DVT & PE

DVT and PE affect about 900,000 people in the U.S. every year

What are DVT & PE?

Doctors often refer to deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) as a single condition known as VTE, which stands for venous thromboembolism. DVT and PE affect about 900,000 people in the United States every year, and are very serious conditions.
In fact, PE is a medical emergency and can be fatal, but there are treatment options available and steps you can take to reduce the risk of recurrence.

DVT stands for deep vein thrombosis

It is a condition in which one or more blood clots form in one or more of the deep veins in your body.
These clots form most often in the large veins of your legs or thighs.

PE stands for pulmonary embolism

Pulmonary means “pertaining to the lungs,” and embolism refers to a clot that forms in one part of the body and travels through the blood stream to another part of the body.

PE is a condition in which one or more of the pulmonary arteries in your lungs become blocked. In most cases, this blockage is caused by blood clots that form in the legs due to DVT and then travel to the lungs.

DVT & PE: do you know the symptoms?

The symptoms of DVT

In about half of all cases, DVT occurs without any symptoms. When there are symptoms, they can include:

pain or swelling in the affected leg or thigh
skin of the affected area is warm to the touch
change in skin color of the affected area, such as redness

If you experience any of these symptoms, contact your doctor immediately.

The symptoms of PE

The symptoms of PE are serious and require immediate medical attention, as PE can be fatal. These symptoms include:

unexplained shortness of breath
chest pain that worsens when you cough or breathe deeply
coughing up blood
lightheadedness or dizziness
rapid pulse
sweating

Call 911 or seek emergency medical attention immediately if you develop signs or symptoms of PE.

Some common myths about DVT and PE

Myth 1:

If you are young and healthy, DVT and PE won’t affect you.

Not true. While people over 60 years of age are more likely to develop DVT and PE, people of all ages can be affected.

Myth 2:

There is nothing you can do to reduce the risk of DVT and PE.

The fact is that you can reduce the risk of DVT and PE through early symptom recognition and management. Know the symptoms of DVT and PE, talk to your doctor about the risk factors for developing them, and seek emergency medical care immediately if you experience any of the symptoms.

Learn more about the risk factors for developing DVT and PE.

Myth 3:

Warfarin, also known as Coumadin^® or Jantoven^®, is the only medication approved by the FDA to treat and reduce the risk of DVT and PE occurring again.

Not true. Among the new drugs approved by the FDA for this condition, PRADAXA was proven as effective as warfarin in the treatment of DVT and PE in patients who have been on an injectable blood thinner for 5 to 10 days, and to reduce the risk of recurrence.
See how PRADAXA compares to warfarin.

PRADAXA had higher rates of total bleeding vs. placebo (no treatment).

When a blood clot enters your lungs, it becomes a pulmonary embolism

DVT and PE pose a serious risk to your health

Did you know that deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can be life threatening, especially if it leads to a pulmonary embolism (PE)?

Here are some facts:

When a blood clot deep in a vein (deep vein thrombosis) becomes lodged in a pulmonary artery in the lungs (pulmonary embolism), this is a life-threatening condition that causes about 300,000 deaths each year in the United States alone
Even if DVT doesn’t lead to PE, nearly half of all people with DVT can develop a lasting complication called post-thrombotic syndrome that results in damage to the affected vein in the leg
A history of PE increases the risk of high blood pressure in the lung arteries, called pulmonary hypertension

The goals of treating DVT and PE

The management of DVT and PE has two goals. One of these is treatment, which includes:

Stopping the clots from growing
Keeping the clots from breaking free, traveling to the lungs, and causing a PE

The other important goal of management is to reduce the risk of another DVT or PE.

Start the conversation with your doctor

In clinical trials, PRADAXA was proven as effective as warfarin in the treatment of DVT and PE in patients who have been treated with an injectable blood thinner for 5 to 10 days, and in reduction of the risk of recurrence
Unlike warfarin, PRADAXA doesn’t require regular blood tests to see if your blood-thinning level is in the right range, and has no dietary restrictions

Talk to your doctor about helping to treat DVT and PE and reducing the risk of recurrence with PRADAXA.

Our Doctor Discussion Guide can help you get the conversation started.

AFib & Stroke

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Do you know how PRADAXA
compares to warfarin?

Discover the differences

BACK

AFib & Stroke

Do you know how PRADAXA
compares to warfarin?

