If you have taken Spiriva or Atrovent for COPD and you have suffered from heart attack or stroke you may be entitled to compensation.

Inhaler Alert: Spiriva and Atrovent

If you suffer from bronchitis or emphysema, please take note: two of the most popular inhalers used to treat those diseases may significantly increase your risk of heart attack, stroke or death.

Those are the findings from a September 2008 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The medications at issue are Spiriva and Atrovent , which are used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious side effect after using Spiriva or Atrovent -- including heart attack or stroke -- please contact the experienced pharmaceutical injury lawyers at Brown & Crouppen by calling 1-866-991-4700.

COPD, which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is a progressive lung disease that restricts breathing and causes severe inflammation of the airways. Nearly 24 million Americans are affected by COPD, and 100,000 people die annually from the disease.

Spiriva and Atrovent work by relaxing and opening narrow airways, allowing the COPD sufferer to breathe more freely. Both products are made by the Germany pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim.

Spiriva is the most widely prescribed drug to treat COPD and has been taken by 8 million patients worldwide since 2002, when it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Spiriva is sold in capsules and inhaled using a "HandiHaler" device.

Now, new concerns are being raised about Spiriva and Atrovent. According to researchers at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina, Spiriva and Atrovent increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death by 58 percent. The study by those researchers included 17 trials of nearly 15,000 patients.

This is the second time this year that questions have been raised about the potential dangers of Spiriva. In March 2008, the FDA issued an early warning communication because of a possible connection between Spiriva HandiHaler and an increased risk of stroke.

In November 2008, the FDA is expected to get the complete report of a four-year study on the side effects of tiotropium bromide, the active ingredient in Spiriva.

If you or a loved one has suffered a heart attack or stroke while using Spiriva or Atrovent for COPD, the attorneys at Brown & Crouppen can help you make informed decisions about your legal rights. Call us Toll-Free at 1-866-991-4700 for your free legal consultation or save time with our online Contact Form.

Call Brown & Crouppen at Toll-Free: 866-991-4700 for your free
legal consultation or save time with our online Contact Form.

Toll-Free: 866-991-4700