Pradaxa (dabigatran) is one of several new anticoagulant medications meant to directly compete against warfarin, an older blood thinning medication, and be a choice for patients at risk for stroke or blood clot formation.

However a number of patients reported suffering serious internal bleeding injuries including gastrointestinal bleeding and brain bleed complications.

Examining GI and Brain Bleed Occurrences

Internal bleeding typically occurs when a muscle, organ, or blood vessel becomes damaged and results in internal hemorrhages.

Gastrointestinal bleeding (GI bleed) is when the gastrointestinal tract begins bleeding, and often requires emergency surgery to treat.

A brain bleed (brain hemorrhage or cerebral hemorrhage) is a similar principle, but is also a type of stroke. There are a number of factors that can contribute to brain bleeding which occurs when an artery in the brain ruptures and causes bleeding in surrounding tissues.

This is a deadly condition as it kills brain cells, and accounts for 13 percent of all strokes. There are a number of instances that can result in brain bleed including head trauma, high blood pressure, aneurysm, brain tumors, and potentially Pradaxa complications.

Brain bleed is a serious medical condition that can be potentially fatal if not treated, but is shown to be fairly uncommon in Pradaxa bleeding events. According to recent research,  0.3 percent of Pradaxa patients may experience brain bleed, while 16.6 percent of all users will experience some form of internal bleeding.

Medical experts suggest that GI bleed may be more likely to occur in patients concurrently taking other medications linked to internal bleeding, like aspirin or other anticoagulants.

Overview of Pradaxa Bleeding

Approved by the FDA in 2010, Pradaxa was the first drug to be released onto the market for anticoagulant purposes since the release of Warfarin in the 1960s. Since its release, Xarelto and Eliquis have also joined the anticoagulant market with only a year separating their respective releases.

The main market point of Pradaxa was convenience, as it could be prescribed in one dose and did not require adjusting or frequent monitoring by a physician.

However, Pradaxa and the other new anticoagulants did not have an approved reversal remedy available in the case of uncontrollable internal bleeding injuries.

Like other anticoagulants, Pradaxa works by inhibiting the body’s clotting ability that also stops the body from ceasing internal injuries.

For many years, warfarin was the only anticoagulant with an approved and widely available bleeding remedy while Pradaxa’s recent antidote came five years after its release, with many patients suffering from bleeding during that time.

Many experts state that the convenience of Pradaxa’s single dose prescription had resulted in the numerous bleeding injuries reported by patients. Many patients complain that gastrointestinal bleeding, brain bleed, and other internal bleeding injuries were not mentioned Pradaxa’s warning label.

Boehringer Ingelheim has already had to settle numerous Pradaxa lawsuits, but it is expected that thousands of lawsuits will continue to be filed. Potential Pradaxa bleeding claimants should contact a specialized lawyer to determine if they have a claim.