Altace is a medication a doctor prescribes to treat high blood pressure, heart failure, and diabetic kidney disease. Its generic name is ramipril. A person with high blood pressure is at risk for a stroke or heart attack. This is why it is so important to lower high blood pressure. In 2020 two million people received prescriptions for Altace or a generic equivalent. It was among the top 200 prescription medications in the U.S.
Altace is also prescribed to patients over 55 at high risk of heart attacks, strokes, or cardiovascular death to reduce their risk. This would be for patients who suffer from diabetes and patients with vascular disease or high blood pressure. It is taken by mouth.
Among Altace’s less serious side effects are fever, chest pain, cough, headaches, fatigue, anxiety, diarrhea, and dizziness. Among the more serious side effects are liver problems, angioedema, kidney problems, and high blood potassium. A pregnant woman or thinking of becoming pregnant should not use Altace. It has been linked to possible fetal injury in the later stages of pregnancy. Also, a woman who is breastfeeding should not use Altace.
The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has recognized the link between these negative side effects and Altace.
Ramipril, the generic name for Altace, was patented in 1981. It was then approved as a medical treatment in 1989. Generic equivalents with different brand names are also available.
What Is Congestive Heart Failure?
Congestive heart failure is a condition in which the heart muscle has gradually become less able to contract. Or, a person’s heart may have a mechanical problem that limits its ability to fill with blood. The heart no longer pumps blood properly. Blood may return to the heart from the extremities more quickly than it can be pumped out, so it becomes congested.
A person’s heart cannot pump enough oxygen in their blood and then move the blood through to their organs and tissues. This is the main work of the heart. In addition, fluid may not move through a person’s body as it should. As a result, fluid builds up and causes swelling and breathing issues because the lungs fill with fluid. Heart failure is a condition that usually develops over the long term. If the kidneys do not receive enough blood, it can lead to kidney failure.
A person can avoid heart failure and related conditions by doing the following:
- Do Not Smoke: Smoking causes damage to the coronary arteries, which can, in turn, cause heart failure. Secondhand smoke is also harmful, so keeping company with smokers is also a problem;
- Maintain a Healthy Diet: The best foods for heart health are those low in saturated fat, trans fat, sugar, and sodium. So, a diet that contains mostly fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and lean meats, i.e., meats with low-fat content. There is a type of fat that has a positive effect on heart health, and it is found in such foods as olive oil, fish, and avocados;
- Maintain a Healthy Weight: If a person is overweight, they should try to drop some pounds;
- Stay Physically Active: Regular physical activity helps maintain a healthy heart;
- Follow Treatment for Heart Conditions: If a person has been diagnosed with some type of heart condition, they should, of course, follow their treatment program and take medications that have been prescribed as directed.
Many people have been prescribed a type of medication known as a statin. It has been shown to prevent heart failure because it prevents heart attacks, and problems with the coronary arteries can lead to heart attacks.
What Remedies Do I Have If I Have Been Injured by Altace?
Several possible issues are involved if a person believes they have suffered a significant injury due to taking Altace. A person who has experienced some more common, minor side effects would probably want to talk to their doctor about it and possibly try a different medication.
But if a person’s injuries are more significant, they would want to consult a personal injury lawyer. The attorney would have a medical expert. The expert would identify whether the doctor who prescribed the Altace was negligent in some manner. For example, the doctor may have prescribed the medication incorrectly because the person had conditions that indicated that they should not take it.
Or, a person might experience some of the possible serious side effects that Altace can cause and should have stopped taking it but was not told to do so by their physician. Facts such as these might suggest that the person has been the victim of medical malpractice.
Another possibility is pharmacist error. In a case of pharmacist error, For example, a person might have grounds for a claim of pharmacist error if the facts show that the pharmacist should have recognized that the person was not a candidate for taking Altace. This might be the basis for a lawsuit for pharmacist malpractice against the pharmacist.
Still, another option would be a civil lawsuit for strict product liability. In a strict product liability case, a person sues the manufacturer and distributors of a product because a defect in the product caused personal injury. In a strict liability case, an injured person does not have to prove that negligence led to the product’s defective character. Rather, the person has to prove only that the product was defective in some way and the defect caused injury to the person.
What Kind of Defects Can a Medication Have?
The defects in products that can lead to injuries are usually sorted into three standard types as follows:
- Warning Defects: The defects that are warning defects usually involve problems with labeling a product or the instructions or directions for the assembly or use of a product. In the case of a medication, it should come with adequate information in its labeling and packaging about side-effects, especially significant or serious side-effects, as well as information about who should not take the medication, e.g., pregnant women;
- Manufacturing Defects: These defects are created at the time when a product is manufactured. In the case of a medication, for example, it would be during the phase when a pill is produced. So, a manufacturing defect might be accidentally incorporating the wrong chemical into the pill when it is produced. If this chemical used in error were to cause injury to patients who take the pill, they would have a case for strict product liability;
- Design Defects: As their name implies, these defects originate when the product is designed. In the case of a medication, an obvious design defect would be formulating a medication that causes serious, sometimes fatal side-effects that mean that the medication cannot be used.
Any of these lawsuits would seek an award of compensatory damages, which would compensate the victim for all of their economic and non-economic losses, e.g., medical costs, lost income, and pain and suffering.
Do I Need a Lawyer for My Altace Issue?
If you take Altace and believe that the medication has caused injury to your health, you want to consult a class action lawyer. Your lawyer will have a medical expert review your case history to determine if taking Altace has caused your injury. Your lawyer can help you protect your legal rights and get compensation for your injuries if they have been caused by taking Altace.
