Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals’ popular blood thinner Pradaxa has been linked with Pradaxa uncontrollable bleeding symptoms.

As a result, the company has been hit with thousands of lawsuits, and more such claims are expected in the future.

Pradaxa Basics

Pradaxa (also known by its generic name dabigatran) was approved for blood clot treatment by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2010. Pradaxa was intended to become a competitor for warfarin, the traditional blood thinning drug.

Pradaxa, warfarin, and other blood thinners had been used to treat the risk of stroke associated with atrial fibrillation.

Indeed, patients who suffer from atrial fibrillation may be up to five times more likely to suffer a stroke than those without the condition.

Pradaxa Uncontrollable Bleeding Side Effects

By their very nature, any blood thinning drug, also known as an anticoagulant, can cause excessive bruising and bleeding side effects.

In some rare cases, bleeding problems can become very serious, such as when a patient suffers from an accident or needs emergency surgery.

In normal circumstances, the body counteracts internal bleeding by purposely forming a blood clot to stem the bleeding.

However, when a patient who is suffering from internal bleeding is on Pradaxa or a similar blood thinner, their bodies are less able to form these blood-saving clots effectively, putting the patient at risk for serious injury or even death.

For warfarin users, this is a less serious issue, as there an antidote available to reverse an anticoagulant’s effects and allow blood clots to form.

However, Pradaxa did not have such an antidote for the first several years it was available. Without an antidote available, Pradaxa uncontrollable bleeding can be much more dangerous.

One of the most frequently reported Pradaxa side effect is excessive bleeding, which in turn can lead to brain hemorrhaging or death. Other reported Pradaxa side effects include heart attacks, liver failure, and even death.

The risks are dangerous. Over 500 of the 3,781 reported Pradaxa complications in 2011 were ultimately fatal.

Pradaxa Uncontrollable Bleeding Lawsuits

In response to the drug’s association with Pradaxa bleeding complications, thousands of Pradaxa lawsuits have recently been filed.

These Pradaxa lawsuits allege that the blood thinner’s manufacturer Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals failed to adequately warn the public, as well as the medical community as a whole, about the potentially dangerous or life-threatening bleeding complications known to be linked with their drug.

Pradaxa lawsuits allege that Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals either knew or should have known about Pradaxa’s dangers, and that the company had a responsibility to warn consumers.

Considering the popularity and widespread usage of the drug, millions of people could be at risk for excessive bleeding. After less than two years on the market, sales of Pradaxa had already skyrocketed, and 3.7 million U.S. patients had chosen to use Pradaxa.

Despite studies that recommend patient monitoring, Pradaxa’s manufacturer still does not require the drug to be monitored during use.

Indeed, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals has stated since this information was released that Pradaxa still offers more benefits than risks. Many Pradaxa users and their families disagree, and have since decided to file Pradaxa lawsuits.

If you or someone you know has taken Pradaxa and has subsequently experienced symptoms such as Pradaxa uncontrollable bleeding, you may have cause for filing a Pradaxa bleeding complications lawsuit.