A Tennessee woman recently filed an Eliquis lawsuit against Bristol-Myers Squibb, alleging that the blood thinning drug causes severe and dangerous internal bleeding complications.

Plaintiff Leslie M. began taking Eliquis at the direction of her physician in order to reduce her risk of stroke and pulmonary embolism.

However, the Eliquis lawsuit alleges that Leslie has since suffered from a series of complications, including internal bleeding, as a direct result of using Eliquis.

According to the Eliquis lawsuit, Leslie experienced gastrointestinal bleeding, erythema multiforme (a skin condition), hemoptysis (coughing up blood), and pain and suffering after using Eliquis.

This Eliquis lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including negligence, fraudulent misrepresentation and concealment, and several others.

Eliquis Background

Eliquis is a popular blood thinner, used across the country to reduce the risk of stroke, but a growing number of Eliquis lawsuits allege that the blood thinner may offer greater risk than benefit.

Eliquis was approved as a blood thinner by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2012. Eliquis belongs to a class of blood thinners known as Factor Xa Inhibitors, a group which also includes Pradaxa and Xarelto. As drugs like these have increased in popularity, use of the traditional blood thinner warfarin has begun to fall.

Warfarin, however, comes along with an antidote that reverses any serious bleeding complications. Eliquis currently has no such antidote, and so its bleeding side effects can be much more severe and even life-threatening in major bleeding emergencies.

In most cases, patients do not experience severe Eliquis side effects, like internal bleeding. More often, if a patient suffers from Eliquis complications, these problems are mild, such as nausea, easy bruising, and bleeding problems like nosebleeds. These complications typically go away on their own and cause no real damage.

Eliquis Internal Bleeding Side Effects

Side effects of Eliquis and other blood thinners can, however, become quite severe. These drugs prevent blood clotting, which helps to prevent risk of problems like stroke and pulmonary embolism. However, there are some extreme circumstances in which blood clots can be life-saving.

This is in the case of major accidents or emergency surgeries, when the body creates blood clots to help stem the blood flow from any major wounds or surgical cuts. If a blood thinning drug like Eliquis has prevented blood from clotting, wounds that may otherwise have been treatable can become fatal.

Eliquis Internal Bleeding Lawsuits

Some patients have filed Eliquis lawsuits, claiming that the drug’s manufacturers, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer, Inc., actively misrepresented the safety and efficacy of Eliquis when compared to other blood thinning drugs.

Plaintiffs allege that these manufacturers had a responsibility to warn the public and the medical community about these risks and the lack of available antidote, and had they been given this warning, they would have chosen a safer alternative and avoided these risks altogether.

Filing an Eliquis lawsuit cannot take away the physical and emotional suffering of patients and families affected by internal bleeding side effects, but it can help to compensate for financial expenses incurred by medical bills and lost wages.

If you or someone you love has taken a blood thinning drug like Eliquis and subsequently suffered from internal bleeding problems, you may be able to file an Eliquis lawsuit.

The Eliquis Lawsuit is Case No. 2:16-cv-02361 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee.