What You Can Do & How a Railroad Worker Injury Lawsuit Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting railroad worker injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured while working for the railroad, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Railroad Worker Injury Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Overview

Railroad injury lawsuits are different from regular injury lawsuits. Your attorney must file the lawsuits under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA). When Congress passed FELA in 1908, they gave injured railroad workers the right to sue railroad companies for negligence that caused an injury. Accidents can occur due to faulty equipment, improper tools, unsafe working conditions, or exposure to toxic substances carried on the train.

By law, railroad companies have a “standard of duty” to uphold. They must provide a reasonably safe place to work, provide safety equipment, proper tools, and training, inspect the workplace for hazards, enforce safety regulations, provide enough workers to do a job safely, and more. If they fail to do any of these things, they could be held negligent.

Negligence

Negligence is defined as a failure to do something that a reasonable, prudent person would do. Railroads are held to a very high standard of care. They must do their best to provide a safe working environment. If they fail to do this, they could be held negligent for injuries that occur in an unsafe workplace.

If you decide to file a Railroad Worker Injury Lawsuit, your attorney will collect and present evidence that your employer’s negligence caused your injury. Even if you did something that caused the injury, your employer can still be found negligent. Perhaps you slipped and fell, or your employer did not give you adequate training, or perhaps you were never given the proper tool to do the job safely. All of these are examples of negligence that could qualify you for compensation.

Railroad Worker Injuries

The Schmidt Firm, LLP accepts all types of railroad worker injuries, which may include:

• Hearing loss
• Back, neck, and spinal injuries
• Joint injuries (knee, wrist, ankle, hip, etc.)
• Broken bones
• Lacerations
• Toxic chemical exposure
• Diesel fume exposure (cancer, asthma, COPD, etc.)
• Heavy lifting injuries
• Slips and falls
• Burns
• Amputations
• Repetitive-motion injuries
• Head injuries (concussions, skull fractures, bleeding, etc.)
• Ballast injuries

If you were injured, report your injury to your supervisor. If any coworkers witnessed the accident, they will be essential to your case. If required to do so, fill out a report that lists anything that could have contributed to your injury. If you need to see a doctor, make sure you keep track of your medical bills. Keep track of your out-of-pocket expenses, lost wages, gas mileage, and more.

Contact a Railroad Worker Injury Lawyer

If you decide to work with the railroad’s claims agent, there is a risk that you could be pressured into a quick settlement, less than what you would receive if you had hired an experienced lawyer to advocate for your case. It is important to choose your attorney wisely, to ensure a fair settlement in a timely manner.

Important Note: You are not required hire a union railroad lawyer. You can hire an independent lawyer, not affiliated with the railroad, to fight for your individual rights.

If you are a railroad worker injured on the job, it is essential that you contact a qualified railroad injury lawyer immediately. Many states have very short statutes of limitations for filing a railroad worker injury lawsuit. Once the statute of limitations passes, you will not be eligible for compensation for your injury.

You may be entitled to compensation for the following injuries:

• Pain and suffering
• Past and future medical expenses
• Past and future income loss
• Decreased quality of life
• Permanent disability
• And more

Do I have a Railroad Worker Injury Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting railroad worker injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by Railroad Worker Injury, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Railroad Worker Injury Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.

Azithromycin is one of the most widely-prescribed antibiotics in the United States. The popular “Z-pack” is a 5-day regimen, which is more convenient than the 10-day regimen with most other antibiotics. It is prescribed to people who have bacterial infections, such as bronchitis, pneumonia, sore throats, and earaches. In 2011, doctors wrote 55.3 million prescriptions for the drug, and global sales exceeded $1.8 billion.

The researchers analyzed data on more than 540,000 people in Tennessee between the ages of 30-74, from 1992 to 2006. The researchers looked for cardiovascular deaths that occurred while a patient was taking an antibiotic (azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, or amoxicillin) compared to comparable periods when the patient was not taking a drug.

The researchers found that azithromycin was associated with an excess 64.6 deaths per million courses of treatment, compared with 22 deaths for amoxicillin and 24 deaths during non-treatment periods. People who had a history of cardiovascular disorders were at highest risk of death during azithromycin treatment. These high-risk patients include those with a medical history of heart attack, heart failure, diabetes, and also people who have had heart surgery or a stent placed inside the heart.

