Uloric, or febuxostat, increases your risk of serious or fatal heart problems, however, you may need this medication to manage your gout. Still, some consumers argue that the harmful side effects associated with this drug outweigh its benefits.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) originally refused to approve Uloric and has kept a careful eye on the drug since November of 2017. In February of 2019, the FDA required Uloric’s manufacturer, Taketa Pharmaceuticals to add a “black box warning” to their product. A black box warning or Boxed Warning is the most prominent warning issued by the FDA.
Uloric’s Boxed Warning reads:
“WARNING: CARDIOVASCULAR DEATH
See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning.
- Gout patients with established cardiovascular (CV) disease treated with ULORIC had a higher rate of CV death compared to those treated with allopurinol in a CV outcomes study. (5.1)
- Consider the risks and benefits of ULORIC when deciding to prescribe or continue patients on ULORIC. ULORIC should only be used in patients who have an inadequate response to a maximally titrated dose of allopurinol, who are intolerant to allopurinol, or for whom treatment with allopurinol is not advisable. (1)”
What Is Gout?
Gout is a type of arthritis that occurs when your body produces too much uric acid. The uric acid builds up in your bloodstream and causes “sudden attacks of redness, swelling, and pain in one or more joints.” Gout attacks can last for 3 to 10 days and the first 36 hours are extremely painful.
What Is Uloric?
Uloric is 1 of 2 medications approved by the FDA to treat Gout. It works by lowering the levels of uric acid in the blood. Unfortunately, Uloric comes with serious side effects, including:
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Heart-related death
- Kidney problems
- Liver damage
- Bone marrow failure
Uloric can also react negatively with other medications, like azathioprine, mercaptopurine, and theophylline.
When Should I Take Uloric?
You should not take Uloric if you have heart disease, liver or kidney disease, cancer, chest pain, or past instances of heart attack or stroke. Make sure your doctor understands your medical history and knows about any organ transplants you may have received and all other drugs, vitamins, and herbal supplements you are taking.
Further, you should only use Uloric if you are not responding to or experience severe side effects with allopurinol (Zyloprim). When using Uloric, you should have frequent blood tests to ensure the medication is working. At first, Uloric may make your gout flares worse, but it should begin working within 6 months.
Only take Uloric exactly as prescribed.
What If I Am Harmed?
When you take Uloric, you need to be aware of the risks. If you experience any of the following symptoms while taking Uloric, seek medical attention immediately:
- Sudden severe headache
- Trouble talking
- Dizziness
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat
- Numbness or weakness on one side of your body
If you or a loved one suffers a heart attack, stroke, or another complication related to Uloric, you may be entitled to compensation. Some side effects require surgery and others can be fatal.
Read more about Uloric lawsuits here, and when you are ready, please contact Attorney Brett H. Oppenheimer. Brett has been helping victims of defective drugs since 1991 and would be honored to help you, too.
Our firm can be reached at (502) 242-8877 and we encourage you to call or schedule your free consultation online today.