Ephedra
Ephedra is an herbal supplement commonly found in diet pills, such as Metabolife. Ephedra has been linked to significant side effects, including heart attack, stroke, hepatitis, seizures, psychosis, and even death. Ephedra may also cause the less severe side effects of dizziness, headache, heart palpitations, and gastrointestinal problems.
Ephedra has not been "recalled" by the FDA only because it is an herbal supplement, and the FDA has no jurisdiction over herbs. However, the administration has issued several warnings about the dangers of Ephedra, which has been marketed under several titles: ephedrine, epitonin, ma huang, and pseudoephedrine.
If you are currently taking diet pills, you should check for these herbs immediately. If you have experienced any of the symptoms listed above, contact a physician immediately.
Anyone who has suffered injury after taking Ephedra may be entitled to compensation. For more information about Ephedra, contact Pollack & Flanders, LLP. Our Ephedra lawyers in Boston and Washington, DC handle drug recall lawsuits across the Northeast.
Phenylpropanolamine (PPA)
PPA, or phenylpropanolamine, is a chemical frequently used in over-the-counter appetite suppressants and weight loss products, as well as cold medications and nasal decongestants. The problem with PPA is namely its association with hemorrhagic stroke, particularly in younger women.
Hemorrhagic strokes involve bleeding in the brain, which damages surrounding tissue. The condition is life-threatening and cannot be reversed. PPA has been linked to over 500 cases of hemorrhagic stroke.
Despite the ban of PPA sales in November 2000, billions of people are still consuming products containing PPA because the FDA cannot officially recall over-the-counter drugs. The following over-the-counter drugs contain PPA:
- Acutrim
- Dexatrim
- Dimetapp
- Comtrex
- Alka Seltzer Plus
- Robitussin
- Triaminic
- Contac
If you have been injured by a product containing PPA, you may be entitled to compensation for damages. By filing a PPA lawsuit, you could protect others from the damaging effects of this dangerous drug.
Contact our PPA lawyers in Washington, DC and Boston, Massachusetts today for more information regarding the dangerous drug PPA. We are always available to answer your questions.
Pollack & Flanders, LLP serve PPA victims in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Virginia, and Maine.