Digitek - Heart Disease

Heart disease and heart failure remain two of the biggest killers in the United States every year. While the medical science community has made tremendous gains in terms of the ability to accurately diagnose these problems and to repair them surgically, other innovations have come by way of new medication.

One of the medications that hit the market with a lot of promise was known as Digitek, and below you'll find information regarding how Digitek works, the problems it encountered, the government reaction to these problems and how you should proceed if you've been injured as a result of using Digitek.

Digitek and Heart Failure

Digitek is manufactured by Actavis Totowa and is distributed by Mylan Pharmaceuticals. Digitek is also known as digoxin, and it is generally administered in either a pill or an injection form. The drug is meant to help patients with heart problems, and is specifically used to treat the following conditions more often than others:
  • Atrial fibrillation, which is an irregular heart beat
  • Atrial flutter, which is a faster than normal heart beat
  • Congestive heart failure when other medications cannot control the condition
The original formula for Digitek was derived from the leaves of the digitalis plant, and it helps to bring the heart's rhythm and functions into proper balance by releasing hormones from the medication that help to end the irregular heartbeats and to generally strengthen the heart's overall viability. The digitalis plant was actually used as far back as the 18th Century to treat a long series of maladies, although many of those uses have since been discovered to be useless.

Digitek Side Effects

Unfortunately, there were two different types of side effects that soon began to be associated with Digitek. The first set, which appears below, are relatively less severe than the second, but the initial reports of side effects that developed in patients included:
  • Abdominal pain
  • Confusion
  • Hallucinations
  • Anxiety
  • Delirium
  • Depression
  • Diarrhea
  • Dizzy spells
  • Intestinal problems
  • Rash
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
These side effects were present in some patients who had taken doses of Digitek that were of the proper strength, and while some of them could be severe, none were dangerous enough to prompt any sort of governmental regulation.

Digitek Cardiac Instability

Unfortunately, the problems associated with Digitek soon got much worse. It became apparent that a manufacturing defect had occurred at the processing plant, which meant that many pills were produced that were twice as thick as they were supposed to be. This meant that patients were unwittingly taking Digitek with twice the potency than what they thought they were using, thereby resulting in a dangerous situation.

Common side effects and reactions to these overdoses of Digitek included:
  • Abnormally slow heart beat
  • Cardiac instability
  • Nausea
  • Dizziness
  • Dangerously low blood pressure
  • Vomiting
A sudden drop in blood pressure or a loss of stability in the heart's functions can be deadly. Patients can quickly fall into a situation where their life was at risk without having any idea that they were in that sort of danger. As a result of this error, the makers of Digitek really had only one option.

Digitek Recall and the FDA

In April of 2008, with the help of the FDA in terms of publicity, the makers of Digitek announced a full recall of the product effective immediately. The reasons were obvious, as there were countless pills on the market and in medicine cabinets around the country that were extremely dangerous and potentially deadly. Digitek has not been reintroduced to the market since that recall.

Digitek Lawsuit and Attorneys

If you or someone you love has been harmed as a result of taking either the recalled Digitek or any other lot of it, you need to act quickly to preserve your legal rights and options. Contact the Digitek lawyers at Phillips Webster today to schedule a free initial consultation so that you can obtain the answers you need and move forward with a foundation of knowledge.
 



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Phillips Webster es la firma de abogados de Washington y nuetros abogados experimentados lo pueden ayudar.   Si usted se ha lastimado en un accidente,  si necesita declararse en bancarrota o necesita que le ayudemos a negociar su deudas, podemos ayudarlo.

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