Why Patients Using Blood Thinners Are Filing Lawsuits

Blood thinners, also called anticoagulants, prevent or treat blood clots inside of veins and arteries. They are most commonly prescribed after a heart attack or stroke but can be prescribed as a preventative measure after hip or knee replacements. They can also be prescribed for cases of heart disease, heart valve disease, and irregular heart rhythms.

How Blood Thinners Work

Blood thinners work by decreasing the blood’s ability to clot in one of two ways. In anticoagulants, the medication can either prevent blood cells from sticking together or can make the process take longer by neutralizing clotting factors in the blood. In the case of anti-platelets, a blood thinner can prevent irregularly-shaped cell fragments in the blood called platelets from clumping together. If these clots are not broken up, they can slow or stop the flow of blood to the lungs, heart, or brain and cause heart attacks or strokes. Blood thinners can reduce the risk of getting either disease but cannot break up clots that have already formed.

Types of Blood Thinner Medications

After a heart attack, it’s possible that your doctor will prescribe aspirin to help keep blood thin. Physicians may decide against aspirin and prescribe one of these blood thinner medications:

• Warfarin
• Eliquis
• Pradaxa
• Xarelto
• Savaysa

Side Effects of Blood Thinners

Because anticoagulant medicine prevents the blood from clotting, one of the more serious side effects associated with blood thinners is excessive bleeding. Other serious effects can include:

• Bruising
• Blood in urine
• Coughing or vomiting blood
• Bleeding gums
• Jaundice (yellowing) or purple coloration of the fingers and toes
• Hair loss

Patients may experience less severe side effects, including:

• Fatigue
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Rash
• Flu-like symptoms
• Dark stools
• Sore throat

Reports of Uncontrollable Bleeding

There are many anticoagulant medications, but of those, Xarelto in particular has received scrutiny as of late: Hundreds of patients prescribed Xarelto are reporting instances of uncontrollable bleeding because Xarelto does not contain an antidote that allows blood to begin clotting once bleeding begins. Xarelto blocks all other external antidote options (such as injections) as well.

Xarelto Lawsuits in the United States

Thousands of patients who experienced uncontrollable bleeding while taking Xarelto are filing lawsuits alleging that the manufacturer favored profit over the health of Xarelto users. Patients claim that they were never sufficiently warned of the risk for excessive bleeding before taking Xarelto. Patients also allege that, without proper warning for the deadly risks, they were unable to consider alternative blood thinner medications such as Warfarin, which does contain an antidote.

Filing a Blood Thinner Lawsuit

Patients injured from Xarelto or their families file lawsuits to obtain financial compensation for:

• Funeral expenses
• Medical expenses
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress

Persons are also filing lawsuits against drug manufacturers for:

• Knowingly releasing a harmful drug to the public
• Improper or inadequate marketing
• Forging data

Contact a Drug Injury Attorney Today

If you or a loved one have suffered from uncontrollable bleeding after taking Xarelto or other blood thinners, you are urged to contact the Indianapolis Drug Injury Attorneys of Wilson Kehoe Winingham. The lawyers at WKW can help you get the compensation you deserve. Call 317.920.6400 or fill out an online contact form for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.

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