Pradaxa Injuries – FAQs
Tell me about Pradaxa.
Pradaxa was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October 2010. The drug is used to reduce the risk of blood clots and strokes in patients with heart valve problems or with a heart condition known as Atrial Fibrillation.
What is Atrial Fibrillation and how does Pradaxa help?
Atrial Fibrillation involves excessively rapid, uncoordinated contractions of the upper chambers of the heart. People with Atrial Fibrillation are at a much higher risk of stroke. Pradaxa works by inhibiting thrombin, an enzyme in the blood which controls blood clotting.
What is the problem with Pradaxa?
Pradaxa has a dangerous side effect of internal bleeding which has caused death in undiagnosed patients where the bleeding was not discovered in a timely manner.
What are the signs and symptoms of Pradaxa’s side effects?
Fatigue, unusual bruising or bleeding, pink or brown urine, red or black tarry stools, coughing up blood, vomiting material that is bloody, bleeding from the gums, recurrent nosebleeds, joint pain or swelling, prolonged headaches, dizziness, weakness, and swelling of the arms, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs.
What is the main difference between another blood thinner Warfarin, and Pradaxa?
When the patient taking Warfarin experiences excessive bleeding, doctors can reverse the effects of the bleeding through injections of Vitamin K. However, no such antidote exists to reverse the effects of Pradaxa when excessive bleeding occurs.
Did the manufacturer of Pradaxa know about this problem before they made it available to the public?
A letter published in a medical journal, Therapeutics Initiative, stated that manufacturer Boehringer Ingelheim knew that there were serious flaws in their initial Pradaxa drug trial in order to gain FDA approval.
What is the government doing?
Despite 260 deaths worldwide directly linked to Pradaxa, the FDA presently states that patients using Pradaxa should continue its use for now.
Have lawsuits been filed against the makers of Pradaxa?
Yes, lawsuits have been filed and many more are yet to come. Many believe Boehringer Ingelheim should have placed a warning on the medication making doctors and patients aware that there currently exists no quick way to manage a bleed in the body caused by Pradaxa.
What is your advice to anyone watching this video?
If you or anyone you know is over the age of 75 or has a history of kidney problems and are taking Pradaxa, please be aware of the risk. If you suffer a health issue after using Pradaxa, first speak to your doctor to determine if Pradaxa was responsible, and then call an pharmaceutical litigation attorney in Baltimore who can protect your rights.
Attorney Steve Heisler
Steve Heisler decided in 1996 that he was going to focus his law practice exclusively on injury cases. Since then, he has been representing injured people against insurance companies, disreputable medical practitioners and Big Pharma, and doing it with compassion, honesty and level-headed rationality. [ Attorney Bio ]
