Pradaxa is a popular blood thinner, used widely all across the country to treat blood clotting and related conditions. But the bleeding side effects of Pradaxa, some patients say, are too extreme to balance out the benefits of the drug. In some cases, bleeding side effects of Pradaxa may prove to be fatal.

A growing number of Pradaxa users have filed lawsuits against the drug’s manufacturer, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, claiming that the pharmaceutical giant failed to give adequate warning about the risk of these bleeding side effects of Pradaxa. Thousands of lawsuits have already been filed, with more on the way.

Pradaxa lawsuits allege that the blood thinner’s manufacturer failed to adequately warn the public, as well as the medical community as a whole, about the potential for patients to suffer serious bleeding side effects of Pradaxa. These lawsuits claim that Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals either knew or should have known about the dangers linked with Pradaxa, but ultimately failed in their responsibility to warn consumers about such risks.

Background of Pradaxa

Pradaxa (also known by its generic name, dabigatran) is one of the more widely used blood thinner options available on the market today. The anticoagulant was manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, and is relatively new: it was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) back in 2010. Pradaxa is one of several recent blood thinners meant to become a replacement for warfarin, the long-standing staple anticoagulant option.

After less than two years on the market, 3.7 million U.S. patients had already chosen to start using Pradaxa. Given the popularity of the drug, bleeding side effects of Pradaxa may threaten millions of people.

Pradaxa Bleeding Problems

Any anticoagulant (blood-thinner) can cause excessive bruising and bleeding. The body usually combats bleeding problems by forming a clot to slow the bleeding down. However, if a patient is taking Pradaxa or a similar blood thinner, these life-saving blood clots cannot effectively form. If a warfarin user suffered emergency bleeding problems and needed to form blood clots, doctors could use a warfarin antidote to reverse the drug’s effects, allowing blood clots to form. However, until recently, Pradaxa had no such antidote.

Some Pradaxa users have suffered from these serious side effects, including 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. Over 500 Pradaxa bleeding events in 2011 led to fatalities.

Filing a Lawsuit Over Bleeding Side Effects of Pradaxa

If you or someone you know has taken Pradaxa and has subsequently experienced any of the above symptoms, such as excessive bleeding or brain hemorrhaging, due to Pradaxa, you may have cause for filing a lawsuit over bleeding side effects of Pradaxa. Filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by Pradaxa bleeding problems, but it can help to alleviate the financial burden incurred by medical expenses and lost wages.