Anticoagulants - Treatments of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH)

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Anticoagulants are medications that prevent the clotting of blood, reducing the risk of developing blood clots as a complication of many disorders such as pulmonary arterial hypertension and used as preventative for pulmonary embolisms, myocardial infarctions, deep vein thrombosis, and strokes. These medications prevent existing clots from growing larger and prevent new clots from appearing, but they cannot dissolve blood clots that have already formed. Anticoagulants are also known as “blood thinners” and are used by millions of individuals in the United States every year.

Anticoagulants are usually taken by mouth and used daily. Any patients taking anticoagulants are carefully monitored by a physician to be sure that the dosage is correct. The patient will be started on a low dosage which will be gradually increased until the blood reaches a predetermined range. The trick is to maintain the blood levels within this range. Regular blood tests will be conducted to ensure that the patient is responding well to the medication. A physician will also ensure that the patient is not taking any other medications that may interact adversely with the anticoagulants.

Diet and physical activity can affect the ability of anticoagulants to work properly. The presence of large amounts of Vitamin K in the diet can reduce the effectiveness of the medication in the body. Foods that have a high Vitamin K content include green teas, liver, broccoli, cauliflower, and green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, and cabbage. Patients are requested to maintain a regular diet and inform the physician of any dietary changes that may occur. While the patient is on anticoagulants, the physician should also be notified of any new vitamins, minerals, or medications that the patient would like to take prior to the patient taking them for the first time. Many medications, herbal supplements, and vitamins can either reduce or increase the affect of anticoagulants, making the blood too thick or too thin.

When active, patients taking anticoagulants are warned to be careful and avoid cut, scrapes, and falls. These minor injuries can bleed much more than normal due to the blood’s decreased ability to clot while on anticoagulants. This mean a fair amount of blood loss can occur from a shallow cut, turning the minor injury into a serious situation. Many individuals taking anticoagulants choose to wear an identification bracelet warning doctors and emergency medical technicians that they are on the medications to prevent dangerous bleeding situations and drug interactions.

Thousands of people are admitted to the hospital each year because of a preventable interaction or injury associated with the use of anticoagulants. The vast majority of these admissions are regarding adverse drug interactions. It has been estimated that up to 80% of patients taking oral anticoagulants have at least one other prescription that will interact adversely with the anticoagulant and are unaware of the danger. Anticoagulants are also the medications most frequently linked to self-medication errors.

Treatments for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

• Anticoagulants
• Calcium Channel Blockers
• Beraprost (prostacyclin)
• Diuretics
• Flolan (epoprostenol sodium)
• Iloprost (Ventavis)
• Lasix
• Revatio (Viagra, sildenafil citrate)
• Tracleer (Bosentan)
• Remodulin (UT-15, treprostinil sodium
  

Do I have a Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Lawsuit?

The Defective Drug Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus exclusively on the representation of plaintiffs in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH), Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) and Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (IPAH) lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension cases in all 50 states.

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