Pradaxa

[Gracey23]

Hi everyone! I'm about to start Pradaxa and would like opinions on side effects and reliability of drug. Absolutely any opinions are welcome. Thank you , Gracey

[Kodaska]

Hi Gracey,

I was on Pradaxa for almost a month two years ago. The heartburn it caused was very painful - 8 on a scale of 1-10. I hope you don't have the same experience.

Dave

[Gracey23 in reply to Kodaska]

I have heard about the indigestion and heartburn and that scares me. Some people are being medicated with more drugs to handle the heartburn. Seems every drug needs another one to control side effects. It's like going in circles. Is there a better choice that you can recommend with less side effects? I questioned my EP about all the anti coagulants and Pradaxa seemed to be best with less brain bleeds and reversal drugs which I think is a huge positive. , Gracey

[Kodaska in reply to Kodaska]

Not everyone experiences the same thing. I've read quite a number of comments in this forum about Pradaxa without mention of side effects. In case you want to do some reading, here are a few web sites of interest:

- Eliquis might be safer than Xarelto, but neither has an approved antidote:

druginjurylaw.com/2015/11/1...

drug-injury.com/druginjuryc...

- There is an antidote to Pradaxa:

boehringer-ingelheim.com/ne...

- All about Eliquis at drugs.com:

drugs.com/search.php?search...

- All about Pradaxa at drugs.com:

drugs.com/search.php?search...

- Finally, Eliquis beats the competition on several counts:

mmm-online.com/channel/eliq...

[Spiritji]

I have been taking Pradaxa for over a year and have not experienced any side effects. You are supposed to take it with a full glass of water and keep it in the bottle it comes in because it is sensitive to moisture. I am very happy to be on Pradaxa ..... Take it twice a day 150 mg and I am also grateful to be able to eat all the greens I want. Good luck you should be ok

[Spiritji]

I just read the other comments ... I have not had even one moment of heartburn or indigestion from Pradaxa..... Maybe they mixed it with other drugs.... I take mine with Diltiazen seems ok but they say take by itself or maybe they did not drink with a full glass of water.... I don't even do that half the time. You are also not supposed to take it out of the capsule ....I think it is the best choice

You will probably not have any issues at all

[davee]

Having had 2 brain haemorrhages and 2 TIAs, my doctors won't allow me to take any other blood thinners. I haven't noticed any side effects, feeling rough most of the time anyway.

My EP wouldn't even contemplate an ablation without thinners. Anything that I feel e.g. tiredness etc. I put down to the AF.

I put all my confidence in my EP, as all medical workers.

[teach2learn]

All I know about Pradaxa is the daily ads on U.S. TV encouraging those who may have had internal bleeding because of it and another NOAC to join lawsuit for compensation. Eliquis is not mentioned however, which is what my doctor has me on, and which hasn't caused any side effect except easy bruising. Worth asking doc about, though I know Eliquis is expensive.

[bayfield in reply to teach2learn]

The lawwyers will be on Eliquis soon - it only takes one event and the blood suckers will be hitting our inboxes with spam.

I took Pradaxa for several months with no side effects.

Here is the big one in my book: THERE IS AN ANTIDOTE FOR PRADAXA! If you have a bleed from an accident - or anything else - it may not stop until you run out of blood if you are on something other than Warfarin or Pradaxa. If/when I go back on them it will be Pradaxa.

[PeterWh in reply to bayfield]

Not true at all re antidote. If you are bleeding that profusely you will die even For someone who is NOT on ANY anticoagulants. The medical profession has ways of dealing with major bleeds. In addition ambulances and A&E departments do NOT have any antidotes at hand. This was restated at the AFA patients day in Birmingham last year. In addition even if the A&E consultan decides on using the antidote it could take 2 to 4 hours or may be more by the antidote is in a patients system and is starting to be relistically effective. Also if you are being given a blood transfusion then the Anticoagulation effect of your blood is being reduced because of the new "normal" blood being transfused in.

[bayfield in reply to PeterWh]

Peter_ you are correct about Pradaxa. It was Xarelto I was trying to get across. Sheesh.....the brain of mine. I know nothing will lessen the risk of an out of control bleed, but I'm pretty sure XARELTO is on to something?

Either way - it sucks any of us need these drugs, but strokes are not a good thing.

Thanks!

[davee in reply to bayfield]

The bleed risk is mentioned in the information sheet with the medication. I always make a point of keeping a copy of them until I am satisfied I understand it as best I can. 

