Xarelto is an anticoagulant—commonly referred to as a “blood thinner.” Blood thinners are used to prevent dangerous and life-threatening blood clots and Xarelto was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use by individuals who have had hip or knee replacements or who suffer from pulmonary embolism (PE) or deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
While Xarelto, approved in 2011, is more costly than some other anticoagulants, it may be preferable to many patients for several reasons. For example, unlike older blood thinners, Xarelto comes in a uniform dose so a personalized dose does not have to be determined for each user. Additionally, Xarelto users do not have to significantly their lifestyle or diet and frequent check-ins with a physician and blood tests are not needed.
Potentially dangerous effects of Xarelto
While Xarelto seems to have many benefits for individuals at high risk for blood clots, there have also been many users who have suffered serious unintended effects of the drugs. The most common dangerous effect of Xarelto is uncontrollable bleeding. Because Xarelto specifically prevents clotting, bleeding due to a fall or injury will often be unstoppable. Xarelto can also lead to the following:
- Internal bleeding
- Brain bleeds
- Spinal bleeds or spinal hematomas
- Bleeding in the abdomen or intestines
- Bleeding from the rectum
- Other hemorrhaging
While all anticoagulants come with the risk of bleeding, most have an antidote—such as vitamin K—that can be used to stop the bleeding. Xarelto, however, does not have any such antidote and a victim's bleeding often cannot be stopped until the drug has fully left their system. During this time, many Xarelto users have not survived the bleeding.
Injured Xarelto users and their families have rights
If you have suffered unnecessary injury and losses due to internal bleeding from Xarelto or if your loved one died due to these dangerous effects of Xarelto, you may be entitled to significant compensation from the manufacturer, Bayer. Please do not hesitate to call an experienced Xarelto lawyer at Michigan Injury Lawyers by dialing (888) 454-0801 to find out how we can help you today.