How And When To Take Edoxaban

NHS medicines information on dosage for edoxaban, how to take it and what to do if you miss a dose or take too much.

It's important to take edoxaban as your doctor has told you.

Dosage and strength

Edoxaban comes as 15mg, 30mg and 60mg tablets.

The usual dose of edoxaban is 60mg, taken once a day. Your doctor may prescribe a lower dose of 30mg a day if you:

• have kidney disease
• have a low body weight
• are taking ciclosporin
• are taking dronedarone (to treat atrial fibrillation)
• are taking erythromycin or ketoconazole

If you're unsure what dose you need to take, check with your pharmacist or doctor.

How to take it

Swallow the tablet with a drink of water.

You can take edoxaban with or without food but try to take it at the same time every day.

How long to take it for

How long you need to take edoxaban will depend on why you're taking it.

If you've had a blood clot (deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism) you'll normally take edoxaban for at least 3 months. Depending on what caused the blood clot, you might need to take it for longer.

If you have atrial fibrillation you might need to take edoxaban long term or even for the rest of your life.

Do not stop taking edoxaban without talking to your doctor. If you stop taking it you may be at increased risk of serious health problems caused by blood clots.

If you forget to take it

If you forget a dose of edoxaban, take your tablet as soon as you remember. If you only remember the following day, leave out the forgotten dose and take your next dose at the usual time.

Never take 2 doses at the same time. Never take an extra dose to make up for a forgotten one.

If you often forget doses, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to remember to take your medicines.

If you take too much

Taking too much edoxaban puts you at risk of bleeding.

Contact 111 for advice now if:

Anticoagulant alert card

Your doctor or pharmacist will give you an anticoagulant alert card. Carry this with you all the time. It tells healthcare professionals that you're taking an anticoagulant. This can be useful for them to know in case of a medical emergency.

If you need any medical or dental treatment, show your anticoagulant alert card to the nurse, doctor or dentist. This includes before you have vaccinations and routine sessions with the dental hygienist.

Your doctor may advise you to stop taking edoxaban or reduce your dose for a short time.

Switching from warfarin to edoxaban

If you need to switch from warfarin to edoxaban, your doctor will advise you when to stop taking warfarin. This will probably be a few days before you start edoxaban.

Your doctor or anticoagulant clinic will do a blood test called the international normalised ratio (INR) to check how quickly your blood's clotting. This is to help decide exactly when you should start taking edoxaban.

Switching from edoxaban to warfarin

If you need to switch from edoxaban to warfarin, you may need to take both medicines together for a few days.

Your doctor or anticoagulant clinic will do a blood test called the international normalised ratio (INR) to check how quickly your blood's clotting. This is to help decide exactly when you should stop taking edoxaban.

If you want to find out more about this particular topic you can visit the Original article on the NHS website. If you are worried by any aspect of your health make sure you go and see your doctor or book an appointment at your local clinic.