Discover the differences

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION AND USE OF PRADAXA

For people taking PRADAXA for atrial fibrillation: Do not stop taking PRADAXA without talking to the doctor who prescribes it for you. Stopping PRADAXA increases your risk of having a stroke. PRADAXA may need to be stopped prior to surgery or a medical or dental procedure. Your doctor will tell you when you should stop taking PRADAXA and when you may start taking it again. If you have to stop taking PRADAXA, your doctor may prescribe another medicine to help prevent a blood clot from forming.

PRADAXA can cause bleeding which can be serious and sometimes lead to death. Don’t take PRADAXA if you:

currently have abnormal bleeding;
have ever had an allergic reaction to it;
have had or plan to have a valve in your heart replaced

Your risk of bleeding with PRADAXA may be higher if you:

are 75 years old or older
have kidney problems
have stomach or intestine bleeding that is recent or keeps coming back or you have a stomach ulcer
take other medicines that increase your risk of bleeding, like aspirin products, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and blood thinners
have kidney problems and take dronedarone (Multaq^®) or ketoconazole tablets (Nizoral^®)

Call your doctor or seek immediate medical care if you have any of the following signs or symptoms of bleeding:

any unexpected, severe, or uncontrollable bleeding; or bleeding that lasts a long time
unusual or unexpected bruising
coughing up or vomiting blood; or vomit that looks like coffee grounds
pink or brown urine; red or black stools (looks like tar)
unexpected pain, swelling, or joint pain
headaches and feeling dizzy or weak

Spinal or epidural blood clots (hematoma). People who take PRADAXA and have medicine injected into their spinal and epidural area, or have a spinal puncture have a risk of forming a blood clot that can cause long-term or permanent loss of the ability to move (paralysis). Your risk of developing a spinal or epidural blood clot is higher if:

a thin tube called an epidural catheter is placed in your back to give you certain medicine
you take NSAIDs or a medicine to prevent blood from clotting
you have a history of difficult or repeated epidural or spinal punctures
you have a history of problems with your spine or have had surgery on your spine.

If you take PRADAXA and receive spinal anesthesia or have a spinal puncture, your doctor should watch you closely for symptoms of spinal or epidural blood clots. Tell your doctor right away if you have back pain, tingling, numbness, muscle weakness (especially in your legs and feet), loss of control of the bowels or bladder (incontinence).

Take PRADAXA exactly as prescribed. It is important to tell your doctors about all medicines (prescription and over‑the‑counter), vitamins, and supplements you take. Some medicines may affect the way PRADAXA works.

PRADAXA can cause indigestion, stomach upset or burning, and stomach pain.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-10881-800-FDA-1088.

What is PRADAXA?

PRADAXA is a prescription blood thinner medicine that lowers the chance of blood clots forming in your body.
PRADAXA is used to:

reduce the risk of stroke and blood clots in people who have a medical condition called atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem. With atrial fibrillation, part of the heart does not beat the way it should. This can lead to blood clots forming and increase your risk of a stroke.
treat blood clots in the veins of your legs (deep vein thrombosis) or lungs (pulmonary embolism) and reduce the risk of them occurring again.

PRADAXA is not for use in people with artificial (prosthetic) heart valves.

Please see full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide.

The health information contained in this Website is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace discussions with a healthcare professional. All decisions regarding patient care must be made with a healthcare professional, considering the unique characteristics of the patient.

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. either owns or uses the trademarks Pradaxa^®, PRADAXA with associated design ^®, SolutionsPlus^® and related images under license. Other referenced trademarks are owned by third parties.

This site is intended for U.S. residents only. Products discussed herein may have different names and labeling in different countries.

Use of this site is subject to the Internet Site Legal Notices and Disclaimers and Privacy Notice

PC-PX-0196-CONS

PRADAXA can cause bleeding which can be serious and sometimes lead to death. Don’t take PRADAXA if you:

currently have abnormal bleeding;
have ever had an allergic reaction to it;
have had or plan to have a valve in your heart replaced

Your risk of bleeding with PRADAXA may be higher if you:

are 75 years old or older
have kidney problems
have stomach or intestine bleeding that is recent or keeps coming back or you have a stomach ulcer
take other medicines that increase your risk of bleeding, like aspirin products, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and blood thinners
have kidney problems and take dronedarone (Multaq^®) or ketoconazole tablets (Nizoral^®)

Call your doctor or seek immediate medical care if you have any of the following signs or symptoms of bleeding:

any unexpected, severe, or uncontrollable bleeding; or bleeding that lasts a long time
unusual or unexpected bruising
coughing up or vomiting blood; or vomit that looks like coffee grounds
pink or brown urine; red or black stools (looks like tar)
unexpected pain, swelling, or joint pain
headaches and feeling dizzy or weak

a thin tube called an epidural catheter is placed in your back to give you certain medicine
you take NSAIDs or a medicine to prevent blood from clotting
you have a history of difficult or repeated epidural or spinal punctures
you have a history of problems with your spine or have had surgery on your spine.

