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Date Published: 29/11/2023

Users of UK banned drug Nolotil sue Spanish health authorities

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The painkiller is banned in 40 countries but widely available throughout Spain

Users of UK banned drug Nolotil sue Spanish health authorities

The Association of People Affected by Drugs (ADAF) has officially filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Health and the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) for alleged “inaction when it comes to protecting citizens from the risks of metamizole”, a popular painkiller sold under the brand Nolotil.

This frequently prescribed drug has been linked to dozens of cases of serious illness and even death, particularly among Irish and British patients, who appear to be far more susceptible to its side-effects than Spaniards.

With the court case, founder of the association Garcia del Campo wants “to prohibit the administration of Nolotil in Spain to the British population and to the citizens of countries where this medicine is banned.”

The analgesic and antipyretic has actually been taken off the market in 40 different countries, including the UK, due to its potential risk of causing adverse reactions, but it’s one of the most widely-sold painkillers in Spain.

Spanish pharmacist Claudialvega explained on TikTok that Nolotil can cause ‘agranulocytosis’, a condition that suppresses the production of white blood cells, decreasing the system's immune defences and increasing the risk of serious, even fatal, infections”.

However, the bizarre fact is that this sometimes deadly side-effect is almost non-existent in Spaniards due to genetic factors.

Taking this drug also carries some other nasty risks, including allergic reactions that can range from redness of the skin to severe cases of anaphylactic shock. Individuals with asthma, chronic skin issues or alcohol intolerance are more susceptible. The pharmacist also referred to hypertension as a possible adverse effect to taking Nolotil.

Questions will now have to answered by both the Ministry and AEMPS, especially since the results of a 2018 study on the drug have come to light. At the time, the medicines agency recommended that health professionals limit the use of metamizole in patients that can’t be properly screened, or the “floating population”, which would include British holidaymakers.

In other news: Renfe bans electric scooters from all its trains in Spain

Image: @Lanoviacadaver_

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