Rivaroxaban - side effects/adverse events

[Carew]

Maybe I am just expecting too much?

Having recently posted, and received a pretty strong encouragement to start a DOAC, I went with Rivaroxaban (for which I had a prescription.)

Just a few days and something is disturbing me. My eyes don't focus as well as they usually do. I notice this particularly on close-up print. Don't even have any glasses for close work (optician agreed I might as well look under my glasses or take them off). But if it carries on like this, I will need reading glasses.

Despite reading the "do not stop without talking to your doctor", I did skip a dose on Thursday. And my eyes were fine on Friday. Took my usual dose on Friday, and focussing has worsened today.

I don't want to over-emphasise this. The difference isn't huge. It just happens to take me from coping very well to not managing well enough without reading glasses. That is, a small difference with a disproportionate impact on me because of exactly where it falls.

[BobD Volunteer]

Well that is a new one. Just goes to show something but not sure what.

[Carew in reply to BobD]

I looked around the internet but didn't find this issue mentioned on "official" sites!

Fully agree about not being sure what.

[Buffafly]

I’d have an eye checkup asap and I would change to Apixaban. I suspect that Rivaroxaban worsened my sight problems but difficult to say because I already had a serious eye condition. Any change in vision should be taken seriously.

[Carew in reply to Buffafly]

It always feels towards the pathetic end of the scale bringing up what is, in itself, a minor issue. But it is because it is affecting my vision that I am checking further.

Many years ago, I had a few doses of iritis. Which was horrible - extremely painful trying to open my eyes. Think that has made me particularly aware. And I was told to get myself to a hospital with eye facilities if it ever happened again - not a GP, not an optician.

[LaceyLady in reply to Carew]

This concerns me, I’ve had inter ocular lens replacements and eyes have had laser. I change from Apixaban because I though it might be causing head, neck and shoulder pain but I’ve still got that on Rivoxaban 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Carew in reply to LaceyLady]

I've already got at least back and shoulder pain (entirely separately) - not sure I'd notice it as an adverse reaction/side effect as mine is so variable in the first place! But I can very much understand why you'd switch to avoid that.

Apologies if I am causing you concern. Maybe take comfort from the fact that it was only a small effect, that it seems to have entirely reversed, and even had it not, I could easily have lived with it. Simply accepting the need to wear reading glasses would have allowed me to mostly ignore it.

[LaceyLady in reply to Carew]

My eye discomfort is out down to the lasering, now it seems the meibomium glands were blocked which causes dry eye as the eyes can’t lubricate, you could try heated flannel 2/3 day and see.My head, shoulder and neck pain is making life a misery and seems yo have suddenly come on around May. I’ve recently had an MRI as I’ve had 3 falls in succession but, these are not the cause of my pain, had it before🤷🏼‍♀️

So many side effects that are not listed!

[Beachlife629 in reply to Buffafly]

Apixaban, made my eye sight bad. It was like I was looking through frosted glass.

[Hidden]

MMmmmmm I have been on Rivaroxaban now for 4 years and it does seem to synchronise with my eye site deteriorating, never thought about it before, just thought it was me getting older. You may have a point.

[Carew in reply to Hidden]

I mostly don't wear my glasses - which are for short-sightedness and astigmatism. Pretty much only for driving - and my sunglasses are prescription.

That includes when using my iPhone 12 Pro (just mentioned for comparison purposes).

Not on Rivaroxaban, I can use it OK for mail and browsing.

But on Rivaroxaban, I can't quite use it. Have to play about - zoom, scroll, hold it closer or further away.

[waveylines]

Probably the simplist thing to do is switch to a different anti coag. Hopefully it won't reoccur with a different one. I assume you're not due an eye check soon? I found pre anti coag my eyes would change quite suddenly when I was getting towards my 2yr check up. When that happened they would vary, fine one day not good the next. My optician explained it was because without me realising it my eyes were straining to view well so became tired more quickly. Change in script did the trick.

[Carew in reply to waveylines]

Thank you.

I did have a test a few weeks back - including back of eye scan. No significant change from previous test.

[waveylines]

In that case defo worth switching to see if that helps. 🤞

[LaceyLady]

Look at this, your eye sight can be affected if your glands are blocked. The eye is not lubricating properly, I know as mine haven’t been, I had a treatment offered by my consultant at Moorfields private.

allaboutvision.com/conditio...

[Carew in reply to LaceyLady]

Thank you.

In the past I have had eye issues (as mentioned, iritis - and also dry eyes).

However, in the past almost ten years, no such issues.

And the only one of the symptoms mentioned that I have is "Intermittent blurry vision". (Thankfully.)