Zithromax (azithromycin) belongs to a class of drugs known as macrolides, which may cause irregular heart rhythm in some patients. Risk factors for a sudden, severely irregular heart rhythm include a prolonged QT interval. Zithromax is known to prolong the QT interval, and the FDA updated the warning label to include this information in March 2012. Now, the FDA will be updating the label on Zithromax (azithromycin) and other drugs in its class to warn of the risk of cardiovascular side effects, including the risk of death.

Do I have a Zithromax Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Zithromax induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by Zithromax, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Zithromax Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.

What You Can Do & How a Gianvi Hyperkalemia Lawsuit Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Gianvi hyperkalemia injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by Gianvi birth control pills, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Gianvi Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Gianvi and Hyperkalemia

Gianvi (drospirenone / ethinyl estradiol) is hormonal contraceptive that can reduce the risk of pregnancy. The problem with Gianvi comes from its brand-name equivalent, Yaz birth control. When the first contraceptives containing drospirenone were sold, they were promoted with a massive advertising campaign that failed to include risk information and implied that the new contraceptives were superior and safer than older contraceptives. By the time researchers complied data and published studies, tens of thousands of women had suffered severe injuries, including hyperkalemia.

Gianvi hyperkalemia can cause death. If potassium levels get too high, they can interfere with the electrical activity in the heart. This can cause a sudden irregular heartbeat. In severe cases, the heart is unable to maintain a rhythm or pump blood into the body. This can cause congestive heart failure, organ damage, organ failure, permanent disability, or death.

What is Hyperkalemia?

Hyperkalemia is a medical emergency that occurs when a person has an imbalance of potassium in the body, and too much potassium in their blood. Potassium is a nutrient in many foods, and it is essential for good health. Most of the potassium in your body (98%) is found inside of cells — nerve cells and muscle cells. Only 2% of the total amount of potassium circulates in the bloodstream.

Hyperkalemia occurs when the balance of intracellular and extracellular potassium is thrown off. Hormonal birth control pills, including Gianvi, can have this effect. Before hormonal contraceptives became widely-used, hyperkalemia was mostly limited to people with poor kidney function.

Signs & Symptoms of Gianvi Hyperkalemia

Gianvi hyperkalemia may or may not have symptoms, which is a problem, because women who have this condition may delay seeking emergency treatment until potassium levels are very high and begin interfering with heart rhythm. Another problem is that hyperkalemia lacks telltale symptoms, and can only be diagnosed with a blood test, which can delay diagnosis of the condition.

It is important to know that even young women with no medical history or risk factors for hyperkalemia have developed this condition while taking Gianvi. Therefore, it is a good idea to be familiar with the symptoms of Gianvi hyperkalemia, which may include:

• Nausea
• Slow, weak, or irregular pulse
• Sudden collapse
• Changes in consciousness — feeling faint, dizzy, weak, etc.
• Slow heartbeat
• Paralysis
• Difficulty breathing
• Tingling, numbness, or other unusual feelings

Treatment & Prognosis

The long-term prognosis depends on how high potassium levels got before the patient received treatment. Mild to moderate cases of hyperkalemia can almost always be treated with intravenous medications before the condition causes any permanent damage. Intravenous administration of insulin, calcium, and bicarbonate is a common treatment; these medications tell cells to absorb more potassium from the bloodstream, and simultaneously tell the kidneys and intestines to excrete excess potassium. Whenever hyperkalemia is suspected, a patient will probably be hooked up to an ECG, which is a machine that will monitor the patient’s heart rhythm and alert a physician if there are any signs of irregular heartbeat. This helps reduce the risk of heart failure.

Do I have a Gianvi Hyperkalemia Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Gianvi hyperkalemia injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by Gianvi birth control pills, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Gianvi Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.

What You Can Do & How an Ocella Hyperkalemia Lawsuit Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Ocella hyperkalemia injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by Ocella birth control, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Ocella Hyperkalemia Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Ocella and Hyperkalemia

Ocella is a generic medication whose brand-name equivalent is Yasmin birth control. Ocella and Yasmin are both “fourth generation” contraceptives, which means that they belong to a new class of drugs containing drospirenone, a new synthetic hormone. Unfortunately, one of the severe side effects of hormonal contraceptives is the risk of hyperkalemia. Even more troubling is the fact that many women were unaware of this side effect before taking Ocella. This is because the initial ads for drospirenone birth control pills failed to warn women about the risks of life-threatening side effects.

What is Hyperkalemia?

