-Lawyers and Settlements

06/25/2008- Sam P. is happy to no longer be taking Avandia. He says he suffered severe side effects shortly after starting the medication, although he did not realize Avandia could have been causing his health problems. Luckily, he learned the truth and stopped taking the drug. Unfortunately, damage was already done to his heart.

Sam started taking Avandia in January 2006. By September 2006, he started experiencing unusual shortness of breath and swelling in his legs and hands. He says it got to the point where walking from his car in a parking lot left him out of breath. Initially, Sam and his doctor thought he had bronchitis. It was not until March of 2007, when he was referred to a pulmonologist, that Sam learned something was seriously wrong.

During a series of medical tests the pulmonologist recommended that Sam go to the emergency room at a nearby hospital immediately following the tests. At the hospital, Sam was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. An echocardiogram also showed that Sam had an enlarged heart. He was put on a variety of medications, but continued taking Avandia, unaware that it may have contributed to his congestive heart failure.

In June 2007, Sam learned, through his sister, that Avandia was linked to congestive heart failure. "I started researching it," Sam says. "I found that out of ten symptoms, I had at least eight. I had swollen legs and hands, shortness of breath, weight gain and blurred vision."

Sam saw his doctor in June 2007, when he told the doctor that he no longer wanted to take Avandia because of the side effects. He was put on different medications and told to come back in two months for further testing. Two months later, Sam was told he would need to have a defibrillator implanted.

"Right now, I don't know how much the medicine [Avandia] has affected my future," Sam says. "I'm still not 100 percent. I felt better in a short period of time after I stopped taking Avandia—the severity of the problems went down. I can walk a lot further than I could and I lost some weight. But sometimes my ankles are still swollen.

"This medicine is deadly. I don't see why they would be selling it. The benefits don't outweigh the death that may be caused. It needs to be taken from the market. GSK [GlaxoSmithKline] needs to be accountable for the illness that it has caused."

Like many people who were affected by Avandia, Sam is investigating a lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline, alleging that Avandia caused serious health problems, including congestive heart failure.

If you or someone you love took Avandia and suffered serious side effects, you may be eligible to join a lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline. Contact a lawyer to discuss your legal options.

For more information about Avandia side effects or Avandia lawsuits visit http://www.the-avandia-lawyer.com