Xarelto (rivaroxaban) is a drug made by Bayer and marketed in the United States by Janssen, a division of Johnson & Johnson. It is given to patients to prevent blood clots and stroke. Unlike other older drugs used for the same purpose, Xarelto requires no blood testing and only needs to be taken once a day.
Unfortunately, there is evidence Xarelto could trigger uncontrollable internal bleeding that could be fatal. There is no known antidote to stop bleeding events when triggered by Xarelto use.
Many Xarelto users and their families have filed lawsuits against Bayer because they have experienced bleeding events after using the drug. There are approximately 20,000 lawsuits pending in state and federal courts, many of which were consolidated under multidistrict litigation in Louisiana and Pennsylvania. The first trial in Philadelphia was scheduled to begin in late 2017.
Side Effects of Xarelto
Like all drugs, Xarelto puts users at risk for side effects. Some of these are mild, but many are serious and can be an indication of internal bleeding. If you experience any of the following, you need to seek medical attention as soon as possible:
- Frequent nosebleeds or bleeding from the gums
- Red, pink, or brown urine
- Bleeding from wounds that won’t stop
- Headaches, weakness, dizziness, or faintness
- Low blood pressure or loss of consciousness
- Bright red or black stool that looks like tar
- Heavier than usual menstrual bleeding or unexpected vaginal bleeding
- Wounds with pain, swelling, or new drainage at the site
- Coughing up blood or blood clots
- Blood in vomit or vomit that looks like “coffee grounds”
Additionally, there is some concern Xarelto use could be linked to an increased risk for hepatitis, platelet deficiency, wound infections, and development of a severe skin disorder.
Despite Xarelto being marketed as more convenient and safer than Warfarin, there is evidence the drug puts users at risk for uncontrolled bleeding.
In its annual report from 2017, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) stated that Xarelto and similar anticoagulant drugs put users at an “unacceptably high risk” for uncontrolled bleeding. The data used to draw this conclusion was from the FAERS adverse event reports from 2016 and a systematic study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Out of 22,000 FDA adverse event reports, more than 15,000 were linked to Xarelto use. More than 3000 were fatal and involved gastrointestinal and cerebral hemorrhaging.
The CDC had released a separate study the year before that found anticoagulants accounted for more ER visits than any other class of drug. Many of these incidents were severe and almost half of all patients that visited an ER for complications linked to anticoagulant drugs required hospitalization. One estimate showed more than 6% of patients using these drugs for at least one year will visit the ER at some time due to side effects.
There is concern that adverse events related to anticoagulants are underreported, so the problem could be worse than medical experts even realize.
There is also evidence the makers and marketers of Xarelto and other similar medications had knowledge of the bleeding risk linked to the drugs but failed to warn doctors or the general public of the risk
Xarelto Lawsuit
If you or a loved one was injured by Xarelto, or you lost a loved one because of an adverse event related to Xarelto use, you could be eligible to receive compensation through a Xarelto lawsuit.
Every case is different and must be evaluated by a legal expert.
Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/14/pradaxa-xarelto-blood-thinner-doctors-heart_n_1595971.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23866358/
