Did you know a prescription drug for bladder pain is directly leading to blindness? Elmiron litigation is ongoing with no trial yet in early 2022. In this page, we’ll break down Elmiron’s uses for chronic bladder pain, the current status of Elmiron cases, the lawsuits, and we’ll define some common eye problems and how they differ from Elmiron-specific maculopathy.
Since this is still fresh, there is no Elmiron class action lawsuit yet but there is an Elmiron MDL which we’ll briefly discuss below. Now let’s get into why Janssen Pharmaceuticals (the drug manufacturer) are in hot water over these Elmiron lawsuits and the devastating disabilities affecting thousands of victims.
What are the Elmiron Lawsuits for?
Elmiron vision loss lawsuits are claims brought by mostly chronic bladder pain syndrome patients who have taken the prescription drug Elmiron and developed a rare version of the eye condition called maculopathy. It was recently found that Elmiron pentosan polysulfate sodium PPS can be linked to extensive retinal damage and/or retinal hemorrhage.
The Elmiron lawsuits allege that the drug’s manufacturer, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, failed to warn patients of the risks associated with taking Elmiron. Join us as we discuss what to expect with these Elmiron lawsuits.
What is Elmiron used for?
Elmiron, also known as pentosan polysulfate sodium PPS, is a prescription medication used to treat bladder pain, bladder pressure, and pelvic issues from interstitial cystitis, a chronic painful bladder syndrome that may also cause frequent urination. Elmiron is the only FDA-approved treatment for this debilitating condition.
Can Elmiron Cause Blindness?
In short, yes Elmiron use could cause blindness due to the unique way it affects your eye’s macula. Multiple studies in the past few years have been showing an increased risk of macular degeneration and maculopathy which can lead to vision loss from Elmiron, whether partial or total blindness. Elmiron eye damage litigation is now ongoing with hundreds of Elmiron lawsuits being filed!
What is maculopathy?
Maculopathy is a degenerative eye condition that affects the macula, the part of the eye responsible for central vision. Maculopathy can cause blurred vision, difficulty reading, and in severe cases, blindness.
It is typically caused by the accumulation of a substance called pigmentary dispersion in the retina, the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye.
How does Elmiron cause maculopathy?
Research in 2018 by the Emory Eye Center clinic found five patients that had this very distinctive maculopathy and all five had or were still taking Elmiron prescription.
These changes to the macula had not been observed previously by doctors and it only added more confusion. These findings were published in an Ophthalmology medical journal in 2018.
Then in 2019, the journal JAMA Ophthalmology published a case study of 35 patients who used Elmiron for interstitial cystitis with approximately 36% experiencing “dynamic changes in pigmentary abnormalities” with findings suggesting that maculopathy caused by Elmiron and similar drugs is a “vision-threatening condition”.
Since then, more medical literature and studies have come forth showing a link between Elmiron and serious eye disabilities (blindness).
Macular Degeneration Lawsuit due to Elmiron Prescribed Use
Patients who have suffered eye damage, eye injuries, permanent vision loss, or blindness after taking Elmiron may be eligible to file an Elmiron lawsuit and should contact our law firm right away.
The Elmiron pigmentary maculopathy lawsuit claims are still misunderstood by many. Imagine already suffering from bladder pain syndrome but then also having to worry about some scary macular disease due to seemingly dangerous drugs like Elmiron use.
Unfortunately, because some patients only take Elmiron bladder pain medicine temporarily, they get overlooked frequently and misdiagnosed. The problem is that it’s been noted that you may still develop the distinctive maculopathy that so far has only been seen with Elmiron (PPS drugs) even after stopping use. Common misdiagnoses we see or hear about include:
- Age-Related macular degeneration
- Pattern Dystrophy
- Stargardt’s Disease
If you or a loved one have been prescribed Elmiron and now has any of these eye problems, get in touch with our law firm. We have a fantastic team of Elmiron lawsuit lawyers we work with who pursue Elmiron pigmentary maculopathy lawsuits on behalf of elmiron users.
Wrong Diagnosis for Eye Problems Related to Elmiron
The alarming issue with Elmiron and chronic exposure to pentosan polysulfate is that it appears to have a severe latency effect where it could be years after stopping Elmiron or PPS therapy use and the patients could start experiencing that distinctive maculopathy that has only been noted with chronic exposure to pentosan polysulfate.
Because this is still breaking news, many bladder pain Elmiron patients are not aware of Elmiron linked vision damage and sadly, some have already suffered vision loss.
Stargardt’s Disease and Elmiron Maculopathy Differences
Stargardt’s disease is another frequent misdiagnosis of this Elmiron maculopathy. This is because Stargardt’s Disease is another eye condition that also lead to vision loss.
A big caveat is that Stargardt’s disease is an inherited disorder of the retina and it’s usually seen in children and young adults. Many of the observed patients with interstitial cystitis who were treated with Elmiron were well past this age group and still showed an elevated risk of eye problems.
Pattern Dystrophy Misdiagnosis and Elmiron drug
Pattern dystrophies is another fairly common misdiagnosis we’re seeing with Elmiron victims because like Stargardt’s, it can lead to severe eye damage. Pattern dystrophies are a type of macular degeneration that follows a pattern and usually affects both eyes symmetrically.
Although it’s also inherited like Stargardt’s, pattern dystrophies are mutations in one’s genes that can manifest in patients who are middle-aged and older. This certainly could explain some of the confusion among ophthalmologists in detecting the right eye condition.
If you used Elmiron and now have eye issues, stop waiting and call us!
How to qualify for Elmiron Eye Damage Lawsuits?
If you took prescription Elmiron for bladder pain (interstitial cystitis ic) and suffered vision problems and/or have been diagnosed with macular degeneration, vision loss, or blindness after taking Elmiron, you may be eligible to file an Elmiron lawsuit. The Elmiron lawsuit criteria can be complex due to the frequent misdiagnosed eye injuries.
Common Eye Damage Injuries Linked to Elmiron
- Vision impairment
- Unilateral or bilateral blindness
- Scotoma
- Pigmentary maculopathy
- Macular retinopathy
- Halo vision
- Reduced night vision
- Metamorphopsia
- Retinal pigment epithelium atrophy
- Retinopathy
- Blurred vision
- Macular degeneration
- Blindness
- Eye damage
- Vision loss
Has Elmiron been recalled?
No, Elmiron has not been recalled even though there are over 400 Elmiron lawsuit cases active. We couldn’t believe how many Elmiron lawsuits are pending for eye injury and potentially permanent vision damage.
However, the FDA has issued a warning about potential vision problems associated with Elmiron use. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with maculopathy after taking Elmiron intended for interstitial cystitis or chronic bladder issues, you may be eligible to file an Elmiron lawsuit.
What is the status of Elmiron lawsuits?
As of now, there have been no jury verdicts or settlements in the Elmiron lawsuits. There is no drug Elmiron class action lawsuit but in December 2020, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ordered the 400+ Elmiron lawsuits nationwide to be consolidated into a multidistrict litigation (MDL) in New Jersey.
This should hopefully make the ongoing Elmiron litigation easier to follow and facilitate more Elmiron victims, and prescription drug Elmiron patients.
How to hire Elmiron Attorneys
You want to make sure that you can prove with your medical records that you were indeed prescribed Elmiron. If you contact us today, we can go over a few basic questions regarding your eye injury or eye disease, and your use of Elmiron, and see if you may pre-qualify for an Elmiron lawsuit case.
