What Do You Know About Xarelto?
Xarelto is a medicine made up of an active substance called rivaroxaban. It is an anticoagulant used to treat or prevent blood clots in the bones, lungs and brain.
These types of blood clots can form due to various circumstances. After knee or hip surgery and during or after being hospitalized for a while, and you e.g. can not move you normally.
Indications for Xarelto
Indications for Xarelto include:
- The drug is intended to reduce the risk of a blood clot forming again after being treated with anticoagulants for at least six months. Xarelto is also prescribed to reduce the risk of cerebrovascular events in people with heart disease.
- People should take it in combination with aspirin to reduce the risk of cerebrovascular events.
- Stroke prevention.
However, Rivaroxaban has remarkable side effects. First, it can cause bleeding. Especially if you have one of these disorders:
- An inherited bleeding disorder.
- A cerebral hemorrhage.
- Uncontrolled high blood pressure.
- Bleeding or stomach ulcer.
Important information about Xarelto
Do not stop treatment with this medicine without first discussing it with your doctor. This is because it will suddenly significantly increase the risk of blood clots or strokes.
Also talk to your doctor if you experience signs of bleeding while taking Xarelto, such as the following:
- Bleeding gums.
- Nosebleeds.
- Heavy menstruation.
- Abnormal vaginal bleeding.
- Blood in urine and feces.
- Bloody cough.
- Bloody vomit resembling coffee grounds.
Many medicines interacting with Xarelto increase your risk of bleeding. For this reason, your doctor should be aware of any treatments you are either undergoing or have recently undergone.
In addition, do not start treatment with Xarelto if you are allergic to its active substance or if you have active or uncontrolled bleeding when you start treatment with it.
How should I take rivaroxaban?
The maximum recommended dose is 20 mg per day. day. Rivaroxaban (Xarelto) is rapidly absorbed and reaches its highest level two to four hours after ingestion. In addition, the effect of this medicine increases if you take it with a meal. The absorption of it increases by up to 39% compared to that obtained by taking the drug on an empty stomach.
However, changes in gradual doses may be necessary, even if the recommended dose is one 20 mg tablet a day. Thus, as mentioned above, you should not stop the treatment suddenly as it would increase the risk of blood clots or stroke.
If you need to have surgery while taking this medicine, tell your surgeon that you are being treated. This is so that they can take appropriate action.
What are the side effects of rivaroxaban?
The side effects reported in rivaroxaban studies include:
- Frequent side effects: Bleeding, anemia, dizziness, headache, tachycardia, low blood pressure, pain in legs and arms, fever, fatigue and drowsiness.
- Uncommon side effects: Low platelet count, allergic reactions, dry mouth, kidney failure, general malaise, changes in various analytical parameters.
- Rare side effects: Jaundice.
Seek medical attention if you experience symptoms of an allergic reaction such as difficulty breathing, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat.
Also consult your doctor if you experience symptoms of coagulation in the spinal cord. For example, back pain, muscle weakness in the lower body or loss of bladder control are some of the most common.
Conclusion
Finally, Xarelto is an oral anticoagulant prescribed for the prevention of strokes and blood clots. It is especially used for patients with some types of atrial fibrillation who also have one or more risk factors.
This drug can cause serious side effects if abused, so you should follow a specialist’s instructions at all times.