Recently, the Food and Drug Administration raised a concern that Spiriva may increase the risk of a person having a stroke in those who use this medication. This concern is based a number of scientific studies showing that about 8 out of every 1,000 people using Spiriva experienced a stroke; only 6 out of every 1,000 people taking the placebo (fake) medication in these studies experienced a stroke. Therefore, there was an excess of 2 people per 1,000 people treated with Spiriva that experienced a stroke compared to the placebo group.
Currently, the FDA is performing additional research to see if these results are true. They are recommending that patients taking Spiriva who are concerned about this new information contact their doctor before stopping their medication, since their COPD may worsen as a result of stopping the use of Spiriva.
Source:
FDA News Website. Accessed June 8, 2008.
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