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Permax Side Effects

The popular Parkinson’s drug Permax (pergolide) was voluntarily pulled from the U.S. market in March 2007 at the urging of the Food and Drug Administration. According to the FDA, Permax has been linked to a number of serious and potentially life-threatening side effects, including:

  • Cardiac valvulopathy, a condition in which one or more of the heart valves leaks
  • Impaired voluntary movement, hallucinations, insomnia, and related neurological problems
  • Diarrhea, nausea, indigestion, and/or constipation

In a public health advisory, the FDA urged patients still taking Permax to contact their physician to discuss possible treatment alternatives.

What You Should Know About Permax

Permax was approved as in 1988 for treating symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease and Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). One of the few drugs on the market for treating these conditions, Permax quickly gained popularity. Despite its popularity, Permax turned out to cause a number of side effects.

In 2006, a bold black box warning was added to the drug’s labeling to warn of heart valve damage—a dangerous Permax side effect that in some cases requires heart valve replacement. The drug had been linked to the condition since 2002, however.

Less than a year after the label was updated, two studies were published in the New England Journal of Medicine confirming the increased risk of cardiac valvulopathy in patients taking Permax.

Permax Pulled

Based on the risk of Permax side effects and the availability of safer Parkinson’s treatments, the makers of the drug agreed to pull it from the market. Health experts agreed that the risks and side effects associated with Permax outweighed the benefits and urged patients taking the drug to consult with a doctor about safer alternatives.

Permax Side Effects & Your Rights

If you or a loved one developed cardiac valvulopathy or other serious side effect as a result of taking Permax, an experienced attorney can determine your eligibility to recover your medical costs and other losses.

Contact us today and we’ll put you in touch with a defective drug attorney who can evaluate your case and help you plan an appropriate course of action.

Contact a Permax Recall Lawyer

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