Xarelto - keeping blood clots at bay

What is Xarelto for?

Xarelto reduces the risk of blood clots. It does this by blocking the compounds that cause blood coagulation. It is also known as Rivaroxaban.

Blood clots generally form in the heart. People with an irregular heart rhythm (or atrial defibrillation to give it its scientific name) are at most risk. Clots can also form after major surgery e.g. hips and knees and these can then travel to the lungs or the brain. The result is either a pulmonary embolism (lung) or a stroke (brain). In both cases, the dangers are severe and premature death is a significant possibility.

For those at risk, taking daily medication to prevent clotting is essential. People should take one Xarelto tablet a day. It is best to take this at the same time each day to reduce the chance of missing a dose. You should drink water to help swallow the tablet.

Anticoagulant drugs tend to be part of your daily life for ever once you start taking them so the cost of your prescription can mount up. Fortunately, there are online pharmacies that can save you money. Check Xarelto cost online with PricePro Pharmacy here and don't forget to check for special offers and discount codes.

A detailed schedule for taking Xarelto.

The schedules for taking doses of Xarelto are as follows:

* For anyone having had hip or knee surgery, 10mg once daily from 6-10 hours after surgery and continuing until advised by your doctor. Typically, a patient recovering from knee surgery will take Xarelto for two weeks. Hip surgery would need a program of about one month.

* Patients who have irregular heart rhythms are generally given 20mg once per day. This might be lowered to 15mg per day if the patient has any kidney issues. It is suggested that higher doses are taken with food.

* For treatment and ongoing prevention of leg or lung clotting, a dose of 15mg would be prescribed for three weeks. After that, the daily dose would be 20mg.

* 20mg is the recommended maximum daily dose.

Are there any side effects of taking Xarelto?

Xarelto is an anticoagulant so you may bleed more if you cut yourself and any bruises you get may be worse than before taking the drug.

Pregnant women should not take Xarelto and anyone with liver disease should also avoid it.

Patients should also discuss possible interactions with other drugs taken at the same time. Taking Xarelto with antiplatelet medications such as Clopidogrel could be dangerous. Excessively thin blood could result, and bleeding might be difficult to stop.

Anyone taking Xarelto should always make sure that their doctor knows about anything they take. Even St John's Wort may be an issue with Xarelto.

Are there any alternatives to Xarelto?

Eliquis is a direct alternative to Xarelto. It also inhibits the Factor Xa that causes blood to coagulate. It must be taken twice a day to be effective.

Warfarin works differently to Xarelto by stopping the factors relating to Vitamin K that clot blood.

Keeping the long-term cost of medication down

Check Xarelto cost online with PricePro Pharmacy before ordering your drugs. One buyer in early 2020 said that they were saving $85US a month by buying online. You may be taking Xarelto for a long time, so it is worth shopping around.