Become Part of the Lawsuit with a Case Review by a Xarelto Lawyer
Xarelto is a prescription drug that was introduced to the public as a solution for patients that needed to prevent blood clots. Blood clots, when not addressed in a timely manner, can cause a lack of blood flow to certain organs of the body. Patients diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat, those with a proclivity for blood clots, individuals with a high risk of stroke and even those recovering from surgery are often prescribed anti-coagulation medications in order to reduce the risk of stroke. In the past, these medications were prescribed in specific doses that varied from one patient to the next. When Xarelto came out, it was set to be the ideal solution for everyone and was produced in a 10 mg pill that was taken by individuals once or twice a day. It was marketed to be better than its predecessors like Warfarin as a more convenient option. Unfortunately, for many families, convenience was exchanged for the life of a loved one.
Report: More than 15,000 Adverse Events Linked to Xarelto
According to Institute for Safe Medical Practices, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration received 15,043 reports of serious injury or death linked to Xarelto in 2016. That number was a 41% increase from the previous year. In their own research, the institute also found that oral blood thinners, such as Xarelto, caused more emergency room visits in 2016 than any other class of drugs. The group found almost 22,000 reports of severe injury. Those reports included 3,018 deaths.
Xarelto’s Side Effects Outweighed the Benefits
Despite being approved by the Federal Food and Drug Administration, patients and their physicians quickly discovered that Xarelto wasn’t all that it claimed to be. In fact, the drug touted to prevent strokes and blood clots was actually creating uncontrollable internal bleeding and hemorrhaging. Other patients were experiencing lowered platelet levels and abnormal liver function. Because internal bleeding doesn’t always offer a lot of visible symptoms or signs, it is possible for a patient to have blood collect inside of the body, preventing circulation to all of the internal organs necessary for life. Without immediate medical attention in the form of flushing the drug from the system using blood transfusions, patients run the risk of death. Hospitalization is required in order to attempt to save the life of an individual suffering from internal bleeding due to Xarelto.
