Pradaxa, a popular blood thinner medication, is used to treat blood clots and related conditions. However, there are certain serious adverse effects of Pradaxa that may put patients at considerable risk of bleeding injuries.

Some Pradaxa users have filed lawsuits against the drug’s manufacturer, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals. These lawsuits allege that the company failed to give adequate warning about the risk of adverse effects of Pradaxa that patients may face, to patients and the medical community as a whole. Indeed, the pharmaceutical giant has already been hit with thousands of lawsuits over these issues.

Pradaxa lawsuits allege that Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals either knew or should have known about the adverse effects of Pradaxa, and had a responsibility to warn consumers to prevent potential injuries.

Background of Pradaxa

Pradaxa (also known by its generic name, dabigatran) is a commonly used anticoagulant from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals and first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) back in 2010. Pradaxa is one of the more recent blood thinners introduced to the market, intended as a replacement for warfarin, which was for decades the go-to anticoagulant.

After less than two years on the market, Pradaxa had been prescribed to 3.7 million U.S. patients. Given the popularity and widespread usage of the drug, any adverse effects of Pradaxa may threaten the millions of people that now use it.

Adverse Effects of Pradaxa

Any anticoagulant (blood-thinner) can cause excessive bruising and bleeding, and Pradaxa is no exception to this rule. The body usually combats bleeding problems by forming a clot to stem the bleeding. However, if a patient is taking Pradaxa or a similar blood thinner, these life-saving blood clots cannot effectively form, which may lead to excessive bleeding.

For years, Pradaxa had no antidote available to counteract potentially dangerous bleeding side effects.

More and more Pradaxa users are reporting side effects of the drug. The most severe of these adverse effects of Pradaxa includes heart attacks, liver failure, uncontrollable bleeding, and even death. The most common of these complications is excessive bleeding, which in turn can lead to brain hemorrhaging or death—indeed, over 500 of the 3,781 reported Adverse effects of Pradaxa in 2011 were ultimately fatal.

Unlike warfarin, Pradaxa does not require frequent blood monitoring checkups. While this may seem like a benefit to many users, as going in for blood monitoring may seem like an inconvenience, critics say the severity of adverse effects of Pradaxa indicate that frequent blood monitoring may be necessary to prevent these side effects from developing. The fact that Pradaxa does not require monitoring may put it users at even greater risk.

Filing a Lawsuit over Adverse Effects of Pradaxa

If you or someone you know has taken Pradaxa and has subsequently experienced any adverse effects of Pradaxa, you may have cause for filing a Pradaxa bleeding complications lawsuit. Filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by adverse effects of Pradaxa, but it can help to alleviate the financial burden incurred by medical expenses and lost wages.