Hyperkalemia occurs when the intracellular and extracellular levels of potassium are out of balance. In a healthy person, 98% of the potassium is intracellular, and 2% of extracellular (circulating throughout the body in the bloodstream). The hormones in Ocella and other hormonal contraceptives disrupt this balance, causing higher levels of potassium in the bloodstream.

Although potassium is an essential nutrient, too much potassium in the blood can have severely negative physiological consequences. The most serious problem is that it can interfere with the heart’s normal electrical signals. In mild cases, this causes heart palpitations. In severe cases, it suddenly causes irregularities in the heart rhythm that cause congestive heart failure. When this occurs, the heart is ineffective at pumping blood, and the entire body becomes starved of oxygen. Without immediate treatment to restore normal heart rhythm, a person can suffer cardiac arrest and death.

Signs & Symptoms of Ocella Hyperkalemia

There may be no symptoms of Ocella hyperkalemia. If Ocella hyperkalemia does produce symptoms, these may include:

• Nausea
• Slow, weak, or irregular pulse
• Sudden collapse
• Changes in consciousness — feeling faint, dizzy, weak, etc.
• Slow heartbeat
• Paralysis
• Difficulty breathing
• Tingling, numbness, or other unusual feelings

Treatment & Prognosis

For doctors, one of the frustrating aspects of hyperkalemia is that is lacks telltale symptoms, which can make it difficult to diagnose. Furthermore, the women who develop Ocella hyperkalemia may not realize they have the condition, because it doesn’t always produce symptoms right away. In fact, many women delay seeking treatment until it is causing abnormal heart rhythm or heart palpitations. By the time hyperkalemia is affecting the heart, treatment is more difficult and prognosis is worse.

The goal of treatment will be to reduce the amount of potassium in the bloodstream, while also monitoring for signs of a severely irregular heartbeat. Medications may include insulin, calcium, and bicarbonate. The insulin triggers cells to absorb more potassium from the bloodstream. The other medications trigger the kidneys and the gastrointestinal system to absorb potassium and remove it from the body. A machine called an ECG monitors heart rhythm, and it will also warn doctors when the heart is beating irregularly.

Do I have an Ocella Hyperkalemia Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Ocella hyperkalemia injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by Ocella birth control pills, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Ocella Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.

What You Can Do & How a Yaz Hyperkalemia Lawsuit Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Yaz hyperkalemia injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by Yaz birth control pills, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Yaz Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Yaz and Hyperkalemia

Yaz is a birth control pill sold by the drug company Bayer. The FDA approved Yaz in 2006. It was the second birth control (after Yasmin) to contain drospirenone, the “fourth generation” synthetic progestin. New research has linked drospirenone to a growing list of life-threatening side effects, including hyperkalemia. Even so, many women were unaware of the risk of Yaz hyperkalemia before they decided to switch to Yaz. This is because the drug was initially advertised with no risk information. In fact, drospirenone may significantly increase potassium levels, which can cause blood clots, hyperkalemia, and many other side effects. Now, Bayer is facing thousands of Yaz lawsuits from women who were injured by Yaz.

What is Hyperkalemia?

Hyperkalemia is a life-threatening medical condition that occurs when potassium levels in the bloodstream are too high. Potassium is a nutrient that is necessary for proper function of nerves and muscle cells, including cells that are in the heart. The biggest danger with hyperkalemia is that it will interfere with heart electrical activity, triggering a sudden irregular heartbeat that can cause death.

Most potassium in the body (98%) remains inside cells. Only a very small amount (2%) circulates in the bloodstream. Some medications alter this balance by changing the way that cells absorb potassium.

Normally, hyperkalemia is most common in people who have kidney problems. Unfortunately, a growing number of women are suffering from hyperkalemia after taking Yaz birth control pills. Experts believe that the hormones in Yaz (especially drospirenone) may interfere with the way the cells absorb potassium.

Signs & Symptoms of Yaz Hyperkalemia

Hyperkalemia is very dangerous, because due to the lack of distinctive symptoms, it can be difficult to diagnosed. Further complicating matters, Yaz hyperkalemia may occur in women who have no history of hyperkalemia or risk factors for the disease.

