Do you have watery or teary eyes because of chemotherapy treatment? Did you need eye surgery to reverse the effects of using Taxotere? If so, you might have a legal case against the Taxotere manufacturers, and you deserve compensation. Take the quiz to find out if you qualify.
When you are battling cancer, you rely on your doctors to provide the medical treatment and guidance you need to survive. You put your trust in their opinions and expertise, and you believe that the doctor is doing everything in their power to keep you safe and healthy.
However, this important relationship between doctors and patients is not possible, when drug manufacturers fail to warn them of the harmful side effects of their products, like Taxotere. Drug companies like Sanofi-Aventis (the maker of Taxotere) are in business to make money for their board and shareholders. When these companies put profits over the safety of the consumer, they can and should be held accountable for the harm they suffer.
If you used Taxotere as a chemotherapy medication, you may face a serious and life-long medical complication, called canalicular stenosis. No matter whether you used Taxotere infrequently or on a weekly basis, during your treatment, you may have serious complications from this drug. Taxotere manufacturers did not inform the public or the medical community about these problems, and as a result, numerous people like yourself are suffering unnecessarily.
If Taxotere hurt you or a loved one, you have the right to fight back. The attorneys at Hotze Runkle PLLC are ready to help you if you’ve suffered severe side effects due to the use of Taxotere in California. However, you need to act quickly to ensure that you receive the full compensation available to you. Take the quiz to find out if you qualify!
Why You Need a Lawyer
When a drug company puts the pursuit of profits over your safety, you need to fight back. A lawsuit against the Taxotere manufacturers will help you and your loved ones get the treatment you need and the fair compensation you deserve. Our Taxotere company will fight for you every step of the way. Drug companies hire teams of attorneys to protect themselves from lawsuits. These lawyers will do everything in their power to deny, diminish, or delay your claim to help their client avoid paying you the money you deserve.
You cannot expect to fight against these lawyers and Taxotere on your own. You need a skilled attorney working by your side, who will help you make the best case possible. Your attorney will gather all of the evidence and testimonies you need to make a strong case against the company. They will also help you avoid any errors which could jeopardize your case. Bringing a lawsuit against a large corporation can be challenging, but when you have an attorney working by your side, you will have the best chance of wining your case.
What is Taxotere?
Taxotere is a brand of medication commonly used during chemotherapy. The primary compound in Taxotere is Docetaxel, which is effective for combatting breast cancer, as well as several other forms of cancer. You may use Taxotere by itself or with other chemotherapy medication, depending on the type and stage of your cancer. If your doctor prescribed Taxotere for your cancer treatment, you may have received intra-venous (IV) injections of the drug once every three weeks or as frequently as once a week.
Taxotere is an effective chemotherapy medication because it stops normal cell division, preventing your cancer from growing. However, Taxotere cannot differentiate between cancerous cells and healthy cells. This means that Taxotere can cause disastrous consequences for other parts of your body which need cell growth to remain healthy.
Side Effects of Taxotere
Every chemotherapy treatment has risks of side effects, which are often extremely uncomfortable. However, after you stop treatment, most of these side effects will go away and you can return to your normal life. Unfortunately, this is not the case for many people who take Taxotere.
One of the most problematic and distressing side effects of Taxotere is epiphora, which frequently leads to canalicular stenosis. Epiphora is the medical term for excessively watery eyes, which gives you the appearance of crying. You will likely notice this problem while you are undergoing treatment with Taxotere, but the effects will not stop after you finish your treatment. In addition to watery eyes, the most common side effects of epiphora include:
- Redness around the eyes
- Visible blood vessels
- Sharp pain
- Sore eyes
- Swelling around the eyes
- Feeling that something is in the eye
- Blurred vision
- Light sensitivity
- Vision problems
All of these symptoms can impact your daily life because of changes to your physical appearance and an inability to perform certain tasks. Many people who experience epiphora cannot participate in normal activities such as reading, driving, or wearing makeup. While these symptoms may be manageable during your Taxotere treatment, they indicate the start of a much larger and more serious problem called canalicular stenosis.
Before you started taking Taxotere, your doctor should have warned you about epiphora and its symptoms. However, many doctors are not aware of this problem or think that the symptoms will subside after treatment. This lack of knowledge places you at risk of a much more serious and permanent problem with your eyes.
This complication is completely preventable when addressed at its initial stages. However, if the correct information is not available before your treatment, you are the one who suffers the consequences. Your doctor and the Taxotere manufacturers have hurt you radically changed your future, and you deserve compensation for your suffering.
Understanding Canalicular Stenosis
Watering eyes because of epiphora may seem manageable and even insignificant, while you are undergoing chemotherapy. Unfortunately, most epiphora caused by Taxotere indicates the beginning of canalicular stenosis, which is a permanent eye disorder. Ophthalmologists are just now beginning to understand the clear links between Taxotere and canalicular stenosis. However, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, now believes that canalicular stenosis is one of the most serious and devastating side effects of the drug.
This essential health information about Taxotere is emerging throughout the medical community, which will hopefully change chemotherapy treatment tactics in the future. However, this problem could have been prevented if the drug manufacturer Sanofi took responsibility and appropriately informed the public about the risks. By ignoring the medical evidence and lying about the problems Taxotere causes has placed thousands of people at risk in California and throughout the United States. It is time that this company pays for the harm they caused and face justice for their actions.
Causes and Treatment of Canalicular Stenosis
Canalicular stenosis is a disorder of the eye, which prevents tears from reabsorbing normally. In a healthy eye, the lacrimal gland constantly produces tears, to keep your eyes clean and lubricated. After these tears cover the eye, they move to the tear duct, through a tube called the canaliculus, which removes the tears from your eye.
However, your eye cannot effectively remove these tears, if the canaliculus is not healthy and open. Canalicular stenosis occurs when the canaliculus is blocked or closed, which causes the tears to overflow onto your face, rather than drain away normally. This gives the appearance of crying or excessively watery eyes, which can seriously impair your eyes’ normal function. With a moderate canalicular stenosis you may have some extra moisture in and around your eyes, but in more severe cases, tears may constantly run down your face.
The primary ingredient in Taxotere, called docetaxel, causes canalicular stenosis when the medication secretes into the area surrounding the eye and tear duct. This causes chronic and often irreversible inflammation.
If your doctor does not quickly identify canicular stenosis, the only treatment available is invasive eye surgery, to correct the problem. Even after this surgery, you may still have long-term complications and vision problems.
 Why Choose Hotze Runkle PLLC?
Hotze Runkle PLLC understands the importance of your Taxotere lawsuit, and we are ready to put all of our time and resources to work for you. Our lawyers have years of experience fighting for our clients when they are facing unjust circumstances. We know your rights under the law, and we are prepared to protect your right to fair compensation.
At Hotze Runkle PLLC, we pride ourselves on offering our clients honest and transparent legal counsel. You need to understand all of the risks and rewards of a lawsuit, and our attorneys are ready to answer every question you have, to help you make an informed decision at every step of your case. You deserve respect and compassionate treatment when you work with a lawyer, and our attorneys will put in the time and effort needed to gain your trust and prove that we can help you.
Take the Taxotere Canalicular Stenosis Quiz
If you have developed epiphora or canalicular stenosis after using Taxotere, take our Quiz. You may be entitled to financial compensation to manage your pain, medical bills, and visual disability. The California Taxotere attorneys at Hotze Runkle PLLC are ready to help you fight for this compensation you deserve.