Xarelto is one of the newest anticoagulants prescribed to patients. The blood thinner is an oral medication intended to stop blood clots that may obstruct the flow of blood to your vital organs. Unlike Warfarin, which requires a physician to prescribe a dose that is specific to the patient, Xarelto is a medication that is given in a one-size-fits-all dose to patients.
The Food and Drug Administration initially approved the anticoagulant for use by patients who had hip replacement surgery to minimize the risk for blood clots. Xarelto was also approved for use in decreasing the risk of stroke for any patient with atrial fibrillation. The FDA went on to fast-track the drug, with little research, for the treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolisms.
The problem is that anticoagulant Xarelto has been associated with:
- Physical injuries
- Hospitalizations
- Deaths from internal bleeding
Because there is no known method by which to reverse the effect of the drug on the blood proteins, bleeding caused by Xarelto will be difficult to stop until the drug is cleared from the system. As the expected half-life of the drug is nine hours in patients under the age of forty-five, it is not unusual to see cases of:
- Strokes
- Nosebleeds
- Heart attacks
- Visible bruising
- Pulmonary blood clots
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Blood in the stool/urine
- Gastrointestinal bleeding
- Decreases in hemoglobin
It is important to note that patients prescribed the drug Xarelto who have spinal injections; epidurals or spinal surgery are at risk for blood clots developing in the spine, and potential permanent paralysis.
If you or a close friend has been diagnosed with any of the abnormal bleeding conditions or spinal injuries listed while on, or after taking the anticoagulant Xarelto, please fill out our contact form. Attorney Frank Charles Miranda will be able to assist you through the steps of filing a claim against Bayer and Johnson & Johnson over the extreme bleeding caused by the drug. You can also reach our office by calling 813-902-3925 to speak directly with a knowledgeable representative.