Pradaxa is an anticoagulant. This type of drug helps prevent blood clots which can lead to life-threatening conditions such as heart attack, strokes, and occlusions of other vessels secondary to blood clots. Pradaxa is manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim.
Patients receiving any type of anticoagulant therapy must be closely monitored for side effects. Diets must be monitored as well because certain foods and drugs can increase or decrease the effectiveness of this type of medication regimen.
Warfarin, a long-standing favorite in the anticoagulant industry and care of patients requiring anticoagulation therapy has long been the envy of many industry competitors. Therefore it is not surprising that Pradaxa was marketed as being superior to the age-old warfarin. However, it has been suggested in medical studies that Pradaxa is likely far more dangerous.
Common side effects include:
• Increased risk of nose bleeds and headaches
• Unusual bleeding and bruising
• Coughing up blood
• Bloody stool
• Discolored urine
• Swelling of legs
• Indigestion
Listed Serious side effects include:
• Gastrointestinal (GI) bleed
• Heart attack
• Brain hemorrhage
• Death
Despite claims from Boehringer Ingelheim that Pradaxa is superior to warfarin, the risks inherent in its young history appear not to worth the risk of the pill. However, Boehringer themselves reports Pradaxa to have caused 50 deaths but believes this to be reasonable.
Statistically, 50 deaths may be reasonable over an entire population for some specific reason. However, when affording that quantity of loss of life to a medication one would hardly consider it so. Further statistical findings continue to shine a graying light on this anticoagulant therapy newcomer.
• Medical journal, Therapeutics Initiative published a statement to the effect that Pradaxa should never have been approved because their clinical trials were flawed.
• A published medical study by Cleveland Clinic called Annals of Internal Medicine reported a 33% increased risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) with Pradaxa
• Since Pradaxa’s birth in the marketplace in 2010, nearly 18,000 adverse effect reports have been made
Much worse than the medical journals and the studies and beyond the adverse effects the statistical evidence against Pradaxa is nothing less than astounding.
• 35% increased risk of GI bleed (these can be deadly)
• 16.6% of all patients suffered abnormal bleeding
The worst statistic of all is this: a drug purported to save lives, trusted by many to save them or decrease their risk for life-altering events, is suspected as the primary cause in 1847 deaths.
Drugs, money, claims, risks, journal, and published papers mean nothing at this point. Dead is dead and Pradaxa is believed to be responsible for over 1,800 of them.
Mark Kaire has been practicing law in Miami for nearly 30 years. He is dedicated to helping the injured people of Miami receive compensation. Mr. Kaire has been blogging on Miami’s legal issues for many years.