Eliquis vs. Pradaxa

• Are Pradaxa and Eliquis the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Eliquis?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Pradaxa?
• What is Eliquis?
• What is Pradaxa?
• What Drugs Interact with Eliquis?
• What Drugs Interact with Pradaxa?
• How Should Eliquis Be Taken?
• How Should Pradaxa Be Taken?

Eliquis (apixaban) and Pradaxa (dabigatran) are anticoagulants (blood thinners) used to reduce blood clotting and reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

Common side effects of Eliquis include:

• skin rash,
• allergic reactions,
• fainting, nausea, and
• anemia.

Tell your doctor if you have serious side effects of Eliquis including easy bruising, unusual bleeding (nose, mouth, vagina, or rectum), bleeding from wounds or needle injections, any bleeding that will not stop; heavy menstrual periods; headache, dizziness, weakness, feeling like you might pass out; red, pink, or brown urine; black or bloody stools, coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds; numbness, tingling, or muscle weakness (especially in your legs and feet); or loss of movement in any part of your body.

Common side effects of Pradaxa include:

• bruising and minor bleeding (such as nosebleeds and bleeding from cuts),
• nausea,
• abdominal or stomach pain,
• stomach upset,
• indigestion,
• heartburn,
• diarrhea,
• skin rash, or
• itching.

Tell your doctor if you have serious side effects of Pradaxa including:

• severe heartburn,
• nausea, or
• vomiting.

Eliquis (apixaban) is an anticoagulant (blood thinner) that reduces blood clotting and reduces the risk of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

Pradaxa (dabigatran) is an anticoagulant that works by blocking the clotting protein thrombin. Pradaxa is used to prevent blood clots from forming because of a certain irregular heart rhythm (atrial fibrillation). Preventing these blood clots helps to reduce the risk of a stroke.

Eliquis may interact with blood thinners and heparin, antibiotics, antidepressants, antifungals, antithrombotics, bone marrow stimulants, bosentan, conivaptan, cyclosporine, dextran, heart or blood pressure medications, hepatitis C medications, HIV/AIDS medications, imatinib, isoniazid, nefazodone, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), rifabutin, rifampin, rifapentine, salicylates (such as aspirin, Pepto-Bismol, and others), seizure medications, St. John's wort, thrombopoietic growth factors, or vasodilators.

Pradaxa may interact with blood thinners and heparin, antibiotics, rifabutin, rifampin, rifapentine, St. John's wort, antifungals, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), salicylates (such as aspirin, Pepto-Bismol, and others), heart or blood pressure medications, HIV/AIDS medications, or medicines used to prevent organ transplant rejection.

The recommended dose of Eliquis for most patients is 5 mg taken orally twice daily.

The recommended dose of Eliquis is 2.5 mg twice daily in patients with at least two of the following characteristics:

• age ≥ 80 years
• body weight ≤ 60 kg
• serum creatinine ≥ 1.5 mg/dL

The usual recommended dose of Pradaxa is 150 mg taken orally, twice daily Pradaxa is administered in capsule form.