Woman Claims Over-the-Counter Decongestant Caused Husband's Death, Sues Manufacturer

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.-The wife of a man whose death allegedly resulted from a stoke he suffered after ingesting an over-the-counter decongestant containing PPA filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer claiming that the company failed to adequately warn consumers of the drug's side effects. Bridgmon v. Wyeth, Inc., No. 02-J-2359 (N.D. Ala.).

Shelia Bridgmon, the widow of Thomas Bridgmon, claims that Wyeth, Inc., the manufacturer of Robitussin CF, knew or should have known that PPA, the decongestant's active ingredient, could cause hypertension and vasoconstriction of small blood cells, which can lead to heart attack, seizure, hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke, the Sept. …