(NaturalHealth365)  Anticoagulants, also known as blood thinners, have been around for many decades.  These medications have been used for a variety of conditions and situations where there is a risk of clot formation.  Clot formation can lead to serious complications such as stroke, heart attack, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT).  But at what cost?

Blood thinners come in many types – intravenous drugs like heparin and medications taken by mouth like warfarin and Pradaxa.

Since blood thinners are considered a ‘preventative’ medication, many doctors prescribe them, believing the benefits outweigh the risks.  However, a cardiologist from Duke University notes that blood thinners like warfarin are actually one of the leading causes of death in United States emergency rooms.

Therefore, it is important to fully understand the dangerous side effects of warfarin and other blood thinners before blindly accepting a doctor’s prescription for these medications.

Anticoagulants: Lifesavers or lethal lottery?

The side effects of warfarin are many and include fever, diarrhea, vomiting blood, dizziness, bruising, black or bloody stools, blood in urine, heavy menstrual bleeding, and tissue death (necrosis).  Each of these scary symptoms could signify internal bleeding and require immediate emergency medical attention.

In fact, the drug’s links to increased bleeding risk and death forced manufacturers to add a ‘black box’ to the product’s label in 2006 that warns of the potentially deadly side effects of warfarin.

For many decades, warfarin was the only option for administering blood thinners.  In 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new type of blood thinner: Pradaxa.  It was supposed to be easier to take than warfarin, just as effective, and still cause fewer side effects.

Since the approval of Pradaxa (dabigatran) in 2010, several additional novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) have been approved in the United States.

• Rivaroxaban (Xarelto):  Approved by the FDA in 2011.
• Apixaban (Eliquis):  Approved in 2012.
• Edoxaban (Savaysa):  Approved in 2015.
• Betrixaban (Bevyxxa):  Approved in 2017, specifically for extended prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism in hospitalized patients.

The life-threatening side effects of blood thinners

The introduction of NOACs promised a new era in blood clot prevention.  However, these drugs come with their own set of potentially life-threatening risks.

NOACs, including drugs like Pradaxa, Xarelto, Eliquis, and Savaysa, often cause alarming side effects.  Patients frequently report bloody stools, vomiting blood, and severe digestive issues such as diarrhea, nausea, and stomach pain.  Other reported side effects include dizziness, fainting, rapid heartbeat, hives, difficulty breathing, and chest tightness.

The most severe risk associated with NOACs is internal bleeding, which can be fatal.  In 2011, an FDA review of adverse events revealed a concerning statistic: Pradaxa, the first approved NOAC, was associated with a high number of deaths and injuries.  The numbers were significant – hundreds of fatalities and thousands of serious events were reported.  However, it’s important to note that this data was specific to Pradaxa and not representative of all NOACs, some of which were approved later.

Nonetheless, there’s no (good) reason why pharmaceutical companies should be allowed to operate this way with such troubling safety records.  The so-called “safety” of these drugs is nothing compared to the potential dangers.  Ongoing litigation claims that manufacturers failed to adequately warn doctors about the lack of reversal agents for uncontrolled bleeding in some of these medications.

Moreover, many patients remain unaware that NOACs can interact dangerously with other medications and pose heightened risks for those with conditions like kidney disease.

The takeaway is clear: no one should prescribe or take anticoagulants without fully understanding every possible complication.  As the adage goes, “Let the buyer beware.” We urge you to be fully informed before making any healthcare decisions involving these powerful and potentially dangerous drugs.

Sources for this article include:

NIH.gov
NIH.gov
DrugWatch.com
DrugWatch.com
Reuters.com