Pradaxa is an anticoagulant drug that has come under fire because of the possibility of death associated with adverse side effects. Contacting a Pradaxa side effects lawyer may be a good idea for those patients or loved ones of patients who have suffered the adverse side effects of this anticoagulant.

A Pradaxa side effects lawyer can discuss your experiences to see if filing a Pradaxa lawsuit is right for you.

What is Pradaxa?

Pradaxa, generically known as dabigatran, is an anticoagulant medication that was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2010.

It is a direct thrombin inhibitor that works by joining itself with thrombin. Thrombin helps the blood clot, and Pradaxa works to prevent thrombin from working correctly.

Pradaxa is prescribed to patients who are at high risk for stroke or blood clots. Blood clots are dangerous because they can travel to the heart or brain or lungs and reduce blood flow to those vital organs.

If a blood clot forms deep in the legs, this is called deep vein thrombosis or DVT. Pradaxa can work to combat DVT as well as pulmonary embolism, which is when a blood clot travels to the lungs and becomes lodged there. A patient with pulmonary embolism may experience lung damage or even death.

Pradaxa is also prescribed to patients with atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is a condition in which blood pools in a chamber in the heart. When this occurs, blood clots can form.

The Problem with Pradaxa

Pradaxa is part of a newer drug class of anticoagulants which also include Xarelto and Eliquis. Pradaxa and similar drugs were developed and marketed to compete with the leading anticoagulant, warfarin.

Warfarin, while being used for decades as the go-to blood thinning medication, is a drug that needs dosage monitoring and diet changes. When Pradaxa entered the market in 2005, it was promoted as superior to warfarin because it did not need constant monitoring or diet changes.

Doctors began prescribing Pradaxa and patients began taking the drug. However, reports of adverse side effects began pouring into the FDA. In fact, in 2011, Pradaxa was listed as the probable cause of over 500 deaths in that year alone.

Pradaxa did not have an excessive bleeding antidote when it was released. As is the case with all drugs that thin the blood, there is a risk of excessive bleeding when taking Pradaxa. If a patient who is on a blood thinner suffers an accident or something else that creates internal bleeding, that patient may die if he or she is not administered a drug that counteracts the effects of their blood thinner.

In the past, a warfarin patient who experienced excessive bleeding had to be administeredvitamin K to counteract the drug’s effects. However, Pradaxa patients did not have any antidote until 2015.

Many patients, who would have otherwise survived had an antidote been available, either died or experienced life-threatening injuries during that time.

Contacting a Pradaxa Side Effects Lawyer

If you or someone you love has experienced adverse side effects from Pradaxa, you may benefit from contacting a Pradaxa side effects lawyer. A Pradaxa side effects lawyers can help you determine if filing a lawsuit is your best option.

While working with a Pradaxa side effects lawyer and filing a lawsuit may not take away the pain and suffering associated with Pradaxa injuries, it may help to alleviate the financial burden that comes from lost wages and medical costs.