Your activity: 12 p.v.
< Back

Common questions about the different oral medicines used to prevent or treat blood clots

Common questions about the different oral medicines used to prevent or treat blood clots
  Warfarin (brand name: Jantoven) Dabigatran (brand name: Pradaxa) Apixaban (brand name: Eliquis), edoxaban (brand names: Savaysa, Lixiana), and rivaroxaban (brand name: Xarelto)
How often do I need to take it? Once a day Once or twice a day, depending on the reason for taking it

Apixaban: Once or twice a day, depending on the reason for taking it

Edoxaban: Once a day

Rivaroxaban: Once a day (some people may need to take it twice a day for the first 3 weeks)
Do I need regular blood tests? Yes No No
Will the dose need to be adjusted? Maybe, depending on the results of your blood tests No – once you are on a stable dose, you do not need to adjust the dose No – once you are on a stable dose, you do not need to adjust the dose
Could it cause serious bleeding? Yes Yes, but the risk might be less than with warfarin in many cases Yes, but the risk might be less than with warfarin in many cases
Is there a medicine to reverse the effects if I have serious bleeding? Yes Yes Yes
Do I need to be careful about my diet while taking it? Yes – you need to be careful to eat about the same amount of vitamin K every day No

No, but:

  • If you take apixaban, you will need to avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice, which can change the way the medicine works.
  • If you take rivaroxaban for atrial fibrillation, you will need to take it with your evening meal.
  • If you take rivaroxaban (for any reason) and the strength of your pills is 15 or 20 mg, you will need to take it with food.
What if I have kidney or liver disease? Okay to take Might need to avoid if you have severe kidney disease Some people might need to avoid
What if I take other medicines? Many medicines can affect the dose A few medicines can affect the dose A few medicines can affect the dose
These are some common questions about the different oral medicines used to prevent and treat blood clots. Your doctor can talk to you about which medicine makes the most sense for your situation.
Graphic 99882 Version 8.0