Patients across the country are well aware that there is a potential danger of adverse side effects linked to prescription medications, with some being more severe than others.

For Pradaxa, along with other blood thinners, patients have to be vigilant against uncontrollable internal bleeding in the brain and other potential risks.

Pradaxa is a popular blood thinner, or anticoagulant, is often prescribed to treat atrial fibrillation in patients who are at a high risk of suffering stroke or other blood clot injuries.

This drug works by inhibiting the body’s ability to clot blood to allow maximum circulation for the at risk patients, which reportedly works well but has caused a number of adverse Pradaxa side effects in patients.

Pradaxa side effects can be potentially fatal and emergency intervention is often needed to resolve internal bleeding injuries.

Even though internal bleeding is a well known risk associated with any blood thinner, it has become the leading cause of death for Pradaxa patients.

According to the FDA, Pradaxa has been linked to thousands of internal bleeding incidents in which 542 of the events being fatal. In addition, the Institute of Safe Medication Practices had reported that internal bleeding incidents associated with Pradaxa side effects had been linked to more deaths and injuries than any of the other 800 drugs reviewed that year.

Even though Pradaxa has been linked to hundreds of deaths, Boehringer Ingelheim has repeatedly stated that the safety of the blood thinner is comparable to Warfarin.

The FDA had also conducted its own investigation into Pradaxa bleeding injuries, after receiving numerous injury reports. The agency noted that internal bleeding in the brain was one of the significant risks mentioned in the Pradaxa injury reports.

Overview of Pradaxa Bleeding Allegations

Initially when Pradaxa was released in 2010 there had been no bleeding antidote readily available to patients.

This contrasted greatly with America’s original blood thinner, Warfarin, in which patients implemented vitamin K in the case of internal bleeding.

In 2015, Boehringer Ingelheim released a bleeding antidote, Praxbind, which was put on the FDA fast track approval process after positive clinical review results indicated an immediate reversal in internal bleeding cases.

Even though this antidote is now available to patients, it came too late to many patients who had either been seriously injured or died from the Pradaxa bleeding incidents.

A number of Pradaxa patients have filed legal action against Boehringer Ingelehim for these adverse Pradaxa side effects, with a massive settlement reached in May 2014 in the amount of $650 million.

Potential claimants should contact a specialized lawyer, to determine if they have a Pradaxa lawsuit.