Remicade and Liver Damage
In December 2004, Centocor and the FDA notified the public about a heightened risk of severe and potentially deadly liver damage from Remicade infusions. Six years earlier, the FDA approved Remicade to treat rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and certain other autoimmune conditions.
Centocor’s warning
Centocor issued the Remicade liver damage warning after receiving reports of acute liver failure, liver disease, and other serious liver conditions such as jaundice in patients using this drug. These patients developed serious cases of liver damage between two weeks and a year after beginning treatment.
Some patients with liver damage required a transplant to save their lives. Others, unfortunately, died as a result of complications from this and other Remicade side effects—including cancer.
In a “dear doctor” letter, Centocor warned that patients given Remicade infusions have developed acute liver failure and other liver problems, such as jaundice.
Symptoms of Remicade liver damage
Some of the symptoms of liver damage cause by REmicade include dark-colored urine; fever; chills; jaundice (a condition in which the whites of the eyes and the skin turn yellow); abdominal pain on the right side; extreme unexplained fatigue; nausea; diarrhea; and loss of appetite.
If you or a loved one has suffered liver damage after using Remicade, you should first of all get medical attention. And with the help of an experienced Remicade attorney, you may also be able to file a lawsuit to seek just compensation for your losses and suffering.