Symptoms of Yaz hyperkalemia include:

• Nausea
• Slow, weak, or irregular pulse
• Sudden collapse
• Changes in consciousness — feeling faint, dizzy, weak, etc.
• Slow heartbeat
• Paralysis
• Difficulty breathing
• Tingling, numbness, or other unusual feelings

Treatment and Prognosis

Yaz hyperkalemia must be treated in a hospital. A doctors will use an ECG, which monitors the heart rhythm. This is because people who are suffering from hyperkalemia may have a sudden, severely irregular heartbeat. This can lead to sudden death. The patient will also probably be given intravenous bicarbonate, calcium, and insulin. These medications can help cells absorb more potassium, and encourage the body to remove potassium from the body by having it absorbed by the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract.

Do I have a Yaz Hyperkalemia Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Yaz hyperkalemia injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by Yaz birth control pills, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Yaz Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.

What You Can Do & How a Yasmin Hyperkalemia Lawsuit Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Yasmin hyperkalemia injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by Yasmin birth control pills, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Yasmin Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Yasmin and Hyperkalemia

Yasmin (drospirenone / ethinyl estradiol) is a once-daily combination hormonal contraceptive sold by Bayer. When Yasmin was introduced to the U.S. market in 2001, it was the first contraceptive to contain drospirenone. In the decade since Yasmin’s release, it has prospered and fallen dramatically, facing public backlash over misleading ads that failed to communicate risk information. If you were unaware that Yasmin is associated with a risk of hyperkalemia, you are not alone.

What is Hyperkalemia?

Hyperkalemia is a severe, life-threatening medical emergency, and one of the most dangerous side effects of Yasmin birth control pills. It occurs when a person has too much potassium circulating throughout their body in their bloodstream. Potassium is essential for metabolic function, and 98% of it is found inside the cells (including nerve, muscle, and heart muscle cells). The other 2% circulates in the bloodstream.

When the balance of potassium is thrown off, this can cause the heart to beat irregularly. The irregular heartbeat may be sudden and severe. If the heart cannot pump effectively, the rest of the body does not receive oxygenated blood. This can lead to multiple organ system failure, heart failure, and death.

Before the use of hormonal birth control pills became widespread, hyperkalemia was almost always caused by poor kidney function. In modern times, birth control pills are a common cause of hyperkalemia. Experts think that this is due to the effect of hormones on a woman’s metabolism. Hormones may interfere with the ability of cells to absorb potassium from the bloodstream, which causes an increased amount of potassium to circulate in the body.

Signs & Symptoms of Yasmin Hyperkalemia

Yasmin hyperkalemia does not always have symptoms. In fact, Yasmin hyperkalemia is one of the most dangerous complications of this medication, because patients tend to delay seeking treatment and doctors often do not diagnose it quickly. Hyperkalemia lacks telltale symptoms.

When Yasmin hyperkalemia does have symptoms, they typically include:

• Nausea
• Slow, weak, or irregular pulse
• Sudden collapse
• Changes in consciousness — feeling faint, dizzy, weak, etc.
• Slow heartbeat
• Paralysis
• Difficulty breathing
• Tingling, numbness, or other unusual feelings

Treatment for Yasmin Hyperkalemia

The sooner Yasmin hyperkalemia is diagnosed and treated, the better the prognosis. It is a 911 emergency. The first steps of treatment will include hooking the patient up to a machine that monitors heart rhythm (an ECG), and placing an intravenous access point for the administration of medications. A doctor will monitor the ECG and watch for signs that the heart is not pumping properly. At the same time, medications such as insulin, bicarbonate, and calcium will probably be administered. These medications tell cells to absorb more potassium out of the bloodstream. The medications can also cause the kidneys and intestines to absorb and remove potassium from the body.

Do I have a Yasmin Hyperkalemia Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Yasmin hyperkalemia injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by Yasmin birth control pills, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Yasmin Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.

What You Can Do & How a Tylenol Liver Damage Lawsuit Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Tylenol liver damage injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by Tylenol (acetaminophen), you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Tylenol Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Tylenol Overview

Tylenol (acetaminophen) is the most popular pain-management medication in history. You probably have at least one medication containing acetaminophen in your medicine cabinet — approximately 200 medications contain this ingredient. Tylenol is used to treat mild to moderate pain and headaches. It can also reduce fever and treat symptoms of the common cold and flu. It was first approved by the FDA in 1951.

Tylenol Liver Damage

According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, every year, approximately 30,000 people overdose on acetaminophen. Many of these people suffer severe, permanent liver damage and require expensive medical treatment, hospitalization, or a liver transplant.

