Kidney disease affects 20 million Americans today. Kidneys are very important to the overall functionality of the human body. They filter out toxins from the blood and those toxins are ultimately released from the body through urine. Your kidneys process your blood volume approximately 8 times in 24 hours. When your kidneys fail, toxins begin to build up in your blood and tissues. Symptoms that arise from these toxins include exhaustion, weakness, nausea and vomiting and a loss of appetite. Identifying if you have chronic kidney disease is relatively simple, involving either a blood pressure test, urine test or serum creatinine test.
Kidney disease can ultimate lead to kidney failure. As your blood and tissues retain the toxins that remain unfiltered your complexion may grow pale and sallow, you may feel significant fatigue, some shortness of breath, you may have edema in the face and legs, a poor appetite and strange body itches. Kidney disease and kidney failure can develop as complications from diabetes, kidney infections (from various sources), lupus, kidney stones and kidney cysts as well as in people with chronic hypertension. Chronic high blood pressure can also tax the kidneys unnecessarily yielding long term kidney problems. Additionally certain ethnic groups are more susceptible including African Americans, Native Americans, the elderly, Hispanics and Pacific Islanders.
Recently, prescription drugs have also been linked to kidney disease and kidney failure. Cholesterol drugs like Crestor have been linked with kidney disease and long term health problems as a result. In the case of Crestor, a reaction called Crestor rhabdomyolysis which breaks down muscle fibers, releasing muscle contents and toxins into the blood. This material is toxic to the kidneys and can lead to kidney disease and failure. Despite this side effect, Crestor was approved by the FDA and launched in the U.S. If you have developed kidney failure due to taking Crestor, you may have not only a product liability claim but also a medical malpractice claim since many doctors are aware of the potentially damaging effects of Crestor on the kidneys and they are prescribing the drug anyway.
Another potentially dangerous drug on the market is Trasylol, sold by Bayer as an injectible drug that is supposed to suppress blood loss in patients during heart surgery. Although this drug is more dangerous and far more expensive than other drugs on the market, it is still being used. Trasylol actually doubles the risk of kidney disease and failure in patients. It also increases the risk of stoke, heart attacks and encephalopathy.
If you or someone you know has developed kidney disease or kidney failure from a drug like Crestor or Trasylol, you should contact a product liability attorney, a defective drug attorney or a medical malpractice attorney. An experienced attorney in any of these fields will be able to advise you about your individual case and help you file an appropriate lawsuit to secure compensation or redress for any illness or injury you may have suffered. In many cases, patients are reimbursed for medical bills and offered compensation for pain and suffering and any loss of income that has occurred as a result of these defective drugs.