Pradaxa is a new blood thinning drug that doctors have hoped can reduce the risk of stroke in individuals who take it. Yet some doctors are realizing that this answer to the issues of warfarin and other ancient heart medicines may actually have its own set of dangerous, and even fatal, side effects. Allegedly, Pradaxa has caused internal bleeding in patients, which has caused serious injuries and even death. The pill is supposed to be taken twice daily, and it was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in October of 2010. The drug was hailed as a preventative answer to the irregular heartbeat order called atrial fibrillation. About 3 million Americans are diagnosed with this illness, which causes blood to pool in the chambers of the heart. The dangers come when that blood starts to clot, or begins to travel up to the brain. In some cases, the condition can trigger a stroke.

For years, people with atrial fibrillation have taken warfarin, but this new oral medication was supposed to transfer the way that doctors handled the illness. Warfarin comes with the risks of brain hemorrhages and internal bleeding. People who have to take this medication must be closely monitored and undergo strict dietary changes. Patients have always been skeptical of warfarin because the drug has the potential to be dangerous if used wrong. Now, doctors are realizing that Pradaxa has the same potential. Just because a medicine is new doesn’t make it better than an old alternative. Pradaxa can be fatal if it is mixed with the wrong meds. Another similar drug called Xaretto has the same risks attached.

Originally, physicians hoped that these new prescriptions would eliminate the need for people with atrial fibrillation to be monitored. Unfortunately that is far from the truth. Both blood-thinners come with the dangers of stroke, serious internal bleeding and blood clotting. Patients with poor kidney function are at an added risk to dangerous, deathly side-effects. The media noted the dangers of these medicines in March when a case study showed that an elderly Utah patient who was taking Pradaxa developed a brain hemorrhage and died. The research program Safe Medication Practices noted that 542 reports of death associated with Pradaxa were reported to the FDA in 2011. That means that this is the most dangerous medicine on record at present.

Boehringer, the company that created this drug, is currently under fire in various wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits. Some doctors and scientists say that they think the hype will blow over and that the drug will be able to accomplish its goal as a low-maintenance blood thinner. The drug manufacturers have warned the press that there were less evidences of brain bleeding with Pradaxa and Xaretto than there were with warfarin. 33 million warfarin prescriptions were filled last year, while only 2.2 million prescriptions were filled for Pradaxa. Doctors suggest that anyone with atrial fibrillation have a check up and get their kidneys tested for good function before they begin taking Pradaxa.

One cardiologist at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles says that the drug is not dangerous, but like many others, it can prove fatal if it is used improperly. He says that every complaint he has ever received with regards to Pradaxa has come down to the fact that the patients misused the drug. When it is coupled with other medication, taken without the proper sustenance or liquids, or used at the wrong dosage, then it will create a complication. While this may be true, when you are hurt or someone you love is killed by the effects of a drug that has not been researched properly, you have the right to sue your doctor for medical malpractice. Talk to a medical malpractice attorney today if you need more information about how to file a lawsuit against your physician or the pharmaceutical company that offered you Pradaxa, Xaretto, or any other dangerous prescription.