The side effects of the drug Pradaxa have been well documented in thousands of Pradaxa lawsuits from claimants alleging the anticoagulant caused them to suffer internal bleeding complications.

The side effects of the drug Pradaxa mentioned in these claims include deadly possibilities including gastrointestinal bleeding and cerebral hemorrhaging, neither of which were allegedly omitted from the drug’s warning label.

Pradaxa is a new generation anticoagulant, and was the first medication to be approved for blood thinning purposes since warfarin in the 1950s.

Boehringer Ingelheim managed to get FDA approval for Pradaxa, with the drug entering the United States market in 2010. This medication is primarily used to prevent stroke and treat atrial fibrillation in high risk patients by inhibiting the body’s clotting mechanism.

However this also prevents the body from being able to recover from internal bleeding injuries, which have been resulted in the severe bleeding side effects of the drug Pradaxa. Patients who take Pradaxa should be aware of potential symptoms for internal bleeding complications including:

• Unusual bleeding or bruising
• Pink or brown urine
• Red or black stool
• Coughing blood
• Headaches or fatigue
• Bleeding from gums or nose bleeds
• Weakness or swelling in arms, hands, feet, ankles or lower legs

The risks of side effects of the drug Pradaxa are especially high in older patients, as their kidneys may be unable to process the medication. When the kidneys are unable to process of Pradaxa, the body may have dangerously high circulation levels and the risk of Pradaxa complications is dramatically increased.

Gastrointestinal bleeding may also be higher in Pradaxa patients who take other medications linked to internal bleeding complications, like non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or other anticoagulants.

Even though the side effects of the drug Pradaxa could be potentially fatal for patients, Boehringer Ingelheim allegedly failed to disclose this information to the public.

Overview of Pradaxa Side Effects Allegations

All federal Pradaxa lawsuits have been consolidated into a multidistrict litigation (MDL), where thousands of claims are streamlined into a single process. These Pradaxa lawsuits were all transferred to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, pending before Judge David Herndon.

In May 2014, Boehringer Ingelheim offered $650 million to settle all existing claims in the Pradaxa MDL ─ about 4,000 individual Pradaxa lawsuits. Patients who have suffered dangerous Pradaxa side effects since then may be in a position to bring a Pradaxa lawsuit of their own.