Pradaxa is a brand name of dabigatran, an anticoagulant that works by blocking a clotting protein in the blood to keep it flowing smoothly.

While this action can be helpful in preventing strokes and blood clots, it can also lead to dangerous side effects.

Some of the more threatening side effects of Pradaxa include internal bleeding, gastrointestinal bleeding and brain bleeds.

Other Pradaxa side effects include easy bruising or minor bleeding from cuts or nosebleeds. Some users experience nausea, abdominal pain, indigestion, heartburn, diarrhea, skin rash or itching.

Serious side effects could include:

• any bleeding that will not stop
• weakness, feeling like you might pass out
• easy bruising, unusual bleeding (nose, mouth, vagina, or rectum), purple or red pinpoint spots under your skin
• blood in your urine or stools, black or tarry stools
• coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds
• pink or brown urine
• joint pain or swelling
• heavy menstrual bleeding

Pradaxa and Excessive Bleeding

In one study, patients on 150 mg of Pradaxa twice a day had adverse gastrointestinal reactions such as abdominal pain, GERD and gastric bleeding 35 percent of the time. The rate of gastrointestinal bleeds alone was 3.1 percent.

In another study at the University of Pittsburgh, 9 percent of Pradaxa users experienced a major bleed, but only 6 percent of warfarin users did.

Pradaxa patients had more bleeding in the stomach and intestines, and bleeding in the brain was only slightly higher in warfarin patients. This study was outlined in the online journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

Lawsuits Over Uncontrollable Bleeding

More than 4,000 patients who claimed Pradaxa caused side effects including gastrointestinal bleeding, rectal bleeding and brain bleeding settled lawsuits with Boehringer Ingelheim, the drug manufacturer.

While Pradaxa’s parent company admitted no wrongdoing, the people who filed suit felt the drug maker willfully placed the public at danger by using deceptive marketing practices, failing to disclose risks and failing to provide adequate treatment methods at the time for those patients who suffered severe bleeding episodes.

Why Take Pradaxa?

One of the biggest selling points of Pradaxa has been that it does not require blood-level testing.  Warfarin, Pradaxa’s main competitor, requires a blood test every so often to check how long it takes for blood to clot.

However, some patients and professionals take issue with the “one size fits all” dosing that Pradaxa provides, saying the uncontrollable bleeding episodes could possibly be prevented if there were a way to monitor Pradaxa in the blood.

Reasons to Take Blood Thinners

Pradaxa is used to prevent stroke and harmful blood clots in the legs and lungs that can occur if a patient has a certain type of irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation). Pradaxa is also used to break down blood clots in the veins of the legs (deep vein thrombosis) or lungs (pulmonary embolism) and to reduce the risk of them occurring again.

Pradaxa does this by blocking a certain clotting protein in the blood.

Warfarin treats blood clots as well and can prevent new ones from forming, but it acts by decreasing the amount of clotting proteins in the blood.

While the end result is to prevent life-threatening conditions caused by blood that clots too easily, there has to be a balance in order to prevent uncontrollable bleeding.

If you or someone you love has suffered from a Pradaxa bleeding injury, you may have a legal claim.