Eliquis vs Xerelto

[ShimmeringLillyMae]

Good morning! My cardiologist switched me from eliquis to Xerelto to see if there are less side effects and nausea, has anyone been on both & what are your thoughts?

[Kaz747]

I was on Eliquis twice - first for 4 weeks after a cardioversion and I was really unwell but I’d also been diagnosed with Shingles so I put all the symptoms down to that. When they had to abandon an ablation because of a blood clot in my heart I was put back on Eliquis but was back in hospital 3 days later with many of the same symptoms I’d had when I was on it previously- I was freezing cold and couldn’t get warm, I had incredible pain in my upper back, my blood pressure was all over the place and I just felt dreadful. I was switched to Pradaxa but had issues with that so switched again to Xarelto- I had been on Xarelto for a few weeks leading up to that ablation and I got the impression that because of the blood clot (which could have formed in the 48 hours I was off anticoagulation) my EP preferred me on another drug but when I couldn’t tolerate the others Xarelto was the only option (we don’t have Edoxaban available in Australia).

We are all different though.

[ShimmeringLillyMae in reply to Kaz747]

Hi Kaz747 it sounds like you have alot going on, I'm sorry.. I also came down with shingles a month after being diagnosed with AFib, such an awful duo.. I have no words for all this sickness, I have crazy symptoms and can't seem to figure out what's causing them, I've been told by someone on here that they believe I've been floxed by taking Cipro and I'm actually believing it now since the Dr's can't figure out what's wrong with me. I'm extremely fatigue, can't breath and my arms are real heavy, on top of that bad nausea which the Dr. says could be from Eliquis.. who knows 🤷

[Kaz747 in reply to ShimmeringLillyMae]

I’m good now but I had a dreadful year up until my last ablation in March. It sounds like you’re having a tough time.

[Auriculaire in reply to ShimmeringLillyMae]

Nausea has been one of my floxing symptoms for many years now long before I started on any anticoagulant. Sometimes it has been worse than others being present whenever I eat , other times only in the mornings. It is an extremely common symptom reported by many floxies because basically Cipro buggers up your gut. FQs are the worst antibiotics for microbiome destruction. I had got a lot better with it but recently I have gone into a bad relapse and the nausea has come back after being absent for over 18 months. I am sure it's the return of the floxing symptoms because the other things have come back as well - severely increased tendon pain , rib pain, blurred vision in the mornings ,dry nose and mouth , peripheral neuropathy and this time severe tooth pain caused probably by inflammation of the periodontal ligament. The dentist could find no decay or infection at all. I am prepared to believe that being on Eliquis does not help. Try ginger for the nausea. Either ginger tea or crystallised pieces . I find it helps.

[Salvatore68 in reply to Auriculaire]

What is “floxing”

[Auriculaire in reply to Salvatore68]

It is having an adverse reaction to the class of fluoroquinolone antibiotics. These all have "flox" in their generic name ie Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin. This reaction can vary greatly in intensity and duration with some people having their health literally ruined pemanently ( or dying), and others recovering in a few weeks or months. Who gets floxed is a lottery probably governed by genetics but also by the individual tolerance threshold . That is some people can take several courses of these drugs with no apparent reaction and then one more course triggers the reaction. Others have an immediate severe reaction to one or two pills. There is also the phenomenon of delayed reactions where the reaction starts weeks or even months after taking the drug and therefore the connection between the antibiotic and their health problems is never made by the patients or their doctors. This often leads to further exposures to the drugs compounding the problems. There have been recent changes in prescribing advice for this class of antibiotics from both the FDA (2016) and the EMA (2019) to restrict their use.

[ShimmeringLillyMae]

I'm sorry I should have proof read first, I spelled Xarelto wrong lol!

[Hidden]

I have been on all 4 of the NOAC's, the one that caused me the fewest side effects was Edoxaban.

Rivaoxaban made me feel like I had flu and had brain fog

Dabigatran gave me an all over body rash

Apixaban gave me a massive allergic reaction and I ended up in A+E vomiting blood

[ShimmeringLillyMae in reply to Hidden]

These meds really suck.. the eliquis also gave me flu like symptoms, I hope these blood thinners wont be needed forever 😏 thank you Mikee69 for your reply 🙂

[Dodie117]

For anyone suffering side effects maybe worth going back to warfarin. It’s been used for years so well tested. With a self testing kit it can be as effective as DOACs. Can be a bit of a faff but better than severe side effects.

[Annekw]

I’ve used Apixaban for four years now- no problems!

Heard recently Warfarin is being phased out in uk as the DOACs are safer and more reliable,also

most of Europe have used the newer drugs and have found better controls with these!

[Tux18]

I’ve been on Xarelto for approx. 3 years fortunately have never had negative side effects. Have never been in any other blood thinner. Hopefully you will do well on it.

[Eastwick]

I have been on Xarelto for about 6 years and have had no side effects apart from my hair seems to be coming out more than I would have thought normal but I have been told that the statin I take could cause it.

[MillaZ in reply to Eastwick]

Hi Eastwick, I was on Xarelto for about 15 months and during this time I lost A LOT of hair, too. I was waking up with a bunch of hair on my pillow most mornings -it really made me feel bad about myself and very self-conscious (perhaps I am vain, I don't know).

I stopped taking Xarelto in March this year and my hair is growing back again, in full force so to speak, but... it is now curly. I'have always had hair as straight as spaghetti!

[Eastwick]

Thanks for that. I am not able to come off xarelto, my only other option is elequis and some people say that has pretty much the same effect.