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Eliquis

Pronunciation: ELL eh kwiss
Generic name: apixaban
Other brand names of apixaban include: Eliquis, Eliquis Sprinkle
Dosage form: oral extended-release tablets (2.5 mg, 5 mg), tablet for oral suspension (0.5 mg), capsule sprinkle for oral suspension (0.15mg)
Drug class: Factor Xa inhibitors

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on May 1, 2025.

What is Eliquis?

Eliquis blocks the activity of certain clotting substances in the blood.

Eliquis is used to lower the risk of stroke or a blood clot in people with a heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation that is not caused by a heart valve problem.

Eliquis is also used to prevent blood clots in the veins of the legs (deep vein thrombosis or DVT) and lungs (pulmonary embolism or PE) in people who have just had hip or knee replacement surgery, to treat DVTs or PEs, and to reduce the risk of DVTs or PEs from happening again after treatment for blood clots.

Eliquis is used in children from birth and older to treat blood clots in the veins of the legs and lungs (venous thromboembolism) after at least 5 days of initial anticoagulant treatment, and to reduce the risk of them happening again.

Warnings

Eliquis increases your risk of severe or fatal bleeding, especially if you take certain medicines at the same time (including some over-the-counter medicines). It is very important to tell your doctor about all medicines you have recently used.

Call your doctor at once if you have signs of bleeding such as: swelling, pain, feeling very weak or dizzy, bleeding gums, nosebleeds, heavy menstrual periods or abnormal vaginal bleeding, blood in your urine, bloody or tarry stools, coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds, or any bleeding that will not stop.

Eliquis should be stopped 24-48 hours prior to any surgery, invasive procedure, or dental work. Tell your surgeon if you are taking Eliquis.

Eliquis can cause a very serious blood clot around your spinal cord that can lead to long-term or permanent paralysis. This type of blood clot can occur during a spinal tap or spinal anesthesia (epidural), especially if you have a genetic spinal defect, if you use a spinal catheter, if you've had spinal surgery or repeated spinal taps, or if you use drugs that can affect blood clotting. This type of blood clot can lead to long-term or permanent paralysis.

Get emergency medical help if you have symptoms of a spinal cord blood clot such as back pain, numbness or muscle weakness in your lower body, or loss of bladder or bowel control.

Do not stop taking Eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. Stopping suddenly can increase your risk of blood clot or stroke.

Before taking this medicine

You should not take Eliquis if you are allergic to apixaban, or if you have active bleeding from a surgery, injury, or other cause.

Eliquis may cause you to bleed more easily, especially if you have a bleeding disorder that is inherited or caused by disease.

Tell your doctor if you have an artificial heart valve, or if you have ever had:

Eliquis can cause a very serious blood clot around your spinal cord if you undergo a spinal tap or receive spinal anesthesia (epidural). This type of blood clot could cause long-term paralysis, and may be more likely to occur if:

Tell all of your healthcare providers and dentists that you or your child are taking Eliquis. They should talk to the healthcare provider who prescribed Eliquis for you, before you have any surgery, medical or dental procedure.

Taking Eliquis may increase the risk of bleeding while you are pregnant or during your delivery. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant or are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

Pregnancy

It is not known if Eliquis will harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant during treatment with Eliquis. Taking Eliquis during pregnancy may increase the risk of bleeding in you or in your unborn baby.

Females who are able to become pregnant: Talk with your healthcare provider about pregnancy planning during treatment with Eliquis. Talk with your healthcare provider about your risk for severe uterine bleeding if you are treated with Eliquis.

If you take Eliquis during pregnancy, tell your healthcare provider right away if you develop any signs or symptoms of bleeding or blood loss.

Breastfeeding

It is not known if Eliquis passes into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed during treatment with Eliquis. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby during treatment with Eliquis.

How should I take Eliquis?

Take Eliquis exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider.

For adults and children weighing at least 77 pounds (35 kg), if you have trouble swallowing the tablet whole, talk to your healthcare provider about other ways to take Eliquis tablets.

Your healthcare provider will decide how long you should take Eliquis. Do not stop taking it without first talking with your healthcare provider.

Do not run out of Eliquis. Refill your prescription before you run out. When leaving the hospital following hip or knee replacement, be sure that you will have Eliquis available to avoid missing any doses.

Call your healthcare provider or healthcare provider right away if you fall or injure yourself, especially if you hit your head. Your healthcare provider or healthcare provider may need to check you.

For children who take Eliquis:

See the detailed Instructions for Use that comes with Eliquis Sprinkle for oral suspension or Eliquis tablets for oral suspension for information on how to prepare and give a dose of Eliquis to children who weigh less than 77 pounds (35 kg).

Dosing information

Reduction of risk of stroke and systemic embolism in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation:

Note: In patients with at least 2 of the following characteristics: age greater than or equal to 80 years, body weight less than or equal to 60 kg, or serum creatinine greater than or equal to 1.5 mg/dL, reduce the dosage to:

Adult Eliquis Dose for Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) -- Prophylaxis: Following Hip or Knee Replacement Surgery

Duration of therapy:

Comments:

The initial dose should be taken 12 to 24 hours after surgery.

Adult Eliquis Dose for DVT and Pulmonary Embolism (PE) -- Treatment

Adult Eliquis Dose for Reduction in the Risk of Recurrent DVT and PE Following Initial Therapy 

Treatment of VTE and reduction in the risk of recurrent VTE in pediatric patients from birth and older after at least 5 days of initial anticoagulant treatment:

What happens if I miss a dose?

