PLAVIX & Severe Bleeding

Popular Anti-Clotting Drug Plavix May Cause Increased Risk of Severe Bleeding

People who are prone to developing blood clots can be at risk of suffering stroke, heart attack, or other severe, life-threatening cardiovascular conditions.

Popular blood-thinning medications aim to help treat that problem and prevent the risk of potentially fatal heart conditions. However, many of these drugs have been found to do their work so “well” that they increase the risk of severe bleeding and hemorrhaging because blood is not able to clot.

Plavix (clopidogrel bisulfate) is marketed to prevent blood clots in those who have suffered a recent heart attack or stroke, or for those who suffer disorders of the heart or blood vessels, such as peripheral arterial disease (PAD). However, the FDA has warned that taking Plavix can increase your risk of severe bleeding, even from a minor injury. In some cases, this bleeding could even be fatal.

The Facts: Plavix and Clopidogrel Bisulfate

• Plavix is manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis. It received FDA approval in 1997 as a treatment for preventing blood clots and to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
• In 2005, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that patients taking Plavix had a 12 times higher risk of recurrent ulcers and gastrointestinal or cerebral bleeding than those taking aspirin and a heartburn pill.
• A year later, another study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that Plavix combined with aspirin is not more effective than aspirin alone in treating patients at risk for cardiovascular conditions.
• In 2009, the FDA announced a safety review then followed up with new labeling that warned of reduced effectiveness when Plavix was taken by “poor metabolizers” or those taking omeprazole medication such as Prilosec or Prevacid.
• The FDA issued a “Black Box” warning – its strongest possible warning – for Plavix in 2010 about the reduced effectiveness of Plavix in poor metabolizers and those taking omeprazole.

Plavix Side Effects and Severe Bleeding

Plavix has been shown to increase the risk of severe bleeding, even from a minor injury, and the drug’s label reflects this risk. Patients who take Plavix are advised to stop taking it within 5 days of expected surgery because of the risk of bleeding and hemorrhaging. There is also a potential risk of internal bleeding when taking Plavix.

Some symptoms of serious side effects from taking Plavix can include:

• Nosebleed or other bleeding that won’t stop
• Blood in urine
• Black or bloody stools
• Chest pain
• Unusual bruising
• Coughing or vomiting blood
• Numbness or weakness
• Problems with vision, speech or balance
• Sudden headaches
• Heart Attack

In addition to posing a potentially serious risk to health, Plavix may not always be effective at treating the conditions for which it is prescribed. The FDA issued a warning that the drug has reduced effectiveness when taken by “poor metabolizers” – which the agency estimates to be 2 percent to 14 percent of the U.S. population.

Taking Plavix while taking so-called “Proton Pump Inhibitors” – heartburn drugs like Prilosec, Nexium, Prevascid, and Protonix – has also been suggested to reduce the effectiveness of Plavix’s anti-clotting capabilities, leaving patients at risk for heart attacks and strokes.

North Caroilna Plavix Lawsuits

Plavix was the second-best selling drug in the United States for several years, and it has experienced billions of dollars in sales each year. Millions of people may have been exposed to its potentially deadly side effects.

North Carolina Plavix Lawyers

If you or a loved one experienced severe bleeding, hemorrhaging or any other serious health conditions that you believe may have been caused by taking Plavix, you may be entitled to compensation under the law. Call the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin at 1-866-844-4262, complete our contact form to the right or chat with one of our representatives for a free and confidential evaluation of your case. Find out if one of our North Carolina Plavix lawyers may be able to help you!