The majority of Tylenol overdoses occur accidentally, usually when the patient unknowingly combines multiple medications containing acetaminophen. However, surprisingly, 25% of Tylenol overdoses are actually small overdoses staggered over a long period of time. Small, staggered overdoses can actually be more serious than acute overdoses, because patients typically do not go to the hospital right away. By the time their symptoms are severe enough to go to the hospital, they may have already caused severe damage to their liver. The long-term prognosis is actually worse for these patients.

Tylenol and the FDA

The FDA announced in January 2011 that they would require manufacturers of products containing Tylenol to reduce the maximum daily allowance of Tylenol from 4,000-mg per day to 3,000-mg per day. The maximum amount of Tylenol per pill will be 325-mg. The FDA will also force manufacturers to warn about the risk of severe Tylenol liver damage or liver failure.

The new warnings must be included in a “Black Box,” which is the FDA’s strongest warning that it can place on a medication. Black Box warnings are reserved for life-threatening side effects.

The FDA gave manufacturers three years to comply with the new requirements. This means that products containing more than the recommended daily allowance may be on store shelves until 2014.

Scientific Studies of Tylenol Liver Damage

Even at recommended doses of Tylenol, some studies have found evidence that it can cause liver damage. When the liver is damaged, it releases enzymes called ALT. In a study which involved 145 healthy subjects who were given either Tylenol (4,000-mg per day) or a placebo for two weeks, 33-44% of Tylenol patients had elevated ALT levels. This suggests that even normal levels of Tylenol causes temporary liver damage, but it is reversible when Tylenol is stopped.

Medications Containing Tylenol

More than 200 medications contain Tylenol (acetaminophen), and it is very easy to overdose on acetaminophen when these medications are combined. Common medications that contain high doses of acetaminophen include NyQuil (containing 500-mg of acetaminophen) and Vicodin / hydrocodone (containing 500, 650, or 750-mg of acetaminophen). Click here to review a list of common medications containing Tylenol

What is APAP?

Drug labels sometimes list Tylenol (acetaminophen) as APAP, which is an abbreviation for: “N-Acetyl-Para-Amino-Phenol.” This is the official chemical name of the acetaminophen molecule.

Labeling acetaminophen as APAP can be confusing, especially for people who take multiple drugs containing acetaminophen. Most people are not aware that APAP and acetaminophen are the same thing. They may accidentally overdose because they are unaware that they are taking more than the recommended daily amount of acetaminophen.

Do I have a Tylenol Liver Damage Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Tylenol liver damage injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by Tylenol (acetaminophen), you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Tylenol Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.

The researchers were able to analyze the pre-treatment antibody status of 54 patients who had developed PML on Tysabri. All 54 patients tested positive for the JC-virus.

As of February 29, 2012, a total of 212 people taking Tysabri have developed PML, and 99,571 people have taken Tysabri.

Experts first realized that PML was a side effect of Tysabri soon after the drug was launched in 2004. In 2005, the FDA recalled Tysabri from the U.S. market. After the manufacturers created strict criteria for determining risk factors for developing PML, the FDA allowed Tysabri to be re-introduced on the U.S. marketplace.

Early in 2012, a test for the existence of the JC-virus became available. The researchers highlighted the need for periodic testing to determine whether a patient contracted the virus during Tysabri treatment. As an example, one Tysabri patient tested negative for the JC-virus before treatment, but later tested positive for the virus during treatment and subsequently suffered from PML.

Even among patients who test positive for the JC-virus, however, the risk of developing PML is still small. It is approximately 1 per 1,000 patients with no other risk factors, but increases to 11 per 1,000 patients who have a long history of Tysabri use (longer than 24 months) and a past history of immunosuppressant therapy.

Do I have a Tysabri Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Tysabri induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by Tysabri, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Tysabri Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.

All cancer patients should consult a physician before taking a dietary supplement, no matter how harmless the supplement seems.

The researchers found that high doses of antioxidants can actually increase cancer rates for some populations. Smokers who take high doses of beta carotene have a higher risk of developing lung cancer.

Dr. Tim Byers, who authored the study, warns that “we have a window into less than half of the biology of what these nutrients are doing.” He said, “We say generalized things about them, calling them an antioxidant or an essential mineral, but true biology turns out to be more complex than that. The effects of these supplements are certainly now limited to the label we give them. And, as we’ve seen, sometimes the unintended effects include increased cancer risk.”

Unlike drugs, dietary supplement manufacturers do not need to conduct safety studies or prove that their products are effective. Byers and his colleagues suggest that high doses of dietary supplements are neither a food nor a drug, but inhabit a middle-ground. Unfortunately, Byers and his colleagues are concerned that federal regulators are not providing clear guidance to the public about the use of dietary supplements to lower cancer risk.

