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

Dosage and strength

Apixaban comes as 2.5mg and 5mg tablets.

Your dose of apixaban depends on why you're taking it. If you're unsure what dose you need to take, check with your doctor or pharmacist.

The usual dose in adults if you:

have a heart condition called atrial fibrillation is one 5mg tablet, taken twice a day. Your doctor may prescribe a lower dose of one 2.5mg tablet twice a day if you're over 80 years old, weigh less than 60kg (9st 6lb), or have kidney disease and are at higher risk of bleeding
have recently had a blood clot (within the last 6 months) is two 5mg tablets taken twice a day, for the first 7 days. After that, you'll take one 5mg tablet twice a day
need to reduce the risk of a future blood clot is one 2.5mg tablet taken twice a day
have had a hip or knee replacement is one 2.5mg tablet, taken twice a day. You'll usually take your first dose 12 to 24 hours after surgery

How to take it

You'll usually take apixaban tablets twice a day. Try to take it at the same time every day.

Swallow the tablet with a drink of water. Apixaban can be taken with or without food.

You can crush apixaban tablets and mix them with water, apple juice or apple purée. Swallow this mixture straight away.

How long to take it for

How long you need to take apixaban will depend on why you're taking it. If you have had:

knee replacement surgery, you'll usually take it for 10 to 14 days
a hip replacement, you'll usually take it for 32 to 38 days
a blood clot (DVT or pulmonary embolism), you'll usually take it for at least 3 months

Depending on what caused the blood clot, you might need to take it for longer.

If you have a heart problem like atrial fibrillation, you might need to take apixaban long term or even for the rest of your life.

Do not stop taking apixaban without talking to your doctor.

If you stop taking apixaban, your risk of blood clots will return to what it was before. This can start happening again within a day or two of stopping. This means that you may be at increased risk of serious problems like stroke, heart attack, deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism.

If you forget to take it

Take your medicine as soon as you remember, unless it's nearly time for your next dose. In this case, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the usual time.

Do not take 2 doses to make up for a missed one.

It's very important that you remember to take apixaban every day. If you often forget doses, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to help you remember to take your medicine.

If you take too much

Taking too much apixaban puts you at risk of bleeding.

Urgent advice: Contact 111 for advice now if:

you take more than your prescribed dose of apixaban

Go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111

If you need to go to A&E, do not drive. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

Bring the apixaban packet or leaflet inside it, any remaining medicine, and any other medicines you take.

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 apixaban or reduce your dose for a short time.

Changes to your medicine

Switching from apixaban to warfarin

If you need to switch from apixaban 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 apixaban.

Switching from warfarin to apixaban

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