Since this May, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that Hydroxycut product users could suffer from adverse liver disease, numerous lawsuits have been filed around the country, including several in the Chicago area.
On May 1, 2009, the FDA announced that it had been made aware of 23 reports of adverse liver effects that occurred in the course of normal Hydroxycut usage. The reports included injuries that ranged from general liver damage, the need for a liver transplant, and to death. At that time the FDA warned consumers to immediately cease using Hydroxycut products.
Signs and symptoms of liver damage from Hydroxycut usage can include fatigue, malaise/ tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea, jaundice, blurry vision, abdominal itching, abdominal pain, and/or dark colored urine. Hydroxycut has also been known to cause drug-induced hepatitis and liver failure.
In response to the FDA’s warning, Iovate, the owner and distributor of Hydroxycut products, agreed to recall its remaining product from store shelves. Hydroxycut was generally sold throughout the United States and Illinois at stores such as Wal-Mart, Walgreens, and CVS Pharmacy, among others.
However, despite these actions by Iovate, there may currently be Hydroxycut products on the market that contain many, if not all, of the same dangerous ingredients. Consumers should be aware that taking these products still carries the risk of liver damage and/or death.
Kreisman Law Offices is currently handling Hydroxycut cases and has filed a lawsuit on behalf of a liver transplant recipient against Hydroxycut manufacturers and distributors. That Hydroxycut lawsuit is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Chicago’s Kreisman Law Offices has been handling Illinois pharmaceutical litigation and Chicago product liability lawsuits for over 30 years, serving those areas in and around Cook County, including Morton Grove, Elmwood Park, Blue Island, and Downer’s Grove.