Pradaxa may be one of the more popular blood thinners, but according to a growing number of lawsuits, Pradaxa bleeding risks might be more trouble than they’re worth.

Thousands of lawsuits over Pradaxa bleeding risks have been filed against the manufacturer of Pradaxa, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals.

Given the blood thinner’s popularity, more lawsuits are expected to be filed in the near future.

Pradaxa Basics

Blood thinners are used to prevent blood clotting problems, which can cause a number of dangerous or even fatal conditions.

Pradaxa, a blood thinner also known by its generic name, dabigatran, was first approved as an anticoagulant by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2010.

Warfarin was the most popular anticoagulant for years, and Pradaxa was introduced as a new alternative to the old staple.

Pradaxa was advertised as more convenient than warfarin for its users, since Pradaxa patients were not required to undergo frequent blood testing.

This was a huge selling point for a vast number of anticoagulant users, and Pradaxa quickly caught up to warfarin in sales.

However, despite its sudden widespread use, Pradaxa was actually associated with significant Pradaxa bleeding risks.

Pradaxa Bleeding Risks

Any medication will have side effects, and this is to be expected. Blood thinners are no different.

Many blood thinners can cause side effects of easy and excessive bruising and bleeding. This side effect has a simple explanation: if the body is unable to form blood clots, bruising and bleeding can become more extreme, which can be dangerous or even fatal in emergency situations.

However, Pradaxa bleeding risks may be even more dangerous to those who suffer from its bleeding side effects.

This is because, unlike warfarin and other blood thinners, Pradaxa does not have a reversal agent or antidote to combat excessive Pradaxa bleeding.

Ultimately, this makes Pradaxa bleedings risks a more substantial threat.

Indeed, Pradaxa bleeding risk can lead to heart attacks, liver failure, uncontrollable bleeding, and death.  Over 3,700 separate Pradaxa bleeding complications were reported in 2011, over 500 of which were fatal.

Considering the popularity and widespread usage of Pradaxa, this drug has the potential to effect millions. After less than two years on the market, sales of Pradaxa had skyrocketed, and 3.7 million U.S. patients had chosen to use Pradaxa.

However, because of the allegations that Pradaxa comes with severe Pradaxa bleeding risks, frequent blood monitoring may be necessary to prevent these side effects from developing.

The fact that Pradaxa does not officially require monitoring may put its users at even greater risk.

Pradaxa Bleeding Risks Lawsuits

Despite these lawsuits and reports of serious Pradaxa bleeding risks, Pradaxa’s manufacturer still does not require the drug to be monitored during use. The pharmaceutical company has stated since this information was released that Pradaxa still offers more benefits than risks. Many Pradaxa users disagree, and have since decided to file Pradaxa lawsuits.

Pradaxa lawsuits allege that Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals failed to adequately warn the public and the medical community about the severity of the Pradaxa bleeding risks.

If you or someone you know has taken Pradaxa and has subsequently experienced side effects of Pradaxa such as excessive bleeding or hemorrhaging, you may have cause for filing a Pradaxa lawsuit.