Overview of Rhabdomyolysis

Rhabdomyolysis is a debilitating disorder that mainly affects muscular tissue that has experienced an injury in the recent past. The cause of the condition can be any one of a number of different agents, including certain medications, biological causes, or physical injuries. In many cases, no direct cause of the development of the condition can be found. The condition is often seen at the scene of natural disasters where people have become trapped in the rubble of a building or they have been hit with debris with damaging force.

Some medications have been associated with the development of rhabdomyolysis in some patients. One of these medications, Baycol, was removed from the market from the US Food and Drug Administration because of the strong association between taking the medication and the development of rhabdomyolysis. Considered to be a life threatening side effect, the risk of developing rhabdomyolysis after taking Baycol outweighed the benefits gained by taking the medication so it was believed that the safer option would be to remove the medication from the market entirely.

There are some common symptoms that are generally experienced when a person has developed rhabdomyolysis. The muscle that is affected by the condition will begin to swell and the person will have moderate to severe pain in the muscle. During the progression of the condition, the muscle that is affected will start to feel weak and tender to the touch, to the point where the person does not want anything to touch the affected area because of the painful sensations that are caused. The blood flow to different areas of the body can be affected by the condition and the blood may be blocked from reaching certain areas resulting in compartment symdrome.

One of the most life threatening complications associated with the development of rhabdomyolysis is renal failure. As the condition causes the muscles in the body to break down, the chemical components of the broken down tissue is carried around in the blood as a waste product to be eliminated by the kidneys. If the amount of waste in the blood is too much for the kidneys to handle, the kidneys will begin to function improperly and eventually will sucumb to renal failure. The faster the muscle is broken down in the body, the faster the kidneys will become overworked and begin to fail.

Rhabdomyolysis must be diagnosed by a trained medical professional, who will typically arrive at the diagnosis after a physical examination after hearing about the symptoms from the patient or discovering the telltale signs of the condition during a routine examination. The doctor may choose to use one or a combination of several treatment methods that have been found to be effective against rhabdomyolysis and the intensity of the treatment will reflect how severe the condition has become and far the condition has progressed. One of the key treatment methods used to treat the condition is the use of saline solutions to stimulate the production of urine in the kidneys and flush the contaminates out of the blood stream. Experts have estimated that rhabdomyolysis affects more than 250,000 people worldwide each year.

Do I Have a Baycol Lawsuit?

If you or a loved one have suffered a serious side effect after taking Baycol, you should contact an Injury Help Network attorney immediately. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries by filing a Baycol lawsuit.

Our group of trial lawyers are handling Rhabdomyolysis, kidney damage/failure and death lawsuits in all 50 states. Please use the form at the bottom of this page to contact a Baycol law firm for a Free Confidential Case Evaluation.