Take PRADAXA exactly as prescribed. It is important to tell your doctors about all medicines, vitamins, and supplements you take. Some medicines may affect the way PRADAXA works.

PRADAXA can cause indigestion, stomach upset or burning, and stomach pain.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-10881-800-FDA-1088

What is PRADAXA?

PRADAXA is a prescription blood thinner medicine that lowers the chance of blood clots forming in your body. PRADAXA is used to:

reduce the risk of stroke and blood clots in people who have a medical condition called atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem. With atrial fibrillation, part of the heart does not beat the way it should. This can lead to blood clots forming and increase your risk of a stroke.
treat blood clots in the veins of your legs (deep vein thrombosis) or lungs (pulmonary embolism) and reduce the risk of them occurring again.

PRADAXA is not for use in people with artificial (prosthetic) heart valves.

Please see full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide.

This site is intended for U.S. residents only. Products discussed herein may have different names and labeling in different countries.

Use of this site is subject to the Internet Site Legal Notices and Disclaimers and Privacy Notice

PC-PXD-0219-CONS

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Do you know how PRADAXA compares to warfarin?

Discover the important differences.

DVT & PE

DVT and PE affect about 900,000 people in the U.S. every year

What are DVT & PE?

DVT stands for deep vein thrombosis

PE stands for pulmonary embolism

DVT & PE: do you know the symptoms?

The symptoms of DVT

The symptoms of PE

Some common myths about DVT and PE

When a blood clot enters your lungs, it becomes a pulmonary embolism

DVT and PE pose a serious risk to your health

The goals of treating DVT and PE

Start the conversation with your doctor

Do you know how PRADAXA
compares to warfarin?

Do you know how PRADAXA
compares to warfarin?

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION AND USE OF PRADAXA

PRADAXA can cause bleeding which can be serious and sometimes lead to death. Don’t take PRADAXA if you:

Your risk of bleeding with PRADAXA may be higher if you:

Call your doctor or seek immediate medical care if you have any of the following signs or symptoms of bleeding:

What is PRADAXA?

Important safety information and use of PRADAXA

PRADAXA can cause bleeding which can be serious and sometimes lead to death. Don’t take PRADAXA if you:

Your risk of bleeding with PRADAXA may be higher if you:

Call your doctor or seek immediate medical care if you have any of the following signs or symptoms of bleeding:

What is PRADAXA?

Select a country

Select a country

Do you know how PRADAXA compares to warfarin?

Discover the important differences.

DVT & PE

DVT and PE affect about 900,000 people in the U.S. every year

What are DVT & PE?

DVT stands for deep vein thrombosis

PE stands for pulmonary embolism

DVT & PE: do you know the symptoms?

The symptoms of DVT

The symptoms of PE

Some common myths about DVT and PE

When a blood clot enters your lungs, it becomes a pulmonary embolism

DVT and PE pose a serious risk to your health

The goals of treating DVT and PE

Start the conversation with your doctor

Do you know how PRADAXA compares to warfarin?

Do you know how PRADAXA compares to warfarin?

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION AND USE OF PRADAXA

PRADAXA can cause bleeding which can be serious and sometimes lead to death. Don’t take PRADAXA if you:

Your risk of bleeding with PRADAXA may be higher if you:

Call your doctor or seek immediate medical care if you have any of the following signs or symptoms of bleeding:

What is PRADAXA?

Important safety information and use of PRADAXA

PRADAXA can cause bleeding which can be serious and sometimes lead to death. Don’t take PRADAXA if you:

Your risk of bleeding with PRADAXA may be higher if you:

Call your doctor or seek immediate medical care if you have any of the following signs or symptoms of bleeding:

What is PRADAXA?

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compares to warfarin?

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compares to warfarin?

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DVT & PE