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Bleeding or blood loss can occur due to either external or internal reasons. Such a loss may be experienced in natural-openings such as your ears, mouth, nose, vagina, anus, etc. Among the various measures taken for treating loss of blood, a drug called tranexamic acid plays a critical role. This drug can help prevent and also treat bleeding due to multiple reasons – like removal of your tooth, abnormal menstrual bleeding and loss of blood during delivery or post-delivery as well as blood loss associated with injuries. This drug may however cause a few side effects. It is helpful to know its most likely side effects and adverse reactions.

Hemorrhage is a clinical term to denote loss of blood. This condition involves discharge of blood from the circulation system. When you donate blood, nearly 9% of the volume of blood is usually donated. If you are healthy, you can withstand a loss of nearly 14% of blood volume. Those who have experienced a massive loss may however require transfusion of blood. Based on the extent of loss, the College of Surgeons (based in the US) has classified it into 4 distinctive categories. Losses greater than 40% are termed as the most serious level, and such a condition requires faster medical action.

Use of tranexamic acid to prevent loss of blood

This drug is a synthetic form of an amino acid. Its chief use is to stop bleeding due to injuries or trauma. It is also widely used while performing surgical procedures where loss of blood is high. This drug is prescribed to stop excessive bleeding during menstrual cycles. In dental procedures that involve heavy loss of blood – such as extraction of the tooth – it is used as a mouth wash solution. A few other likely uses include treatment of bleeding from the nose, orthopedic surgical procedures where there is an acute loss of blood and interventions done on children. Among younger adults and children, use of tranexamic acid eliminates the need for transfusion.

Tranexamic acid is categorized under a class of meds called anti-fibrinolytics. It reduces the odds of blood clots from breaking or disintegrating; it thus helps avoid bleeding or excessive loss of blood. A few users of this drug have erroneously used it for the treatment of menstrual problems; you need to remember that this drug is not intended for such applications. It is taken orally either before or after a meal. This drug is consumed only for a short span of time of say, 4 days. It is strictly not recommended for the longer term or more than 6 days. This drug always needs to be taken under the care of a qualified medical practitioner. Your dosage plan is influenced by several factors; salient along them are your age, underlying clinical condition as well as how well your system reacts to this drug.

Side effects of tranexamic acid

This drug is known to trigger a few adverse side effects. Most common among undesired reactions and adverse side effects are vomiting, nausea as well as indigestion. You are also likely to witness discharge of softened stools or diarrhea. In some people, tranexamic acid has caused muscular cramps as well as pains. However, most people who used this drug reported nil side effects. It is also helpful to know that your physician has recommended this drug as its benefits outstrip the risks of side effects.

Acute or serious side effects

In rare instances, tranexamic acid may cause a few acute allergic reactions. In some rare instances, this drug may trigger discomforts in the eyes or eyelids. Upon experiencing eye-related problems, you are advised to consult your treating doctor immediately. In equally uncommon cases, this drug may form blood clots. This condition shows up as changes in eyesight (blurring or partial blindness), throwing up blood, weakness, reddening of limbs, passing out, etc. A few people have experienced symptoms of a stroke; the typical symptoms are weakening of the body – especially, one part of your body; being in a confused state of mind, changes in eyesight as well as slurring of speech.

Safety measures to avoid or minimize side effects

Before starting your medication plan, your doctor needs to know about your family’s medical history as well as your clinical history. People living with internal bleeding disorders or clotting of blood, cardiac dysfunction (like erratic heartbeats, valve-related conditions, etc.) or renal diseases must inform their medical team about such conditions. Also, women who are living with abnormal discharge of blood during menstrual cycles must stay cautious; it is important to consult a qualified medical practitioner before taking this drug.

This drug is widely used during menstrual cycles; hence, you are unlikely to take it while you are pregnant. However, if you are pregnant, it is essential to check with your doctor about intake of tranexamic acid. Also, women who are nursing a baby or breastfeeding must stay aware of the risks. It is likely that the active ingredients of this drug may get into mother’s milk. Hence, breastfeeding women will need to use this drug only after taking needful consent from the treating physician.

