A man who used the testosterone gel product AndroGel has sued drug maker AbbVie Inc., alleging that the company failed to adequately warn that the testosterone gel can increase the risk of blood clot complications like pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, stroke, heart attack and death. His wife has joined him as a plaintiff in the AndroGel lawsuit.

The AndroGel lawsuit alleges that the testosterone treatment “causes the hematocrit level to increase, thereby thickening the blood. This effect, if not monitored and controlled properly, can lead to life threatening cardiac events, strokes and thrombolytic events,” and thatAbbVie “misrepresented that AndroGel is a safe and effective treatment.”

Lead plaintiff Roger Gibby alleges that “after taking multiple doses of AndroGel, on or about Sept. 21, 2013, [he] suffered multiple blood clots in his lungs and legs,” conditions known as pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis. If these blood clots break loose and travel to the heart or brain, they can cause a heart attack, stroke or death.

Gibby says had he known the true risks associated with the use of testosterone medications, including AndroGel, “he would not have consumed AndroGel, and would not have incurred the injuries or damages he did as a result of his use of AndroGel,” the lawsuit continues.

The couple’s AndroGel lawsuit lawyer cites a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association noting that many men who take advantage of testosterone replacement therapy have not actually been tested for low levels of the hormone, leading to doubts about the company’s claim in 2003 that “up to 20 million men” may be affected by the condition.

Moreover, the symptoms of “Low-T,” as commercials term the disorder, are “all general symptoms that are often a result of aging, weight gain, or lifestyle, rather than low testosterone.” The doctor who developed the quiz used on the company’s website reportedly called it a “crappy questionnaire.”

On the other hand, medical literature, including three studies cited regarding testosterone side effects, indicate that the risk of death, heart attack and stroke could increase by as much as 30%. In 2010, a study for the New England Journal of Medicine was discontinued after an exceedingly high number of men in the testosterone group suffered adverse events, the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit goes on to allege that AbbVie “purposefully downplayed, understated and outright ignored the health hazards and risks associated with using” the testosterone replacement therapy as a result of “Low-T.”

The AndroGel side effects lawsuit is Roger Gibby, et al. v. AbbVie Inc., et al., Case No. 14-cv-917, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.