What is Refludan prescribed for?

Refludan is indicated for patients who have had a reaction to heparin that resulted in reduced platelets and associated blood clots, in order to prevent more clotting complications

Who should not be treated with Refludan? You should not be given Refludan if you are allergic to this drug or similar drugs.

Special Warnings for Refludan:

Bleeding is the most common complication of Refludan. If you have the following conditions, your risk of bleeding may be increased:

• Recent puncture of large vessels or organ biopsy
• Abnormality of blood vessels or organs
• Recent “mini-stroke,” stroke, brain surgery, or other central nervous system procedure
• Uncontrolled severe high blood pressure
• Infection of the heart lining (endocarditis)
• Advanced kidney damage
• Tendency to bleed
• Recent major surgery
• Recent major bleeding

General Precautions to take when on Refludan:

• Your doctor will monitor your treatment by using a test that measures the clotting time of your blood.
• The dosage of Refludan may be decreased if you have liver or kidney disease.

There are some things that you should tell your doctor when taking this medication:

Certain types of medications can interact with Refludan, and increase the risk of bleeding, tell your doctor what medications you are taking, including those that you take without a prescription. Other drugs that break up or dissolve clots, such as (rt-PA) or streptokinase, or drugs that prevent clots such as Coumadin, warfarin, or aspirin, can increase your risk of bleeding.

What side effects can you expect when taking Refludan? (This is only a partial list of side effects reported with Refludan. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for a complete list of possible side effects and drug interactions..)

Bleeding was the most common adverse event reported during testing of the product. Bleeding can be severe.

Other side effects occurring in at least 2% of the people studied:

• Abnormal liver function
• Allergic skin reactions

For more detailed information about Refludan, ask your doctor.