Januvia Pancreatitis Treatment & Drugs

Hospitalization is usually necessary to treat pancreatitis, because the patient will need to stop eating and drinking and receive intravenous (IV) fluids, nutrition, painkillers, antibiotics, and other drugs. If the inflammation in the pancreas is not reduced or an infection develops, treatment may also involve surgery.

What You Can Do & How We Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Januvia induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Drug Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

FDA Links Januvia and 88 Cases of Pancreatitis

According to the FDA, Januvia has been linked to 88 cases of acute pancreatitis, including 2 cases of hemorrhagic pancreatitis and necrotizing pancreatitis. Of these 88 individuals, 66% required hospitalization, and 4 required treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Pancreatitis Treatment

Treatment for pancreatitis becomes very complex when there is bleeding or tissue death (necrosis) involved. The most serious risk is infection, which can quickly cause septic shock, multiple organ system failure, and death.

The early stages of pancreatitis, the goal of treatment is reducing inflammation and preventing necrosis. These treatments will likely involve:

• Nnot eating food or drinking fluid for at least 3 days, or until the inflammation in the pancreas is reduced. Normally, the pancreas helps with digestion by producing digestive enzymes. Fasting gives the pancreas a chance to rest and recover.
• Intravenous (IV) Therapy will involve the delivery of fluids through a vein in the patient’s arm. These fluids may include nutrition (water and food) or drugs like antibiotics, painkillers, etc.

Surgical Treatment of Pancreatitis

Treatment for pancreatitis may involve surgery if necrotic (dead) pancreatic tissue becomes infected. If there is no infection, the use of surgery is controversial, because it introduces bacteria into the abdomen. Once infection occurs, the risk of death increases substantially.

During surgical treatment of pancreatitis, the surgeon will remove infected tissues and drain away any fluids that have accumulated in the pancreas (pus, liquefied tissue, and digestive enzymes). The surgeon may also place a tube called a shunt to help drain away fluids after the procedure is complete.

Drug Treatment

Drug treatments for pancreatitis will vary depending on the patient’s individual circumstances. However, the following medications are commonly used to treat pancreatitis:

• Insulin
  
• Pain medications
• Antibiotics to reduce the risk of infection
• Fluids and nutrition
• Intravenous drugs to balance electrolytes and blood chemistry
• Digestive enzyme supplements
  • Lipram
  • Pancrease
  • Viokase

More Information About Pancreatitis

• What is Pancreatitis?
• What are Symptoms?
• What Causes Pancreatitis?
• What Complications Can Occur?
• How is Pancreatitis Diagnosed?
• How is Pancreatitis Treated?

Do I have a Januvia Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Januvia induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Drug Litigation Group or call us 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.