Family members of loved ones taking Xarelto have been looking into the effects of Xarelto in elderly men and women.

Xarelto is recently under investigation for allegedly causing serious side effects in patients, which includes internal bleeding in the elderly and brain bleeds in the elderly.

What is Xarelto?

Xarelto
, generically known as rivaroxaban, is a popular anticoagulant medication. The medication is prescribed to patients in order to lower the risk of blot clots and stroke after surgery or in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Xarelto is relatively new to the market and was approved by the FDA back in 2011. Xarelto belongs to a new generation of blood thinning medications known as thrombin inhibitors.

Thrombin inhibitors work by directly inhibiting the enzyme thrombin in the the blood stream. The enzyme thrombin is required in the formation of fibrin, which is an essential component of blood clots. Fibrin is an insoluble protein that forms a fibrous mesh in the blood stream and impedes the flow of blood.

This new generation of blood thinners works in a different way from more traditional blood thinners like Warfarin, also known as Coumadin. Warfarin has been an FDA approved blood thinner on the market for decades. The medicine works by blocking the bodies ability to form vitamin K-dependent clotting factors. Patients taking Warfarin must undergo constant blood monitoring and follow a strict diet, these restrictions are not required of patients taking Xarelto.

When patients taking Warfarin experience uncontrolled bleeds they can seek assistance from a medical professional and be given a dose of Vitamin K mixed with fresh or frozen plasma. This helps counteract the anticoagulant effects of Warfarin.

Until very recently the new generation of blood thinners had no FDA approved antidote. This caused several patients to experience deadly Xarelto side effects.

Side Effects of Xarelto in Elderly Patients

One of the major risks for all blood thinners is uncontrolled bleeding due to having thinner blood. While excessive bleeding can occur in any area of the body, the most serious bleeding often involves internal bleeding in the elderly and/or a brain bleed in the elderly.

Patients taking a blood thinner like Xarelto who experiences a fall or accident should share this information with their medical professional.

Medical assistance should be sought if the patient experiences any symptoms or signs of uncontrolled bleeding or excessive bruising. Xarelto uncontrolled bleeding symptoms include blood in the urine or stool, bleeding from the gums, nosebleeds, and vomiting blood. In some cases, a serious headache may be a sign of a brain bleed in the elderly.

A study performed in 2011 found that Xarelto patients were twice as likely to experience uncontrolled bleeding as patients taking other blood thinning medications like Lovenox. In 2012 the FDA received over 1,700 adverse event reports relating to the use of Xarelto and 233 of those adverse reports ended in death.

Xarelto in Elderly Patients Lawsuits

Family members who have had loved ones who took Xarelto and experienced brain bleeding in the elderly or internal bleeding in the elderly may be able to bring a Xarelto lawsuit. Successful plaintiffs may receive compensation for the pain and suffering they endured along with their past and future medical bills related to adverse Xarelto side effects.