If you or your child misses a dose of Eliquis, take it as soon as you remember on the same day. Do not take 2 doses of Eliquis at the same time to make up for a missed dose. Return to your usual dosing schedule the next day.

Get your prescription refilled before you run out of Eliquis completely.

What happens if I overdose?

If you take too much Eliquis, call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

What should I avoid while taking Eliquis?

Avoid activities that may increase your risk of bleeding or injury. Use extra care while shaving or brushing your teeth.

Eliquis side effects

The most common side effects of Eliquis in adults is bleeding.

The most common side effects of Eliquis in children is bleeding:

Serious side effects and warnings

Eliquis can cause the following serious side effects:

Do not stop taking Eliquis without talking to the healthcare provider who prescribes it for you. Stopping Eliquis increases your risk of having a stroke.

Eliquis may need to be stopped, if possible, prior to surgery or a medical or dental procedure. Ask the healthcare provider who prescribed Eliquis for you when you should stop taking it. Your healthcare provider will tell you when you may start taking Eliquis again after your surgery or procedure. If you have to stop taking Eliquis, your healthcare provider may prescribe another medicine to help prevent a blood clot from forming.

Tell your healthcare provider if you take any of these medicines. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist if you are not sure if your medicine is one listed above. During treatment with Eliquis:

Call your healthcare provider or get medical help right away if you or your child develop any of these signs or symptoms of bleeding during treatment with Eliquis:

If you take Eliquis and receive spinal anesthesia or have a spinal puncture, your healthcare provider should watch you closely for symptoms of spinal or epidural blood clots or bleeding. Tell your healthcare provider or get medical help right away if you have back pain, tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness, especially in your legs and feet, or loss of control of the bowels or bladder (incontinence).

Eliquis is not for use in people with artificial heart valves.

Eliquis is not for use in people with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), especially with positive triple antibody testing.

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to Eliquis: hives; chest pain, wheezing, difficult breathing; feeling light-headed; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect Eliquis?

Sometimes it is not safe to use certain medications at the same time. Some drugs can affect your blood levels of other drugs you take, which may increase side effects or make the medications less effective.

Many other drugs (including some over-the-counter medicines) can increase your risk of bleeding or blood clots. Tell your doctor about all medicines you have recently used, especially:

This list is not complete and many other drugs may interact with apixaban. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.

Does Eliquis interact with my other drugs?

Enter medications to view a detailed interaction report using our Drug Interaction Checker.

Eliquis and Medicare

Because of the prescription drug law, known as the Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare is able to negotiate directly with drug companies to improve access to some of the costliest single-source brand-name Medicare Part B and Part D drugs.

Eliquis is one of 10 drugs covered under Medicare Part D that were selected in 2024 for the first cycle of negotiation based on Total Expenditures under Part D and other criteria as required by the law. Negotiations with participating drug companies are ongoing, and any negotiated prices for the first cycle of negotiation is effective from 2026.

Storage

Store Eliquis at room temperature between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C).

Keep out of the reach of children. 

Ingredients

Active ingredient: apixaban

Inactive ingredients:

Manufacturer

Eliquis (apixaban) is manufactured by Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) in collaboration with Pfizer. These two pharmaceutical companies jointly developed and market this anticoagulant medication.

Popular FAQ

What foods should I avoid while on Eliquis?

There is not a special diet that you should follow while you are taking Eliquis (apixaban). However, some foods and drinks can interact with it that you should be aware of. Grapefruit, pomelos, and certain teas are some examples of foods you should avoid while on Eliquis. Continue reading

Top 6 Eliquis Side Effects: What You Need to Know in Depth

Eliquis is an anticoagulant that is preferred over older anticoagulants, such as warfarin, because it doesn’t require regular blood tests, has fewer drug and food interactions, and it is less likely to cause bleeding. Although Eliquis is generally well tolerated, like any medication, it does have some side effects. We look in detail at six of the most common side effects of Eliquis:

  • Slight bleeding
  • Severe bleeding
  • Feeling sick (nausea)
  • Spinal blood clots
  • Increased liver enzymes and liver injury
  • Blood clots when stopping Eliquis.
Continue reading
Xarelto vs Eliquis: How do they compare?

Xarelto (rivaroxaban) and Eliquis (apixaban) are novel anticoagulants that make blood less likely to clot (also called thinning the blood). Both belong to the class of medicines known as factor Xa (FXa) inhibitors and they are two of the most popular blood thinners on the market. Either one may be used to reduce the risk of stroke or treat and prevent blood clots in conditions such as DVT. Continue reading

How do I stop and start Eliquis for surgery?

Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions on how to stop and restart Eliquis (apixaban) if you need to have surgery. In general, treatment with Eliquis should be paused at least 24-48 hours before surgery and may be restarted within 1-3 days after your procedure. This timeframe may be different if you have kidney problems. Continue reading

Switching from Eliquis to Xarelto: What do I need to know?

Follow your healthcare provider's instructions when switching from Eliquis to Xarelto. When switching from Eliquis to Xarelto you should stop taking Eliquis and then start taking Xarelto at the time your next dose of Eliquis is due. Do not take Eliquis and Xarelto at the same time. Continue reading

How do you reverse bleeding with Xarelto?

Andexxa injection is an antidote that can be used for patients being treated with rivaroxaban (Xarelto) or apixaban (Eliquis) when reversal of anticoagulation (blood thinning) is needed due to life-threatening or uncontrolled bleeding. Continue reading

Does Feverfew interact with any drugs?

Feverfew, an herbal supplement that is a member of the daisy family, may interact with over 40 medicines. This includes drugs used to help prevent blood clots like the anticoagulant warfarin. Continue reading

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Further information

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.