Benicar Health Issues

Benicar was approved for use by the FDA in 2002.  Since that time millions of americans have used the drug to help combat their high blood pressure.  This has allowed the manufacturer, Daiichi Sankyo, to earn billions of dollars per year.  However, these earnings come at a steep price to some of the patients taking the drug who may be unaware that it is causing their gastrointestinal health problems.

Side Effects of Benicar
Benicar, like all drugs, has a host of side effects that may occur.  Nearly all patients will experience some of them while their body adjusts to the drug, and some may start to experience some of the side effects as the drug stays in their system.  They range from mild and annoying to severe and life threatening.

Mild side effects:

• Dry Cough
• Headache
• Dizziness or Spinning Sensation
• Joint and Stomach Pain
• Diarrhea

Severe side effects:

• Vision Problems
• Chest Pain and Shortness of Breath
• Jaundice
• Rapid Weight Gain
• Fainting or Seizure
• Spruelike Enteropathy

Sprue-like Enteropathy

Sprue, a common name for a disease that affects the small intestines, is closely associated with celiac disease.  Celiac disease is basically an allergy toward the gluten protein found in wheat.

A person with sprue, or celiac disease, has a rare condition where their small intestine cannot process the gluten protein.  When they eat wheat based products, their intestines become inflamed, or enteropathic, and they are racked with stomach pains, diarrhea, and severe weight loss.

The study from the Mayo Clinic found that a significant number of patients that were using Benicar were experiencing these same symptoms.  However, the typical treatment for celiac disease would not work since their discomfort was not caused by gluten intolerance, but rather an adverse side effect to the drug they were taking.