Ampyra Legal Information Center
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) believes dalfampridine, a drug used to treat multiple sclerosis and sold as Ampyra, might cause seizures in users.
What Is Ampyra and What Is It Prescribed For?
The American pharmaceutical company Acordia Therapeutics developed dalfampridine, and in January 2010, the FDA approved it as Ampyra to treat multiple sclerosis. Specifically, Ampyra improves patients’ walking ability and speed, and doctors prescribe it in the form of oral tablets. Medical science is unsure of how Ampyra works, but researchers believe that dalfampridine increases neural electrical conductivity, which allows for increased muscle movement.
Ampyra Might Cause Seizure Side Effects
On July 23, 2012, the FDA issued a drug safety communication warning the public that Ampyra might cause seizures in users. According to postmarket adverse event reports, most Ampyra seizures occurred within the first few days of use and in patients who had no prior history of seizures or epilepsy. Because the body eliminates Ampyra via the kidneys, patients who have renal impairment conditions or whose kidney function is reduced due to age will eliminate the drug more slowly than users whose kidneys are working well. If the drug isn’t eliminated from the body, users will have higher concentrations of dalfampridine in their blood, which might contribute to a higher likelihood of seizures.
The FDA updated the Ampyra label to include additional information on the drug’s connection to seizures. A clinical trial found that people who took 15 mg of the drug were four times more likely to suffer a seizure than those who took only 10 mg. The agency added that physicians should test users’ kidney function before initiating Ampyra treatment. Patients whose creatinine clearance levels are greater than 50 milliliters per minute are considered to have kidney impairment and should not take Ampyra.
Sometimes the following symptoms precede seizures:
- Dizziness
- Lightheadedness
- Tightening of the chest
- Experience of slow-motion phenomena
The FDA recommends users who suffer an Ampyra seizure to cease taking Ampyra and contact their physician promptly.
RLG’s Ampyra Lawyers Will Make Things Easier
The process of demanding compensation for the harm you’ve suffered can be complicated, even if it doesn’t seem fair that you should have to go through even more trouble to be made whole again. The Ampyra lawyers at the Rottenstein Law Group believe that obtaining legal satisfaction from those who harmed you shouldn’t require more hardship. That’s why we do everything we can to streamline the process, and we will file an Ampyra lawsuit on your behalf if necessary. RLG will also keep you up to date on any Ampyra class action lawsuits, FDA Ampyra warnings, and Ampyra FDA recall announcements. If you have taken Ampyra and believe it harmed you, contact RLG today.
