More "Unpublished" Avandia Liver Deaths Revealed in FDA Data

Page changed: Avandia and Actos

Added link to Reuters news story reporting on Public Citizen's discovery of 12 unpublished Avandia-related deaths due to liver failure and petition to FDA to ban the drug.

Note that Avandia and Actos are related to Rezulin which was taken off the market after it was found to have killed at least 400 people via liver failure. Orginally only 63 deaths were reported and the others only came to light after doctors were made aware that the drug caused liver failure. Some people estimate that many thousands more died or were seriously sickened since the family doctors who mostly prescribed the drug were not aware of the liver damage, even though it was listed in a black box warning on the drug.

If you are taking Avandia or Actos, you should have your liver enzymes checked every couple months, though in the case of Rezulin, checking liver enzymes often did not prevent liver failure as it can happen quickly.

Despite all the warnings that have gone out about Avandia, Reuters reports that 10,000 prescriptions a day are still being filled. That's a lot of people at risk for heart attack, broken bones, blindness caused by macular edema, and of course, weight gain--all proven side effects of Avandia.

Documentation of all these side effects is available at the Avandia and Actos web page.