Ditropan and Ditropan XL are overactive bladder medications that studies have linked to a 50% increased risk of dementia, which is a devastating brain-damaging disease.
Need a Texas Ditropan Dementia Lawyer? Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged. If you were diagnosed with dementia after using Ditropan or Ditropan XL for overactive bladder, you should contact our lawyers immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit.
Ditropan Linked to 50% Increased Risk of Dementia
Health experts are warning consumers about studies that found a 50% increased risk of dementia with some medications for overactive bladder disease, such as Ditropan and Ditropan XL, and other drugs.
What is Ditropan?
Ditropan (generic: oxybutynin) is a medication that is sold by Janssen Pharmaceuticals for the treatment of overactive bladder disorders and other urinary problems. It works by preventing muscle spasms in the bladder that cause incontinence.
Ditropan XL® is the long-acting version of Ditropan. It is taken as a once-daily pill. There are also other brand-name versions of oxybutynin, such as Oxytrol® and the Oxytrol For Women® patch.
Which Overactive Bladder Drugs Are Linked to Dementia?
- Ditropan
- Ditropan XL
- Oxybutynin
- Oxytrol
- Oxytrol For Women
What is the Problem?
A growing number of large population studies have found higher rates of dementia among people who take Ditropan or Ditropan XL.
Doctors often prescribe Ditropan or its extended-release version, Ditropan XL, for older adults with overactive bladders, incontinence, or other urinary problems, such as frequent and urgent urination.
Unfortunately, older adults are also at higher risk of dementia, and there is growing evidence that people who take high doses of these medications for long periods of time may have an even higher risk.
How Does Ditropan Work?
Ditropan and Ditropan XL are two of the most popular medications in a class of drugs called anticholinergics. These drugs work by blocking the action of acetylcholine, which is a neurotransmitter that is used for memory and learning in the brain.
Acetylcholine also stimulates nerves that control bladder muscles, so when it is blocked by a medication like Ditropan, it helps prevent the involuntary muscle spasms that cause urinary incontinence.
Does Ditropan Cause Dementia?
The problem is that Ditropan may have unintended side effects in the brain. Doctors have long known that patients on Ditropan and other anticholinergic medications commonly experience confusion and memory issues, but the long-term risks like dementia were unknown.
Studies Linking Ditropan and 50% Higher Dementia Risk
Several major studies have found higher rates of dementia among people who take Ditropan or other anticholinergic medications. For example:
- In 2015, a study in JAMA Internal Medicine found a 54% higher risk of dementia for people who took Ditropan or another anticholinergic medication for 3 years or more.
- In 2019, another study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that elderly adults on the highest doses of Ditropan or other anticholinergic drugs were nearly 50% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia.
Can I Take Another Medication for Overactive Bladder?
Patients who are concerned about the risk of dementia should talk to their doctor about alternative treatments. Ditropan and Ditropan XL have been on the market for decades, but newer medications for overactive bladder (for example: trospium, tolterodine, and darifenacin) do not cross the blood-brain barrier very easily, so they are far less likely to cause dementia.
What is Dementia?
Dementia is a brain disease that causes the progressive loss of intellectual functioning. People with dementia suffer from memory loss, forgetfulness, and other changes in thinking.
Symptoms of Dementia
- Memory loss
- Forgetfulness
- Confusion
- Slower thinking
- Problems communicating
- Loss of focus or attention-span
- Disorganization
- Changes in personality or behavior
- Problems with daily tasks, such as paying bills, making food, keeping track of a purse or wallet, wandering or getting lost in a familiar neighborhood
Ditropan Lawsuits Against Janssen Pharmaceuticals
Our law firm is investigating potential lawsuits against Janssen Pharmaceuticals for people who developed dementia after taking Ditropan or Ditropan XL. The evidence linking these drugs with dementia has been growing for decades, but Janssen has not updated the Prescribing Information with stronger warnings for patients.
How Can a Lawsuit Help?
If you qualify to file a Ditropan lawsuit for dementia, we may be able to help you seek justice and financial compensation for serious health problems, medical treatment, long-term care, lost income, decreased quality of life, and more.
Need a Ditropan Dementia Lawyer in Texas?
Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged.
Collen’s amazing success in the courtroom and well known dedication to his clients has earned him the recognition of his peers as one of The Top Trial Lawyers in Texas.”
The Clark Firm has assembled a team of trial lawyers with more than 100 years of experience, participation in over 600 jury trials, and $260 million in verdicts and/or settlements. Please use the form below to contact our law firm for a free case review.
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