolysis.
Rhabdomyolysis causes myoglobin to be released from muscle cells into the bloodstream, which can cause serious kidney damage that may lead to death. Patients taking larger doses of Baycol are more likely to experience its adverse effects. Those taking Baycol along with gemfibrozil, another lipid-regulating drug, are at even higher risk of developing rhabdomyolysis. Older patients are also at higher risk. Symptoms of rhabdomyolysis include muscle and joint pain, fatigue, weakness, fever, nausea, and dark urine.
Take Action - Contact our Baycol lawyers in Boston and Washington DC
If you have experienced any of these symptoms while taking Baycol, you must contact a physician immediately. He or she may prescribe an alternative cholesterol-reducing drug and perform tests for rhabdomyolysis. If you or a loved one has been injured by Baycol, you may be entitled to compensation. By contacting an experienced Baycol lawyer, you may receive just compensation for medical costs, pain and suffering, and other expenses.
Pollack & Flanders, LLP, experienced Baycol lawyers in Washington DC and Boston, Massachusetts, procure large settlements for clients injured by Baycol throughout the Northeast. Pollack & Flanders, LLP handle cases of Baycol injury in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Virginia, and Maine. Contact our firm today to speak with a Baycol lawyer.