[voyagersprit]

I have been on Pradaxa for over 2 years. My Dr described it as my lifeboat in case anything goes wrong whilst in AF. I fully understand the side effects and wear ,an SOS necklace, but having read people's experiences taking other blood thinners, I'm glad I'm on Pradaca. I don't have any problems at all with heartburn

[dianaharv]

I've been on Pradaxa for over a year with no side effects. I had a TIA and the stroke doctor I saw said I needed to go on a blood thinner but that they were no long prescribing Warfarin so which one would I like. There was a choice of two (can't remember what the other one was) Only just about heard of Warfarin so said I had no idea. He said that he had had a TIA and was on Pradaxa so that seemed good enough recommendation for me. He liked it because it is less likely to cause an internal bleed than the other one but it is apparently very expensive as a drug. My brother-in-law who lives in Wales asked to go on it but his GP said it was too expensive - the NHS post-code lottery! I take 2 x 150g per day, also Flecainide and Bisoprolol and they seem to work fine together. Best of luck!

[byoungccs in reply to dianaharv]

Your Brother in law is being misled regarding access to Pradaxa or any other Direct Oral Anticoagulants due to cost NICE Technology Appraisals apply to access all new DOACs So he can insist on his choice of anticoagulant. After all AF brings a very high risk of stroke and a choice of anti coagulation treatment ( Aspirin is not effective in AF Stroke Prevention)

[jennydog]

I have been taking Pradaxa for 18 months since my ablation. My EP prescribed it along with 2 months supply of antacid. After a few weeks I could feel that my stomach wasn't happy. I posted on here and CDreamer wrote that Pradaxa needed an acid stomach. Google confirmed her advice. So I ditched the antacid and have had no problems with it ever since.

Do not put a capsule on to a damp plate. It will disintegrate in a flash releasing 100s of vile tasting white balls.

[stokenorth]

I have been taking Pradaxa now for over 3 years and have no side effects. I have even had surgery while on them. They are much better than taking Warferin and there are no INR checks.

[CDreamer]

Further to Jennydog's post - rules to avoid any heartburn or digestive side effects:-

Avoid ant-acids - though Dr's will prescribe them or PPI - then you ARE on the downward slide.

Drink full glass of water with every tablet.

Take with food - but NEVER any sort of carbohydrate such as breakfast cereal and especially not bread. Fruit is ok - smoothies works well for me and protein such as eggs are ok - just not with bread. There is a good reason for avoiding carbs with Pradaxa.

Sticking to this routine I managed to tame and then avoid dreadful acid reflux.

Other than that no side effects - thankfully we in the UK are not exposed to those dreadful medical advertising & ads for class actions,

Best wishes CD

[Gracey23]

Thank you to everyone who replied to my questions about Pradaxa. I feel more confident now about starting this drug. The only reason I'm on this anti coagulant journey is because of all the information from you on this forum. I was on aspirin for years until joining this forum. Upon meeting with my EP last week I expressed to him that no longer will I take aspirin and I want to be protected from a stroke. He agreed with me and now I am confident I am protected. As Bob recently said to me, power to the people! Good health to all of you fellow Afibbers! Gracey

[davlin75]

I have been taking Pradaxa since November 2011 when I was diagnosed with afib. I was concerned about side affects too when I first started taking it but I have had no problem whatsoever. I still take it every day with no issues or side affects since I don't think you will have anything to worry about.

[migmog]

Hi Gracey,

Been on Pradaxa 4 years since having TIA. Thankfully no side effects at all. The only thing that. Is fixed in my mind, is that heaven forbid, the probability of loosing a large amount of blood, is unfortunately being involved in car accident. Have created a warning card including daughters x2 contact numbers, along with EP contact also GP. Seem to have covered all angles, carry these cards in every purse, plus have 2 in the car along with 2 in house. No I am not neurotic, just been sensible, survival is the name of the game!!!

[PeterWh in reply to migmog]

See my comments above.

One of the car accidents that I came up to (probably 15 seconds after it happened) the driver was bleeding significantly. However I had done first aid training about 10 years previously and in fact I was able to very significantly reduce the bleeding. As the accident was on the edge of London and the ambulance station was only about 3 miles away they were there in probably 6 or 7 minutes. However ambulance driver said that if I hadn't administered first aid the driver would have died even though on no Anticoagulation!!!! As it was some years ago that was in the days before plastic gloves.

Unfortunately many people do not carry any form of first aid kit in a car, even plasters!!!

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Been on Pradaxa since Nov 2013.....absolutely no side effects at all. Saves being punctured every 6 weeks or so !