What is the difference between plavix and xarelto

All blood-thinning medicines slow the formation of blood clots, preventing complications such as valve obstruction and blood clots that travel to the brain and cause stroke. The FDA approved Xarelto and Eliquis nearly 10 years ago to prevent stroke and systemic blood clots in patients with Afib and for the treatment and prevention of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Many Afib patients are now choosing Xarelto or Eliquis over Coumadin. Barnes explains the pros and cons of these medications.

Dosage and monitoring. Coumadin : The right dose of Coumadin varies by patient and can depend on diet, age and other medications a patient takes. The dosing is a delicate balance: Too much can increase bleeding, and too little might not reduce the risk of stroke.

For this reason, blood levels need to be checked regularly. Other side effects that may occur with Eliquis include fatigue, loss of energy, weakness, shortness of breath, and nausea.

This is not a complete list of side effects. Consult your healthcare provider for more information on adverse reactions of Eliquis and Xarelto. Eliquis and Xarelto interact with certain drugs that are metabolized by the same enzyme.

When enzyme inhibitor drugs are used with Eliquis or Xarelto, the levels of Eliquis or Xarelto in your body would increase, which would put you at increased risk for bleeding. If you have to take this combination of drugs, it is likely that your doctor will decrease your dose of Eliquis or Xarelto while on both medications. On the other hand, when enzyme inducers are taken with Eliquis or Xarelto, there is an interaction where those drugs make Eliquis or Xarelto metabolize faster, and you will not get enough of the Eliquis or Xarelto dose.

Also, using Eliquis or Xarelto with other anticoagulants, antiplatelet drugs, NSAIDs nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , and certain antidepressants may increase the risk of bleeding. This is not a full list of drug interactions.

Consult your healthcare provider for more information. Eliquis and Xarelto have a boxed black box warning, which is the strongest warning required by the FDA. Other warnings include:. Eliquis and Xarelto are both known as factor Xa inhibitors. They are very similar, but not exactly the same. Differences are outlined above. Other factor Xa inhibitors are Pradaxa dabigatran , Arixtra fondaparinux , Savaysa edoxaban , and Bevyxxa betrixaban. Studies see above for details have shown that Eliquis and Xarelto are similarly effective, or that Eliquis may be slightly more effective.

Eliquis seems to have a lower risk of bleeding than Xarelto. Ask your doctor if Eliquis or Xarelto is appropriate for you. Generally, Eliquis and Xarelto are not used in pregnancy. But if you have symptoms of low blood pressure that feel life threatening, call Shortness of breath is not a common side effect of Plavix, but it may be symptom of a serious side effect of the drug.

Plavix is used to help prevent blood clots from forming in your body. Shortness of breath can be a sign of a dangerous side effect called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura TTP. With TTP, blood clots are formed throughout your body.

Some blood clots can form in your arms or legs and then travel to your lungs. Once inside your lungs, the clot can block the flow of blood to your lung tissue. This condition is known as pulmonary embolism PE.

Symptoms of PE can include shortness of breath and chest pain. This condition is very dangerous and can be life threatening. Stomach pain is not a common side effect of Plavix. Serious bleeding is a possible side effect of Plavix. Stomach pain can also be a sign of a dangerous side effect called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura TTP. With TTP, blood clots are formed throughout your body, including in your small blood vessels.

Plavix is FDA-approved to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with certain cardiovascular conditions. These conditions are described below. Plavix is approved to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with acute coronary syndrome ACS , which includes these three conditions:. These conditions are typically caused by coronary artery disease CAD.

Sometimes plaques are made of cholesterol. Plaque formation causes your arteries to be partly or fully blocked, not allowing enough blood to flow through them. The lack of blood flow results in a lack of oxygen to your heart. In clinical studies of people admitted to the hospital with ACS, people were given aspirin and either Plavix or a placebo treatment with no active drug. After up to 1 year of treatment, people using Plavix had fewer severe ACS complications than people who took the placebo.

For details, see the Plavix package insert. This results in a lack of oxygen in your heart muscle and causes damage in your heart. Plavix has been shown to reduce this risk in people using the drug.

A clinical study compared the use of Plavix versus aspirin in preventing heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular-related death. After up to 3 years of treatment, fewer people taking Plavix had these serious effects.

