Where effectiveness is concerned, the blood thinner Eliquis has been touted for its ability to prevent blood clots better than warfarin.

However, reports of Eliquis adverse side effects have many patients and the medical community concerned about the drug’s safety.

Eliquis is prescribed to prevent strokes and blood clots such as deep vein thrombosis. The patients given this drug are told that it will block the formation of blood clots and that it could save their lives.

But these patients often don’t realize a crucial truth: Eliquis adverse side effects may put them at risk for life-threatening internal bleeding, and there is no antidote.

About Eliquis

Eliquis (apixaban) was developed jointly by Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb and is an anticoagulant, or blood thinner, approved by the FDA in 2012.

Originally, Eliquis was approved for stroke prevention in patients who have a heartbeat irregularity known as atrial fibrillation. Use was later expanded to patients at risk for pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis, conditions also caused by blood clots.

Eliquis is in the same family of anticoagulants as Pradaxa and Xarelto. These medications were widely proclaimed to be far superior to the previous blood thinning medication, warfarin (Coumadin) because they were claimed to require less patient blood monitoring and fewer dietary restrictions.

Eliquis Adverse Side Effects

Unfortunately, Eliquis has been linked to serious internal bleeding side effects. These Eliquis adverse side effects can be extremely difficult to treat.

In addition, the Mayo Clinic lists a number of additional Eliquis adverse side effects linked to the blood thinner, including:

• swelling near eyes and lips
• swollen tongue, difficulty swallowing
• constipation
• severe belly pain
• nausea, vomiting
• bruises or other skin reactions, hives
• disorientation
• inability to concentrate
• dizziness, fainting
• accelerated heart rate
• blood in urine
• blood in eyes
• nosebleeds (or “epistaxis”)
• blood in stool (often looks black, not red)
• vomiting blood

No Reversal Agent

The risks of blood thinners are well established. But Eliquis is part of a new class of blood thinners that do not have reversal agents.

A reversal agent is like an antidote—a way to turn the drug “off” if internal bleeding is discovered.

Past anticoagulants do have reversal agents. Warfarin, a previous generation drug from a different class of blood thinners, can be reversed with the simple remedy of Vitamin K. If a patient has a bleeding event, the Vitamin K can be administered and their blood will clot normally.

For Eliquis patients this is not an option.

As a result, doctors may not be able to properly treat Eliquis patients should they start bleeding internally, putting them at risk for serious injury and death.

What Should You Do If You Were Harmed by Eliquis

Drug manufacturers, including the maker of Eliquis, are responsible for releasing safe and effective drugs into the marketplace.

When these companies put the public at risk for serious injury by selling a defective drug, they can be held accountable through lawsuits.

If you or a loved one suffered Eliquis adverse side effects like internal bleeding, you may be able to file an Eliquis lawsuit and recover compensation for your losses.