Elmiron and Pigmentary Maculopathy
A vision problem known as pigmentary maculopathy may be due to taking defective bladder pain drug Elmiron. If you or a family member has suffered pigmentary maculopathy or other vision problems within a year after taking Elmiron for at least six months, notify an experienced Elmiron attorney at our law firm for a free legal review of your case.
What Is Pigmentary Maculopathy?
First you may ask what is pigmentary maculopathy. We have answers for you. Pigmentary maculopathy is a condition in which a person develops pigmented spots on the retina and perhaps excessive capillaries. As a result, persons may see dark spots in their vision when gazing straight ahead, and these dark spots can grow larger with time. The condition arises due to damage to the macula, an area in the central part of the eye behind the retina.
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Symptoms of Pigmentary Maculopathy
As for some symptoms of pigmentary maculopathy, they include:
- Difficulties with near vision
- Difficulties reading
- Dimming of vision
- Blurred vision
Metamorphopsia, or a condition of distorted vision in which some straight lines appear to be wavy or even disappear, as when gazing at a grid or some window blinds. In other words, metamorphopsia is a deviation of either horizontal or vertical lines from the perspective of the person looking at them.
According to Karger Publishers, a global publishing house for health sciences, metamorphopsia also can have special types. These include macropsia and micropsia. Macropsia is the most rare of the two and involves perceiving objects as being larger than they are.
The more common micropsia involves perceiving objects as being smaller than they are in real life.
Paracentral scotomas, or “an island of relative or absolute vision loss within 10° of fixation,” according to the American Academy of Opthamologists. What does that mean? A scotoma is a partial loss of vision, a gray area or a blind spot in what is otherwise a normal visual field. A paracentral scotoma is such a scotoma (partial loss of vision or blind spot) that is adjacent to a fixation point -- in other words, not directly in your field of vision, but near it.
Dark adaptation problems. This refers to the period of time it takes the eyes to adjust when going from bright lighting to darkness. The eyes’ ability to be visually sensitive after being in darkness for a length of time can be slower for older persons -- or persons who have taken Elmiron.
Causes of Pigmentary Maculopathy
As for the causes of pigmentary maculopathy, these can be unknown, or they may be hereditary, meaning it is a genetic trait with which you are born, though it may not manifest itself until much later in life. Pigmentary maculopathy also can be caused by the use of Elmiron, a drug taken to treat chronic severe bladder and pelvic pain and urinary frequency. The longer someone takes Elmiron, the greater the risk of pigmentary maculopathy.
Some patients who have been diagnosed with pigmentary maculopathy had taken Elmiron at dosages of 200 to 400 milligrams per day for several years.
Treatments for Pigmentary Maculopathy
There are some effective treatments for some forms of maculopathy, including pigmentary maculopathy. For maculopathy itself, treatments include:
- Intravitreal injection of medications
- Photodynamic therapy
- Laser photocoagulation
- Surgery
Does Elmiron Cause Pigmentary Maculopathy?
It’s clear from research and studies that there is a strong link between taking Elmiron to treat bladder pain, also known as painful bladder syndrome, and pigmentary maculopathy. In fact, that condition is the vision problem that's most commonly associated with Elmiron use as a harmful side effect.
According to Interstitial Cystitis Network, or IC Network, a health education company and support group with a global reach, long-term use of pentosan polysulfate PPS, the active ingredient in Elmiron, may be linked to eye disease such as pigmentary maculopathy.
The IC Network reported that researchers at Atlanta’s Emory Eye Center had treated 10 patients suffering from pigmentary maculopathy in recent years, and there was no apparent cause. Yet all 10 patients had taken bladder pain medicine Elmiron at some point.
These researchers “urge patients who have used or are using pentosan (Elmiron) to be screened by ophthalmologists if they are experiencing any unusual eye symptoms (difficulty reading, vision loss, difficulty seeing in lower lights) and to cease pentosan therapy if eye disease is present.”
According to Retinal Physician, “Given the growing evidence for a PPS-induced macular toxicity, retina specialists have a new role to identify affected patients and prevent others from developing this vision-threatening condition.”
Also, the National Library of Medicine reports that pigmentary maculopathy is “associated with chronic exposure to pentosan polysulfate sodium,” that being the active ingredient in Elmiron.
Beyond vision loss, common side effects of Elmiron include headaches, hair loss, nausea, diarrhea, blood in the stool, upset stomach, rashes, bruising, dizziness, weight gain and swelling. But these conditions cannot be the basis of your Elmiron vision loss lawsuit.
Can I Get an Elmiron Lawsuit for Pigmentary Maculopathy?
As for whether you can get an Elmiron lawsuit for your pigmentary maculopathy injury, yes, you can. And you can start by contacting experienced and knowledgeable defective drug lawyers and Elmiron attorneys via the Willis Law Firm.
We can hold accountable the companies who were responsible for your Elmiron vision loss injury, those being Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which manufactures and sells the drug, and Johnson & Johnson, which owns Janssen. These companies have benefited enormously from the sale of their defective drug to unsuspecting Americans for decades. In fact, they have made sales of an estimated $150 million per year for their dangerous drug.
Now Americans can fight back. With numerous studies and reports showing a clear link between Elmiron/PPS use and serious vision problems -- problems which even can lead to blindness -- it’s time to hold these negligent companies accountable for the injuries they have caused. You can join us in this fight -- while seeking payments for yourself -- by contacting us today at the Willis Law Firm for a free legal case review. We will evaluate your case and help you determine if you qualify for an Elmiron lawsuit. Then you can decide how you want to proceed.
File an Elmiron Pigmentary Maculopathy Lawsuit
If you have been diagnosed with pigmentary maculopathy or any other visison loss after taking Elmiron, then talk to an Elmiron lawyer of the Willis Law Firm today to find out what legal right you may have for damages in a Elmiron lawsuit.
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