The blocked blood flow results in a lack of oxygen to your brain. Plavix is approved to prevent heart attack and stroke in people with peripheral artery disease PAD. With PAD, your arteries are narrowed. This results in less blood flow to certain areas of your body, such as your arms and legs.

With PAD, your arteries typically become narrowed by a buildup of plaque inside of them. Sometimes plaque is made from cholesterol. The buildup causes your vessels to be either partly or fully blocked.

People with PAD have a higher risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke. Plavix has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular-related death in people who have PAD. People were given either Plavix or aspirin for up to 3 years.

Compared with those taking aspirin, fewer people taking Plavix had a stroke or heart attack. But there was no difference between the two treatment groups for the percentage of people who died from cardiovascular events. In addition to the uses listed above, Plavix may be used off-label. And you may wonder if Plavix is used for certain other conditions. CABG is a type of open-heart surgery that helps improve blood flow to your heart. During CABG surgery, an artery or vein is taken from one part of your body such as your leg.

This way, blood can flow into an area of heart muscle that would otherwise be blocked from blood flow.

The combination of drugs may also help to keep the newly grafted vessel flexible. Stents are mesh tubes that are sometimes placed into your arteries to keep the arteries open. Stents are usually placed when someone has a blockage in their artery that is stopping blood from flowing through the artery. This drug helps to reduce the risk of a blood clot forming inside the stent. However, Plavix is also sometimes prescribed for a while after a stent is placed.

The length of Plavix treatment depends on if the stent placed is a drug-eluting stent a stent that gives off a drug or a bare metal stent. Atrial fibrillation is a type of heart arrythmia abnormal rate or rhythm of your heart beat. People with atrial fibrillation have a higher risk of blood clots forming inside their heart.

This is because their heart is not pumping their blood properly. Blood clots are dangerous because they can travel inside your body and may get trapped in smaller vessels. If this happens, the clots can cut off blood flow to your heart, lungs, or brain. Sometimes, Plavix is prescribed to help prevent blood clots from forming in people who have both atrial fibrillation and acute coronary syndrome.

Plavix for prevention or treatment of deep vein thrombosis not an appropriate use. Plavix is not approved to treat or prevent deep vein thrombosis DVT.

Plavix is not approved to treat elevated cholesterol. Plavix is often prescribed in combination with other drugs. Note: Some of the drugs listed below are used off-label. Plavix is often prescribed in combination with aspirin to treat various conditions. The combination of Plavix and aspirin is called dual antiplatelet therapy.

This is because both drugs work to stop your platelets from sticking together and forming dangerous clots. Several studies have shown a benefit to using these drugs together rather than taking either of the drugs alone. Plavix is FDA-approved for use in combination with aspirin to prevent heart attack and stroke in people with acute coronary syndrome ACS. Plavix may be used in combination with an anticoagulant blood thinner in some people who have conditions such as atrial fibrillation, or in people who have very high risk of a cardiovascular event.

Cardiovascular events include heart attack and stroke. The following information describes dosages that are commonly used or recommended. However, be sure to take the dosage your doctor prescribes for you. Your doctor will determine the best dosage to suit your needs. The typical dosage of Plavix for acute coronary syndrome ACS depends on whether you have:. The typical dosage of Plavix is one mg tablet taken by mouth once daily. It can be taken with or without food. Your doctor may recommend that you start Plavix therapy by taking a loading dose.

With a loading dose, the drug is given to you at a dosage higher than the typical dosage. A loading dose is used to increase the level of the drug in your body right away. The typical loading dosage of Plavix is mg four mg tablets or one mg tablet taken by mouth one time. After taking your loading dose of Plavix, your doctor will recommend the dosage of Plavix that you should continue to take each day.

The typical dosage of Plavix for people with peripheral artery disease PAD , recent stroke , or recent heart attack is one mg tablet taken by mouth once daily. If you miss a dose of Plavix, try to take it as soon as you remember. Doing this may increase your risk of serious side effects. Clopidogrel Plavix - If you can't take aspirin and have been diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome or had a stent implanted.

Editor's Note: These materials are made possible by a grant from the state Attorney General Consumer and Prescriber Education Grant Program, which is funded by the multi-state settlement of consumer-fraud claims regarding the marketing of the prescription drug Neurontin gabapentin. Choose from cars, safety, health, and more! Already signed-up? Manage your newsletters here too. See your savings. Mobile Get Ratings on the go and compare while you shop Learn more.

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