Adverse interactions with co-administered drugs

Tranexamic acid may interact with a few drugs upon being co-administered; it is a safe practice to tell your medial team about the drugs you are already taking. It is a good practice to make a list of all the drugs you presently take. While making this list, ensure to include over the counter (OTC) meds, prescription drugs, herbal supplements, vitamins, dietary aids, nutraceutical products, home remedies, etc. After sharing this list, it is unsafe to discontinue and alter the strength of drugs in your list. Such changes may cause adverse reactions as your doctor will have arrived at safer dosage levels of tranexamic acid after due consideration of drugs in your list.

Most non-steroidal non-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, aspirin or naproxen may enhance the risks of bruising or bleeding. Owing to this, you are advised not to take fever-reducing drugs or pain-controlling meds along with tranexamic acid. Among NSAIDs, some people may be advised by their physician to take low-doses of aspirin to prevent conditions such as cardiac arrests or reduce the odds of strokes. In such instances, you may continue take aspirin – especially in dosage forms not exceeding 200 milligrams. However, if your medication plan includes stronger dosages of aspirin, it is very important to check with your treating doctor about likely risks.

In general, you are advised not to take tranexamic acid if your medication list includes anticoagulants or blood thinning drugs like heparin, warfarin, etc. Similarly, if your list has birth control pills or hormones such as estrogen, your pharmacist will advise not to take this drug. Apart from pills to avoid unplanned pregnancy, if you are using other forms of birth control measures – such as rings, patches, etc. – it is unsafe to co-administer this drug.

Allergies

It is very rare for this drug to cause severe allergies. But, in a small percentage of users this drug has caused adverse reactions such as itchiness, rashes on skin or hives, respiratory problems, acute spell of drowsiness or feeling excessively dizzy, etc. Though very unlikely, some people have also witnessed swelling of facial parts like lips and eyes. You are advised to seek medical attention as soon as you witness one or more of these adverse reactions. Those who live in the US need to call 911 without any delay; you can also get in touch with a poison control center situated near your home. On the other hand, residents of Canada must establish contact with Health Canada or the poison control unit operating in your province without delay.

Surgical interventions and dental procedures

Those who are planning to undergo a surgery must let their surgeon know about intake of this drug. As you may experience blood loss during a few surgical procedures, your doctor will use meds that arrest such losses. If you are taking this drug, your medication plan to stop an acute loss of blood may be altered accordingly. This precaution also holds good for those who are going to have a dental intervention. A few dental procedures – such as extraction of tooth – may involve a marked loss of blood. Intake of tranexamic acid may also be part of the regular medication plan to minimize blood loss. So, if you have taken this drug during the run-up to your dental procedure, your dental surgeon needs to know about it in detail – such as dosages taken as well as duration of medication plan.

Last but not least, you are advised to take this drug under the care of a qualified and trained medical practitioner. It is unlikely to take an overdose of this drug if is taken under the scrutiny of a doctor. However, in some very remote instances, some people could accidentally take an overdose of tranexamic acid. It is possible to tell if you are overdosed by observing the symptoms. Typical signs of an overdose are extreme spells of drowsiness, acute episodes of nausea, vomiting or other abdominal discomforts, respiratory problems (such as shortness of breath, gasping or wheezing), fainting or passing out. If you witness one of more of these near-fatal symptoms, you need to call 911 or the emergency helpline numbers of the food and drug administration (FDA) quickly.

In sum, the likely side effects of tranexamic acid include abdominal problems such as nausea, indigestion, vomiting, etc. You may also experience diarrhea or softening of stool, cramping of abdominal muscles and muscular pains. Very serious side effects are blurring of eyesight, acute spell of weariness as well as fainting. A few users have reported signs of strokes – such as weakness on a side of the body, being restless, changed vision, impairment of speech function, loss of coordination or passing out. You are strongly advised to seek medical help immediately or contact a poison control unit on an emergency basis. Those living in the US must call 911 and residents of Canada need to contact Health Canada for needful medical attention. Above all, you need to know that the aforesaid list of adverse reactions do not comprise all possible side effects or allergies triggered by tranexamic acid. It is hence possible to experience discomforts that are not listed here. Upon experiencing any unknown allergies or side effects, it is a safe practice to contact your treating doctor as quickly as possible.