Blood thinners are medications used to prevent blood clots from forming in the body.

Preventing blood clots is important because a blood clot can block the flow of blood to the heart, lungs or brain causing serious or even fatal consequences.

Blood thinners can either be taken orally or intravenously. Many individuals, especially older adults, take blood thinners as a preventative measure to stop blood clots before they have a chance to form.

There are two main types of blood thinner medications: antiplatelet drugs and anticoagulant drugs.

Aspirin is a commonly used antiplatelet drug which prevents platelets (blood cells) from clumping together to form clots. Anticoagulant drugs are the other type of blood thinner, and these are often prescribed to individuals suffering from heart disease. Anticoagulants prevent clots from forming by increasing the amount of time it takes for your blood to clot.

Use of Blood Thinners

Blood thinners are used primarily as a preventative measure when an individual has a condition that may predispose him or her to clots. Some conditions include:

• Atrial fibrillation
• Congestive heart failure
• Deep vein thrombosis
• Heart valve replacement
• Obesity (as a preventative measure since obesity is linked to heart disease)
• Pulmonary embolism
• Phlebitis

Side Effects of Blood Thinner Medication

While blood thinners can prevent a lot of serious consequences resulting from blood clots, sometimes the blood thinner itself can cause serious or fatal side effects. The most dangerous risk of blood thinners is the uncontrolled bleeding side effect that may occur with blood thinner medication use, and most importantly uncontrolled internal bleeding.

The very same mechanism that makes blood thinner medication is what makes it risky to use. Because the body’s natural clotting mechanism is essentially “overridden” by using blood thinners, when the body does need to form a clot, it can’t.

For example, an individual cutting himself with a knife when preparing dinner will have a wound that will continue to bleed because the body will not be able to make the blood clot to stop the bleeding naturally. Fortunately, this kind of injury is easily seen and can be attended to immediately.

Internal bleeding injuries are more serious because they can happen for a while before any external signs are seen. A simple bump on the head getting into the car, or bumping into furniture in the house could be very serious if it triggers internal bleeding, which isn’t all that difficult to do when the body is more sensitive as a result of blood thinners.

While the internal bleeding cannot be seen, other signs and symptoms in the body can point to internal bleeding. Medical help should be sought immediately if these symptoms are experienced. These include:

• Unusual bruising
• Pink or brown urine
• Red or black tarry stool
• Vomiting a substance that looks like coffee grounds
• Bleeding gums or frequent nose bleeds
• Weakness and swelling of the extremities

Reversing the Effects of Blood Thinner Medication

For patients on certain types of blood thinner medication, like warfarin (Coumadin), an emergency-room intervention of intravenous vitamin K and fresh frozen plasma can act quickly to reverse the blood thinner medication effects and restore normal clotting.

However, in new generation oral anticoagulant drugs such as Xarelto (rivaroxaban), no such antidote or reversal agent exists to stop the bleeding and restore the clotting mechanisms of the body. If a patient is taking Xarelto or a similar drug, the most a hospital can do is try to stabilize the patient and wait for the effects of the drug to wear off so the body will start making its own clots again.

In some situations where the internal bleeding occurs in a patient taking Xarelto or a similar drug, the effects of the internal bleed can cause serious internal damage or even death.

Blood Thinners and Internal Bleeding: Lawsuit Information

Over the last few years, thousands of reports have been made to the FDA about the internal bleeding risks associated with drug like Xarelto that lack a reversal agent. As a result of these internal bleeding complications, many patients have taken matters into their own hands and have filed lawsuits against the manufacturer for failing to warn about the severe side effects, among other allegations.

The number of lawsuits filed against Xarelto’s manufacturer is so numerous that the lawsuits were consolidated into a multidistrict litigation to allow for the cases to be streamlined.  Currently, there are more than 2,800 lawsuits in the Xarelto MDL.

If you or a loved one has suffered internal bleeding side effects from Xarelto or other blood thinner medication, you may have a legal claim. An attorney can review your case for free and can assist you in understanding your legal options.