Did you know that about 100,000 people die from blood clots every year? Further, 900,000 people living in the United States develop blood clots.

Blood clots can happen to anyone, including you. But, most of them are preventable.

One of the best ways to prevent blood clots is by taking a blood clot medication like Eliquis.

But, what does Eliquis treat and does it work? Keep reading to find out.

What Is Eliquis?

Eliquis is the brand name medication for apixaban, which is an anticoagulant medication. It helps prevent and treat all kinds of blood clots in the body.

You can view the full Rx information here.

What Does Eliquis Do?

Eliquis is a factor Xa antagonist. This means that it inhibits free and clot-bound Xa in the bloodstream to stop prothrombinase activity.

In layman’s terms, Eliquis helps reduce the number of clotting factors in the blood. This means that the blood will be thinner and less likely to clot.

What Are the Side Effects of Eliquis?

As with any medication or treatment, there are a few medications to consider before starting Eliquis. Here are the most commonly reported side effects of Eliquis:

  • Nausea
  • Easy bruising
  • Minor bleeding via nosebleeds, small cuts, etc.

If you find that you’re having more serious reactions such as nonstop bleeding, vision changes, and confusion, you should go to the emergency department.

The most important aspect to be mindful of is bleeding. Because Eliquis makes your blood thinner, it also makes bleeding easier if there is an injury.

So, you should alert your provider to any problems you have with persistent bleeding or signs of internal bleeding, such as vomitus that looks like coffee ground or dark stool.

How Do You Use Eliquis?

If your physician prescribes you Eliquis, you should follow their specific instructions.

In general, patients should take Eliquis by mouth with or without food as often as their prescription states. Usually, you’ll take the medication twice daily (about every 12 hours).

If you’re not able to swallow the entire pill, you should crush the tablet and mix it into water, apple juice, or applesauce. Then, you should drink/eat as quickly as possible.

How Is Eliquis Dosed?

The dose that your physician prescribes will be based on your medical conditions, current medications, age, weight, and kidney function. According to your bodily response to starting Eliquis, your physician may increase or decrease the dose.

When you’re talking with your physician and pharmacist about the medication, you should be sure to disclose all medications you’re taking, including over-the-counter options and herbal products as well as prescriptions.

Some patients may only take Eliquis for a short period of time to prevent blood clots after surgery. The specific dose and amount of time will depend on the kind of surgery and what the surgical conditions were.

What Are Special Considerations for Eliquis?

You should never stop any medication, including Eliquis, without consulting your physician. Your existing conditions may become worse if you stop the medication abruptly. In fact, you may have adverse reactions.

Because of this, you should make sure that you never run out of medication. You should pick up (or have someone else pick up) your medication when you’re starting to get low. Ordering refills early makes it easier to keep up with your course of treatment.

As you’re following the treatment, you should use the medication exactly as directed. Skipping a dose could be detrimental.

You should also do your best to take the medication at the same time(s) each day.

What Does Eliquis Treat?

There are many conditions related to blood clots in the body. So, Eliquis can prevent and treat a variety of medical conditions:

  • Existing blood clots in deep veins of the extremities
  • Existing blood clots in patients with low platelet levels due to heparin
  • Existing pulmonary embolism (a clot in the lung)
  • Deep vein thrombosis prevention after knee replacement
  • Deep vein thrombosis prevention after hip surgery
  • Blood clot prevention in chronic atrial fibrillation
  • Prevention of recurrent venous thromboembolism, especially after a stroke
  • Thrombosis related to thrombocytopenia syndrome

Although these are the most common uses, your physician may opt to use the medication in another way. Eliquis treatment is unique in that it can address all kinds of blood-clot-related ailments.

Does Eliquis Work?

In multiple clinical studies and throughout clinical instances, Eliquis has worked for a variety of conditions.

According to the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), Eliquis is effective in preventing blood clots and strokes.

In a study on warfarin, another blood clot medication, 1.27% of people taking Eliquis had a blood clot stroke over one year of treatment while this happened to 1.6% of people taking warfarin. Yet another study that focused on aspirin, another blood clot medication, showed that 1.62% of people taking Eliquis had a blood clot or stroke over one year of treatment while this happened to 3.63% of people taking aspirin.

In another study comparing Eliquis to enoxaparin and warfarin together over the course of six months, there were multiple positive findings:

  • 0.8% of people taking Eliquis had a blood clot in the deep vein of one of the extremities while this happened to 1.3% of people taking enoxaparin plus warfarin
  • 0.4% of people taking Eliquis died from a blood clot while this happened to 0.6% of people taking enoxaparin plus warfarin

When it comes to prevention, Eliquis remains effective. 2.3-3.4% of people taking Eliquis in this 12-month study had a blood clot in the deep veins of the extremities during treatment, while 8.7% of people on a placebo had the same development.

Over and over, Eliquis is proving effective at preventing and treating all kinds of blood clots. And, it is beating other blood clot medications.

If you have a past history of blood clots or a strong family history, you should talk to your physician about potential preventative treatment with Eliquis.

Get the Eliquis Treatment You Need

So, what does Eliquis treat? Luckily, it prevents and treats a variety of blood-clot-related conditions, including deep vein thrombosis, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, and stroke.

To learn more about your health, check out the rest of our blog.