Xarelto is often prescribed as an outpatient drug to individuals who have recently undergone surgery and are at risk of developing a blood clot. The drug was extremely popular when it first hit the market, bringing in over $1 billion in sales in the United States in 2013. However, only 2 years later it was named the riskiest outpatient drug on the market. Since then, it has received numerous complaints and has been linked to several harmful incidents and has even led to patient fatalities.
About Xarelto
Xarelto was developed by a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson and Bayer and gained approval from the FDA in 2011. It was created as an anticoagulant, also called a blood thinner. The drug was made to help patients recovering from surgery who were at risk of developing a blood clot.
Understanding the Danger
Blood thinners are typically created alongside an antidote designed to stop blood flow if the patient suffers a serious injury or faces some other emergency. However, Xarelto was created without an antidote, which means that if the patient begins to bleed, he or she will continue to do so until the drug leaves their body. Since Xarelto hit U.S. markets, it has been linked to more than 1,000 deaths and numerous other harmful incidents. Most of the adverse reactions to Xarelto are in some way related to internal bleeding, which cannot easily be stopped in patients with Xarelto in their bloodstream.
Harmful Side Effects
The biggest danger that comes with taking any blood thinner is the chance of excessive bleeding. However, because Xarelto lacks an antidote to stop bleeding, a patient who experiences internal bleeding runs the chance of bleeding out.
Side effects of Xarelto include:
- Wound infection
- Damage to major organs
- Intracranial hemorrhage
- Abdominal hemorrhage
- Adrenal bleeding
- Excessive blood loss
- Stroke
- Death
If you experienced any of these side effects after your doctor prescribed you Xarelto, you may be eligible to receive compensation. Compensation could include payment for past and future medical expenses, loss of wages, and pain and suffering. In the event that your spouse or relative died as the result of an adverse reaction to Xarelto, you might also be eligible to file a wrongful death claim on their behalf.
Contact Lyons & Simmons, LLP to discuss your case with our Dallas personal injury attorneys.