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Rivaroxaban

This form:

Pronounced

"RIV-a-ROX-a-ban"

Common brand names:

Xarelto

Uses

Rivaroxaban is used along with low-dose aspirin to help prevent heart attack, stroke, and death in people with a certain heart problem (coronary artery disease - CAD) or in people who have reduced blood flow to the arms/legs (peripheral artery disease - PAD), including those people who recently had surgery for PAD. For patients with PAD, this medication may also help reduce the risk of blood vessel blockage to the hands/legs/feet and reduce the risk of amputation.

Rivaroxaban is an anticoagulant that works by blocking certain clotting proteins in your blood.

How to Use This Medication

Read the Medication Guide provided by your pharmacist before you start taking rivaroxaban and each time you get a refill. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Take this medication by mouth with or without food as directed by your doctor, usually twice daily. Take a low-dose aspirin (usually 75-100 milligrams) once a day as directed by your doctor. Follow your doctor's directions carefully.

If you are unable to swallow whole tablets, you may crush the tablet and mix it with applesauce. Eat the entire mixture right away. Do not prepare a supply for future use.

If you are giving this medication through a tube into the stomach (nasogastric or gastric tube), ask your health care professional for detailed instructions on how to properly mix and give it.

Use this medication regularly to get the most benefit from it. To help you remember, take it at the same times each day.

Do not increase your dose or take this drug more often or for longer than prescribed. Your condition will not improve any faster, and your risk of side effects will increase.