Elmiron Home – Elmiron Side Effects – Elmiron Lack of Warnings – Does Elmiron Cause Vision Loss

Elmiron Eye Damage Attorneys Willis Law Firm

Are you one of thousands who took or currently take prescription Elmiron to treat a bladder condition? Have you suffered vision loss, maculopathy, or other eye problems after taking Elmiron? The Drug Attorneys at the Willis Law Firm are currently accepting clients who have suffered eye injuries that have recently been linked to the drug, Elmiron.

Introduction to Elmiron

Elmiron has been used for years to treat a condition known as Interstitial cystitis (IC). IC is known more simply as “painful bladder syndrome” and typically affects women more often than men. Elmiron is a FDA approved and known scientifically as pentosan polysulfate sodium (PPS). The drug creates a barrier, or thin layer, within the wall of the bladder to protect the lining from irritation. While the drug has been used for decades to treat IC, new studies have linked long-term Elmiron use to possible retinal damage, vision loss, and blindness.

Can Elmiron Cause Blindness?

Current research from the American Academy of Ophthalmology suggests Elmiron can be linked to maculopathy, an eye disease that affects the center of the retina. Researchers from Kaiser Permanente in California found close to 25% of the patients they studied who took Elmiron long term had associated eye damage, maculopathy, or progressive loss of central vision.

What are the symptoms associated with Elmiron Eye Damage:

  • Areas of Elmiron vision loss in the field of vision, paracentral scotoma
  • Difficulty adjusting from day to night or light to dark areas
  • Difficulty reading
  • Problems focusing or seeing objects that are close
  • Dimming vision
  • Eye Pain
  • Seeing dark or blurry spots

Elmiron FDA Label Change

On June 17, 2020, the FDA announced that new Elmiron retinal damage warnings will be added to the label for all medical professionals and patients.

“Pigmentary changes in the retina, reported in the literature as pigmentary maculopathy, have been identified with long-term use of ELMIRON® (see ADVERSE REACTIONS). Although most of these cases occurred after 3 years of use or longer, cases have been seen with a shorter duration of use. While the etiology is unclear, cumulative dose appears to be a risk factor.

Visual symptoms in the reported cases included difficulty reading, slow adjustment to low or reduced light environments, and blurred vision. The visual consequences of these pigmentary changes are not fully characterized. Caution should be used in patients with retinal pigment changes from other causes in which examination findings may confound the appropriate diagnosis, follow-up, and treatment. Detailed ophthalmologic history should be obtained in all patients prior to starting treatment with ELMIRON®. If there is a family history of hereditary pattern dystrophy, genetic testing should be considered. For patients with pre-existing ophthalmologic conditions, a comprehensive baseline retinal examination (including color fundoscopic photography, ocular coherence tomography (OCT), and auto-fluorescence imaging) is recommended prior to starting therapy. A baseline retinal examination (including OCT and auto-fluorescence imaging) is suggested for all patients within six months of initiating treatment and periodically while continuing treatment. If pigmentary changes in the retina develop, then risks and benefits of continuing treatment should be re-evaluated, since these changes may be irreversible. Follow-up retinal examinations should be continued given that retinal and vision changes may progress even after cessation of treatment.”

Do I Qualify for an Elmiron Lawsuit?

If you were prescribed Elmiron for 2 years and developed maculopathy symptoms, eye damage, eye disorders, or other vision problems while taking the drug or shortly after taking the drug, you may qualify for a elmiron claim against Janssen Pharmaceutical, the maker of the drug. Again, symptoms and injuries include: maculopathy (macular degeneration), vision impairment or vision loss, unilateral or bilateral blindness, reduced night vision, retinopathy, and macular dystrophy. If you took Elmiron and later developed any of these injuries, the Drug Attorneys at the Willis Law Firm would like to speak to you further about filing a Elmiron Lawsuit.

Benefits of Filing an Elmiron Lawsuit

Why should you file a Elmiron lawsuit against Janssen Pharma? If you are wondering what the benefits of filing a claim against the manufacturer of Elmiron, know that it will not cost you anything out of pocket to do so. Benefits of filing a Elmiron eye damage lawsuit include:

  • Compensation for your eye damage, vision loss, and associated Elmiron injuries
  • Compensation for pain and suffering and other indirect effects for the damage caused by Elmiron
  • Holding the drug makers accountable for their action, their failure to warn consumers, and hold them to higher and more rigorous standards of testing before they release a dangerous product to the market that could hurt others

Elmiron Side Effects

Elmiron is the only FDA approved drug to treat interstitial cystitis or bladder pain syndrome. Also known as Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium (PPS), the brand sold under Janssen is Elmiron. Elmiron was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1995 and has sales in excess of $150 million each year. Sold and branded as a safe and effective drug for bladder and pelvic pain, more scientific evidence suggests there is a link between Elmiron and macular degeneration and eye diseases that result in irreversible retina damage, vision loss, and blindness. Elmiron lack the warnings of the serious vision loss and the high risk of pigmentary maculopathy.

What are symptoms of maculopathy?

Patients that have taken Elmiron and developed maculopathy usually report vision problems as their first symptom. Ophthalmologists typically associate Elmiron with maculopathy symptoms like:

  • Difficulty reading
  • Taking a long time to adjust to the dark
  • Difficulty seeing close objects
  • Dimming of vision
  • Paracentral scotoma
  • Blurring of vision
  • Eye Pain
  • Irreversible eye damage such as blindness

Nationwide Elmiron Lawyers

If you were prescribed and took Elmiron long term (2+ years) and later developed maculopathy, vision loss, or eye damage, you are not alone in the fight for justice. You may be able to sue the drug manufacturer for your injuries and get financial compensation. The Drug Attorneys team at the Willis Law Firm is ready, able, and waiting for your form submission or direct call to our offices. For decades, we have successfully represented thousands of clients nationwide against the drug company giants and held them accountable when profits over health mattered more to them. Contact us today for a confidential and free Elmiron lawsuit consultation.

Call us at 1-800-8839858 or CONTACT US NOW