Pradaxa gastrointestinal bleeding is a life threatening complication that all patients taking the anticoagulant need to be wary of.

There have been numerous product liability claims alleging Boehringer Ingelheim failed to adequately warn patients against the severity of Pradaxa gastrointestinal bleeding, with one of the most recently filed by a grieving woman from Georgia.

Plaintiff Crystal W. alleges her loved one, Betty Y., died due to the effects of Pradaxa gastrointestinal bleeding. Her suit says this risk was allegedly not mentioned or not well explained on the drug’s warning label.

According to the Pradaxa lawsuit, Betty had been prescribed the anticoagulant to treat her non valvular atrial fibrillation, which is a typical use for this medication.

Pradaxa and other blood thinners work by inhibiting the body’s clotting mechanism, which allows for easier circulation. However, this also prevents the body from being able to recover from minor bleeds, like Pradaxa gastrointestinal bleeding, and can quickly become fatal.

This was alleged to be the case with Betty. Crystal says she suffered major Pradaxa gastrointestinal bleeding on Nov. 16, 2016, which caused Betty to be hospitalized for several days. While she was taken off her Pradaxa prescription, Betty was unable to fully recover from the internal bleeding effects. In addition, Betty was now at risk for blood clot complications because she could not be prescribed anticoagulants after the incident.

According to the Pradaxa lawsuit, Betty suffered a massive pulmonary embolism on Dec. 10, 2016, and died several days later on Dec. 14. The Pradaxa lawsuit alleges that Betty died approximately eight years before her life expectancy, which Crystal claims was undercut by Pradaxa gastrointestinal bleeding.

Crystal filed legal action against Boehringer Ingelheim, after discovering other patients had suffered similar Pradaxa gastrointestinal bleeding events.

Overview of Pradaxa Gastrointestinal Bleeding Problems

Pradaxa was approved by the FDA in 2011, and was the first medication to be approved for anticoagulant treatment purposes since warfarin in the 1960s. When Pradaxa was released, Boehringer Ingelheim focused on the drug’s single dose prescription feature and stated it was more efficient than warfarin.

The single dose prescription feature attracted many patients quickly, because warfarin required frequent doctor visits for dose adjustments. However Pradaxa did not have an approved reversal agent for years, while warfarin patients could implement vitamin K. It was not until 2015 that Praxbind was released, which was five years after Pradaxa was released.

The FDA issued a warning regarding potentially fatal Pradaxa internal bleeding in December 2011, with the agency stating there had been over 307 injury reports submitted within the first three months on the market. Furthermore, there were over 206 deaths reportedly caused by Pradaxa gastrointestinal bleeding, other internal bleeding, hemorrhage, and stroke during its first year on the market.

Patients should be wary of any signs or symptoms of Pradaxa gastrointestinal bleeding including, but not limited to:

• Dark or Tarry Stool
• Blood in Urine
• Frequent Nose Bleeds
• Bleeding Gums
• Vomiting Blood (looks like coffee grounds)

Crystal alleges Boehringer Ingelheim did not disclose any of this information to Betty, and states she would not have agreed to take the anticoagulant if she had been aware of potentially fatal Pradaxa gastrointestinal bleeding risks.

This Pradaxa Lawsuit is Case No. 1:18-cv-05284-ELR, in the U.S. District Court of Northern Georgia, Atlanta Division.