DEFECTIVE DRUGS AND MEDICATIONS

Gallodinium is a mineral used in the contrast dye injected before an MRI. 1 out of 3 patients who undergo an MRI have had this substance injected into their bodies. It helps to improve visualization of internal organs, blood vessels, tumors and soft tissues. The patients are told that the contrast dye will pass through the body in a matter of hours from the time of injection. However, that is not always the case. Often Gallodinium remains in the body in detectable amounts. In some cases, the effects of Gallodinium toxicity can manifest through painful and lifechanging symptoms. This poisoning has been linked to several medical conditions, including the following:

Gadolinium Deposition Disease (GDD)

This refers to circumstances where a person has adequate renal function, but develops painful and/or persistent symptoms. These symptoms can manifest in a matter of hours, or take several weeks to present themselves. The symptoms of Gadolinium Deposition Disease include:

• Pain in the arm and legs;
• Joint and bone pain;
• Brain fog;
• A burning sensation in the tissue, particularly the skin;
• Thickening and scarring of connective tissue; and
• Subcutaneus soft-tissue thickening, often appearing rubbery or spongy.

Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF)

This term refers to circumstances where renal insufficiency, or kidney failure, is linked to gadolinium retention. In such cases, the gadolinium cannot be removed because the patient suffers kidney problems. In these cases, terrible symptoms can manifest, including:

• Darkening and thickening of the skin;
• Shortening of both the tendons and muscles,
• Chronic pain;
• Loss of mobility; and
• Other symptoms that can result in death.

Drug maker Gilead has been accused of knowingly distributing TDF (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate)-based antiretroviral drugs to people diagnosed with HIV. Gilead is accused of delaying the development and distribution of a safer alternative for years to preserve patent-related income. The following drugs are alleged to have caused patients to suffer both kidney disease and bone density loss:

• Viread;
• Truvada;
• Atripla;
• Stribild; and
• Complera.

Nearly 20,000 people with HIV were diagnosed with kidney disease after taking TDF-based antiretroviral drugs. Symptoms of the alleged kidney injuries caused by the TDF drugs include:

• Chronic kidney disease (CKD) or declining kidney function;
• Acute kidney injury (AKI) or acute renal failure (ARF);
• Faconi syndrome; and
• Tubular dysfunction.

More than 6,000 bone breaks are alleged to have been linked to the TDF drug compound. Symptoms of the alleged bone injuries caused by the TDF drugs include:

• Osteopenia;
• Osteoporosis;
• Decreased bone density; and
• Bone fractures.

Onglyza and Kombiglyze XR are drugs made by AstraZeneca prescribed to treat diabetes type 2. It lowers blood sugar by mimicking hormones that stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin. It grew in popularity because of its lack of the side effect seen in many other diabetes medications – weight gain. Lawsuits are being filed against AstraZeneca alleging the company distributed this drug without thorough testing or analysis of long-term clinical outcomes, ultimately forcing patients to bear the brunt of serious side effects and unforeseen risks. Onglyza and Kombiglyze XR are alleged to increase the risk of heart failure in those to take it.

Zostovax is a vaccine made by Merck & Co. It is used to prevent shingles in patients 50 years or older. This vaccine is alleged to have caused serious injuries, including shingles, blindness, and even death. Patients are now filing lawsuits against Zostovax’s manufacturer Merck (and its owner, Bayer) for failing to warn about the potential side effects of this vaccine. The injuries related to this vaccine are:

• Varicella Pneumonia;
• Permanent Blindness;
• Encephalitis (brain inflammation);
• Guillain-Barre Syndrome;
• Vasculitis;
• Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM);
• Recurrence of Shingles;
• Heart Failure; and
• Death.