Dietary supplement manufacturers are not allowed to make unsubstantiated health claims, but the practice is widespread. Supplements containing massive amounts of vitamins or minerals (far exceeding the recommended daily allowance) are sold as a way to ward off chronic disease, including cancer — despite the fact that there is little to no scientific evidence that supplements reduce cancer risk.

Another problem with marketing dietary supplements to cancer patients is that some supplements interfere with cancer treatments. One study found that Vitamin C supplements blunted the effectiveness of chemotherapy by 30-70%.

Do I have a Dietary Supplement Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Dietary Supplement induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by Dietary Supplement, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Dietary Supplement Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.

What You Can Do & How a Safyral Pancreatitis Lawsuit Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Safyral pancreatitis injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by Safyral pancreatitis, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Safyral Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Safyral Overview

Safyral is a birth control pill which contains the same amounts of hormones as Yasmin, but also contains an additional folate B-vitamin supplement. Safyral and Yasmin each contain 3-mg of the hormone drospirenone and 0.03-mg of the hormone ethinyl estradiol. Unfortunately, these hormones have been associated with an increased risk of pancreatitis.

Safyral contains folate to reduce the risk of neural tube birth defects in the unlikely event that a woman accidentally gets pregnant. In order to be 99% effective, a woman must take one Safyral pill every day, at the same time each day. Many women are not consistent, however, and around 9 per 100 inconsistent pill users will get pregnant. The folate in Safyral reduces the risk of spina bifida, iniencephaly, anencephaly, and other life-threatening neural tube defects.

Safyral Pancreatitis

Women are more likely than men to develop pancreatitis, probably due to the fact that women are more likely to ingest hormonal medications or have high hormones after pregnancy. Pancreatitis is a known side effect of many hormonal birth control pills, including Safyral. Experts believe the hormones in Safyral can cause pancreatitis. The synthetic estrogen ingredient in Safyral alters the way the body metabolizes lipids, potentially increasing blood-triglyceride levels.

What is Acute Pancreatitis?

Acute pancreatitis is a sudden inflammation of the pancreas that occurs when the enzymes in the pancreas somehow become activated, and begin attacking pancreatic tissue. The pancreas is an important organ in the digestive system. It is responsible for secreting powerful enzymes into the intestines to help the body break down foods. After a person eats food, the pancreas also secretes the hormones insulin and glucagon, which tell cells to absorb energy (in the form of glucose) from the bloodstream.

Pancreatitis is a medical emergency. Without immediate anti-inflammatory treatment, the entire pancreas can become severely inflamed. This can cause blood vessels to rupture, leading to hemorrhagic pancreatitis and the death of tissues inside the pancreas.

By far the most problematic aspect of pancreatitis is that the pancreas may rupture, spilling powerful digestive enzymes into the abdominal cavity. These enzymes are very good at breaking down fats and proteins, and when they come in contact with abdominal tissues, they cause severe damage to everything they touch.

Dead or damaged tissues in the abdomen are highly susceptible to infection. Once the infection begins, it may spread to the blood, damaged tissues nearby, or other organs. This can cause severe organ damage, organ failure, permanent disability, or death.

Signs & Symptoms of Safyral Pancreatitis

The most prominent symptom of Safyral pancreatitis is abdominal pain. The pain is felt in the upper-left side or middle of the abdomen. It may be worse after eating high-fat foods. It may grow gradually worse, growing constant and more severe.

Symptoms of Safyral pancreatitis include:

• Severe abdominal pain that grows progressively worse
• Pain may radiate to the back, shoulder, or other part of the abdomen
• Nausea, vomiting
• Indigestion
• Oily, smelly stools
• Fever
• Ill appearance

Treatment and Prognosis

Safyral pancreatitis is a life-threatening medical emergency and must be treated in a hospital. If the inflammation is not controlled or stopped, it can progress to multiple organ system failure and death. Pancreatic failure can cause severe disability later in life. Most people with pancreatitis are treated with medications to control pain, and intravenous nutrients so they do not need to eat. If pancreatitis progresses to a severe stage involving infection, aggressive treatment of the infection is vital for survival. Many people must undergo surgery to have damaged tissues removed.

Do I have a Safyral Pancreatitis Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Safyral pancreatitis injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by Safyral birth control pills, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Safyral Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

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