Dangerous drugs with serious side effects are used everyday in America. Many pharmaceutical companies put profits over people and push dangerous prescription drugs that have serious side effects on those taking medications. Recently we wrote about Actos and bladder cancer. Now another dangerous drug is being used to treat people called Pradaxa, also called dabigatran (its generic name). Pradaxa is a prescription blood-thinning medication that is used to reduce the risk of stroke and blood clots in people with cardiac arrhythmia.  It was approved by the FDA in 2010 and has become popular because many physicians feel it is better and easier then the drug that has been most used in the past for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation without valvular heart disease, Warfarin. While many people benefit from taking Pradaxa, those who are injured from taking dabigatran should speak to a Pradaxa lawsuit lawyer to get legal advice. Serious side effects of Pradaxa have been reported, including the risk of:

• Excessive bleeding
• Internal bleeding
• Gastrointestinal bleeding
• Brain hemorrhaging
• Kidney bleeding
• Peripheral embolism
• Death

Over 260 deaths have been reported from those who were taking Pradaxa, according to Boehringer Ingelheim who makes the drug. As the number of prescriptions increases, the number of deaths will also continue to rise. In December the FDA started investigating the reports of deaths related to Pradaxa but have not issued a recall as they believe the benefits of taking Pradaxa outweigh the risks.

In a study on Pradaxa by RE-LY that included 18,000 participants who were treated either with Pradaxa or warfarin, although the risk of major bleeding was similar for Prdaxa at 150 mg twice daily and warfarin, researchers have pointed out that gastrointestinal bleeding was significantly more common with Pradaxa.

If you lost a loved one or have dealt with serious side effects from taking Pradaxa, it is in your best interest to contact a Pradaxa attorney to find out your legal rights and options.