Riveroxaban

[southkorea]

I changed from warfarin to riveroxaban two months ago. Since then i have had a minor problem with bleeding gums and itching! Do these two side effects eventually go?

[BobD Volunteer]

Healthy gums don't bleed so please see your dental hygienist.

[pusillanimous in reply to BobD]

He or she should give instructions on home care and it's vital that this is followed, otherwise it's a waste of time seeing a hygienist.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to pusillanimous]

After fifty plus years of NHS dentistry left me with chronic gingivitis I now see my hygeinist every three months to try and retain the few teeth I still have.

[JaneFinn]

When I started riveroxaban I had a little bleeding from my gums, as well as pains in my lower legs and itchiness. My doctor said not to worry, to give it a couple of weeks. I also developed an irritated stomach which worried me in case there was damage happening. I was prescribed lansoprozole.

After a few weeks all the side effects except the irritated stomach stopped, and my cardiologist swapped me to Apixaban which seems to suit me.

Good idea of Bob’s to see your dental hygienist about the gums, even if rivaroxaban is having an effect on you. Gum health is very important for our heart health x

[southkorea in reply to JaneFinn]

Thank you. I have been taking Riveroxaban for a couple of months now but the bleeding ( a small amount) still occurs every few days. I am seeing my doctor on Tues so I will ask to change to apixaban . I do look after my gums but will arrange for another visit to my hygienist . Bleeding gums is actually listed as a frequent side effect of riveroxaban .

[JaneFinn in reply to southkorea]

Oh yes I’d forgotten bleeding gums was listed as a side effect! Funny, isn’t it? I don’t really understand why, as anticoagulants are not supposed to cause spontaneous bleeding, and also it does pass. (Or did in my case.) It may well be the same with Apixaban also - I don’t think one is necessarily better than the other, just different ones suit different people. I also had some nosebleeds to begin with - nothing dramatic- and they stopped as I got used to the drug.

I do wish there was a way of testing the anticoagulation in DOACs, like there is with warfarin!