Apixaban
Apixaban is a blood thinner used to prevent strokes in atrial fibrillation and to treat or prevent clots in the legs and lungs, listed here as Eliquis 2.5mg and 5mg tablets.
Why people take apixaban
Most people meet apixaban because of atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat in which blood can settle in the heart and form a clot. If that clot travels to the brain it causes a stroke, and apixaban is taken to prevent it.
The same tablet treats a clot that has already formed in a leg vein (deep vein thrombosis) or the lung (pulmonary embolism), and stops it returning. After a hip or knee replacement it is used for a few weeks to prevent clots.
How apixaban works
Clotting is a chain of steps, and apixaban blocks one of them, an enzyme called factor Xa. With that step slowed, less fibrin is made, and fibrin is the mesh a clot is built from. You can still stop bleeding from a cut; clots just form less easily.
Tablets are twice daily, with or without food. After surgery it lasts some weeks. For atrial fibrillation it is usually long term.
Bleeding: the side effect to know about
Bruising easily, nosebleeds and bleeding gums are the common ones. Bleeding that is heavy or will not stop — blood in urine or stools, vomit with blood in it, a nosebleed that keeps going — needs urgent treatment. So do sudden severe headache, weakness or numbness, or trouble speaking, which can be bleeding inside the head. Heavier periods, and tiredness, pallor or breathlessness from slow blood loss (anaemia), are also reported. Stopping apixaban is not harmless either: the risk of a stroke climbs again once it is out of the blood, even when you feel well.
What mixes badly with apixaban
Aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen and other anti-inflammatory painkillers all make bleeding more likely, as do clopidogrel, warfarin, heparin and similar blood thinners. Ketoconazole, itraconazole and ritonavir push up the amount of apixaban in the blood; carbamazepine, phenytoin, rifampicin and St John's wort pull it down.
The apixaban listing on this site
There is one: Eliquis tablets, 2.5mg and 5mg, the two strengths the ingredient comes in here. Both contain apixaban, the 5mg tablet being the larger amount per tablet, and both sit in the heart and blood pressure range.
Sources
- Apixaban: MedlinePlus Drug Information — MedlinePlus / U.S. National Library of Medicine
- Atrial fibrillation - causes, symptoms and treatment - BHF — British Heart Foundation
Where can I order Apixaban for delivery in Hong Kong?
Apixaban can be ordered online from PockDose with delivery to Hong Kong. The range on this page is generic Eliquis tablets in 2.5mg and 5mg. Delivery to Hong Kong is by tracked courier, taking 5 to 9 business days, with online tracking.
How much does Apixaban cost?
The price depends on the strength and pack size you choose. The Eliquis page shows current prices in HKD or the currency you select.
Is there a generic Eliquis?
Yes, generic Eliquis is listed as 2.5mg and 5mg tablets and contains apixaban. No other version of apixaban appears on this page, so there is no plain ingredient tablet alongside it.
What are the other names for apixaban?
Eliquis is a brand name of apixaban, which is also sold as Apigat. Here, apixaban can be bought online as generic Eliquis. These are generics, not the original brand.
Is Eliquis the same as apixaban?
Yes. Eliquis is the brand name for apixaban, and the tablets sold under that name here contain the ingredient in 2.5mg or 5mg. The name on the box is a brand; apixaban is the active ingredient doing the work.
Can I take ibuprofen with apixaban?
It is best avoided. Ibuprofen, naproxen and similar anti-inflammatory painkillers make bleeding more likely alongside apixaban, and so does aspirin. Paracetamol does not carry the same bleeding risk, which is why it is the painkiller normally reached for when someone is on a blood thinner.
Can you crush apixaban tablets?
Yes. For anyone who struggles with swallowing, the tablet can be ground up in water, apple juice or applesauce and drunk as soon as it is mixed, rather than being made up ahead of time.
What happens if I stop taking apixaban?
Protection fades within about a day, and the risk of a stroke or clot climbs back, mainly in the first weeks. Atrial fibrillation often gives no symptoms, so it is the daily tablet, not how you feel, that holds the risk down.
How does apixaban compare with warfarin?
Warfarin needs regular blood tests so the dose can be adjusted, and food and other medicines shift its effect. Apixaban is a fixed twice-daily dose with no routine testing. Both thin the blood and both can cause bleeding.