Pradaxa Internal Bleeding Risk During Surgery

By Top Class Actions | June 20, 2012

Category: Pharmaceuticals

Boehringer Ingelheim Says Stopping Pradaxa 48 Hours Before Surgery Lowers Risk of Bleeding Compared to Coumadin (warfarin)

By Scott Hardy

Pradaxa Pills internal bleeding lawsuit attorney

Boehringer Ingelheim recently released information to European media stating that Pradaxa users were better off than Coumadin (warfarin) users if they stopped taking Pradaxa at least 48 hours before their surgery takes place. Top Class Actions recently wrote about the risk Pradaxa patients put themselves in if they choose to take Pradaxa and undergo surgery. Now, Boehringer Ingelheim has released details of a study that shows Pradaxa patients have much less of a risk of developing a bleed while undergoing surgery compared to patients taking Coumadin (warfarin.) This is one of the major reasons doctors as what medication patients take multiple times before they go into surgery. If a patient is taking Pradaxa, and doesn’t stop taking the anticoagulant drug at least 48 hours before the surgery, they could bleed out while on the table.

One of the main reasons cited in the Boehringer Ingelheim’s study is that Pradaxa passes through a patient’s system relatively quickly. In fact, Pradaxa only has a half life of 12 – 17 hours compared to 36 hours for Coumadin (warfarin.) Half life is the time it takes a drug to drop to 50% or less efficiency. Obviously warfarin stays in a patients system longer which may result in more bleeds.

Uncontrollable internal bleeding and massive hemorrhage are alleged to be a severe side effects of Pradaxa. Pradaxa users who have suffered these side effects are filing lawsuits that allege Pradaxa’s serious, and previously unadvertised, side effects may kill. Families of loved ones who died from severe internal bleeding and hemorrhage are filing wrongful death lawsuits against Boehringer Ingelheim as well. Pradaxa internal bleeding or hemorrhage lawsuits typically allege that Boehringer Ingelheim did not adequately inform patients and their prescribing doctors of the risks of uncontrollable bleeds associated with Pradaxa usage. Pradaxa wrongful death lawsuits also allege that Boehringer Ingelheim did not warn or otherwise advise on how to help stop severe internal bleeding should it occur. Patients taking Coumadin (warfarin) who suffer internal bleeding or hemorrhage can flush their system with vitamin k to counteract Coumadin’s effectiveness, allowing their blood to clot effectively again and stop the bleed. Pradaxa internal bleeding lawsuits allege that the only way to control the bleed is to flush the patient’s system of Pradaxa via dialysis which takes 2-3 hours to remove the anticoagulant (dabigatran) from at least 60% of the patient’s system. There is no drug or antidote to Pradaxa other than flushing it from the patient’s system. While a patient is on dialysis they may bleed out and die or require multiple blood transfusions to survive. Doctors are looking for alternative ways to stop Pradaxa patients from bleeding out and Boehringer Ingelheim has stated they are working on an “antidote.” Pradaxa users who experienced Internal Bleeding should contact a Pradaxa hemorrhage attorney immediately.

The news that Pradaxa patients may be able to safely undergo surgery after just 48 hours off the anticoagulant drug without fear of uncontrollable internal bleeding may be a godsend to patients and Boehringer Ingelheim. Patients can take a drug to help reduce their risk of stroke that doesn’t have the changes to diet and other complications that Coumadin (warfarin) has and Boehringer Ingelheim can continue to make billions of dollars off their blockbuster atrial fibrillation drug. It’s important to note that this study was released by Boehringer Ingelheim and hasn’t been corroborated by an unbiased party yet.

It’s extremely important that Pradaxa users are aware of the symptoms of internal bleeding even if they aren’t scheduled for surgery. If you are on Pradaxa you may be experiencing internal bleeding if you have pink or brown urine, red or black stools, bruises that happen without a known cause and may get larger, if you are coughing up blood or blood clots and/or vomiting blood or your vomit includes particles that look like coffee grounds. If you or a family member are taking, or were taking Pradaxa or a blood thinner medication like Coumadin, and experienced internal bleeding or hemorrhage, you may be able to file a lawsuit to help you pay for your expenses, pain and suffering, and recovery. In addition, the spouse of a plaintiff in a Pradaxa lawsuit may be able to join as a co-plaintiff and sue for “loss of consortium” with their spouse.

Dr. Jeff Healey, of McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, stated that keeping patients off their atrial fibrillation treatment as short a time as possible is critical for their health. Dr. Healey said “…a shorter interruption of protection from thromboembolic complications [stroke] than warfarin, while still ensuring adequate haemostasis [blood clotting] at the time of surgery.”

While this is great news for current Pradaxa patients it doesn’t help if you or a loved one has already suffered a hemorrhage or severe internal bleed allegedly caused by Pradaxa. If you would like more information about filing a Pradaxa internal bleeding class action lawsuit, would like to speak with experienced Pradaxa lawyers who are actively filing internal bleeding cases, or would like to file a Pradaxa wrongful death lawsuit just go to the Pradaxa Internal Bleeding Class Action Lawsuit Investigation page. Pradaxa attorneys are actively investigating all claims regarding internal bleeding, hemorrhage and other problems which may have been caused by Pradaxa or Coumadin (warfarin.) Remember, the Pradaxa lawyers who work with Top Class Actions will tell you if you have a case for free. There’s never any charge for an initial consultation with an attorney filing Pradaxa lawsuit you find through Top Class Actions.

You can read the full press release from Boehringer Ingelheim here.

Updated June 20th, 2012

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