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

Millions of women in the United States live and manage interstitial cystitis everyday. Unknowingy, many have also suffered serious Elmiron side effects without knowning the root cause of the side effects. People with IC often experience chronic symptoms in the urinary tract that may persist for 2 months or more. In some cases, the symptoms will last for over 2 years. A common theme with IC patients is bladder infections and other chronic diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Many people with continuing IC have an overactive bladder, low capacity for urine storage, and hard bladders. Often times, women diagnosed with interstitial cystitis find the symptoms are increased by excess emotional stress or physical stress.

Treatment of Interstitial Cystitis

Elmiron is often prescribed for women with interstitial cystitis, bladder pain syndrome/painful bladder syndrome. Physicians often find that simple dietary changes may help their patients manage and reduce the symptoms of IC. Some of the recommended diatary changes include limiting soda, tea, coffee, caffeine, alcohol, citrus, artificial sweeteners, and very spicy foods. A common method is to cut out all of these food groups for a several week period and then begin to introduce one at a time and track changes to see if one food group or change has made a positive effect on the bladder pain and IC.

Elmiron (pentosan) for painful bladder and IC

Elmiron (pentosan polysuflate sodium) is the only FDA-approved orally taken drug to effectively treat IC. That said, growing research suggests there are serious side effects with taking Elmiron including long term eye damage occurring with long term use. The developers (Janssen Pharmaceuticals) still really don’t know why or how Elmiron is effective at reducing IC symptoms yet the medication works well for many who take it. Since the late 1990’s Elmiron has been on the market and prescribed to millions of patients to treat IC. Oftentimes, patients only use the drug for up to 6 months and their symptoms subside and they are taken off the medication. In other instances, the medication is effective yet when patients are taken off, the symptoms return and Elmiron pills must be resumed leading to decades of use.

Elmiron Side Effects

Although considered a safe and effective drug for decades, recent research by a number of Eye Centers and university scholars show a link between long term elmiron use and vision problems, blindness, eye problems impacting the retina and macula. Pigmentary maculopathy and elmiron use have been linked. Symptoms associated with pigmentary maculopathy include:

• Blurred or blurry vision
• Dark spots or black spots in vision
• Night vision problems Difficulty reading
• Eye pain
• Vision loss/blindness
• Night Blindness
• Central vision loss
• Issues adjusting from light to darkness

Elmiron Vision Loss & Damage

Some patients taking Elmiron long term are being diagnosed with conditions and injuries such as drug-induced toxicity or maculopathy, macular degeneration, drug-induced atrophy, pentosan associated maculopathy, and retinal pigmentary epithelium. Unfortunately, the drug Elmiron is causing up to a quarter of long-term users to develop toxicity in the retina and cause the aforementioned vision loss issues.

Elmiron and Maculopathy

Maculopathy is a condition affecting the center part of the retina called the macula. Macular degeneration, also known as age-related macular degeneration is a medical condition which can result in blurry vision or no vision in the center of the visual field. It does not usually result in complete blindness but rather severely deteriorated vision.

Other forms of maculopathy include cellophane maculopathy, known as macular pucker. This form of visual distortion causes a fine glistening membrane to form over the macula which can obscure vision.

Elmiron Pigmentary Maculopathy

The type of maculopathy linked to Elmiron is called pigmentary maculopathy. This type of maculopathy is apparently unique and can be traced to Elmiron use. If caught during the early stages, the damage may stop after taking medication. Long term users with pigmentary maculopathy can result in permanent vision loss. Studies show that further deterioration may continue after ceasing to use Elmiron if the toxicity levels in the eye are high enough.

The United States Food and Drug Administration has not updated the label for Elmiron to warn consumers about the increased risk of pigmentary maculopathy. In Canada however, drug labels were changed in 2019 to include the warning.

Elmiron Lawsuit Qualifications

Attorneys at the Willis Law Firm are accepting cases from people who took Elmiron for at least two years and suffered vision problems, especially if they are still currently using or have used Elmiron in the last two years. Elmiron injury lawsuits include:

• Blurred vision
• Degenerative maculopthy
• Macular dystrophy
• Maculopathy
• Pigmentary maculopathy
• Pentosan toxicity
• Central Vision loss
• Vision impairment
• Night Blindness
• Halo vision

Elmiron Vision Loss Lawsuit

If you or a loved one took Elmiron and have suffered from these Elmiron related side effects, then call us at 1-800-883-9858 or fill out the form on the right side of this page. One of our Elmiron lawyers or staff will call you back to discuss your legal options to filing an Elmiron Side Effects Lawsuit for the injuries you have suffered.

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