Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
Swallow the tablet, preferably with water.
Lixiana can be taken with or without food.
If you have difficulty swallowing the tablet whole, talk to your doctor about other ways to take Lixiana. The tablet may be crushed and mixed with water or apple puree immediately before you take it. If necessary, your doctor may also give you the crushed Lixiana tablet through a tube via the nose (nasogastric tube) or a tube in the stomach (gastric feeding tube).
Your doctor may change your anticoagulant treatment as follows:
Changing from vitamin K antagonists (e.g. warfarin) to Lixiana
Stop taking the vitamin K antagonist (e.g. warfarin). Your doctor will need to do blood measurements and will instruct you when to start taking Lixiana.
Changing from non-VKA oral anticoagulants (dabigatran, rivaroxaban, or apixaban) to Lixiana
Stop taking the previous medicines (e.g. dabigatran, rivaroxaban, or apixaban) and start Lixiana at the time of the next scheduled dose.
Changing from parenteral anticoagulants (e.g. heparin) to Lixiana
Stop taking the anticoagulant (e.g. heparin) and start Lixiana at the time of the next scheduled anticoagulant dose.
Changing from Lixiana to vitamin K antagonists (e.g. warfarin)
If you currently take 60 mg Lixiana:
Your doctor will tell you to reduce your dose of Lixiana to a 30 mg tablet once daily and to take it together with a vitamin K antagonist (e.g. warfarin). Your doctor will need to do blood measurements and will instruct you when to stop taking Lixiana.
If you currently take 30 mg (dose reduced) Lixiana:
Your doctor will tell you to reduce your dose of Lixiana to a 15 mg tablet once daily and to take it together with a vitamin K antagonist (e.g. warfarin). Your doctor will need to do blood measurements and will instruct you when to stop taking Lixiana.
Changing from Lixiana to non-VKA oral anticoagulants (dabigatran, rivaroxaban, or apixaban)
Stop taking Lixiana and start the non-VKA anticoagulant (e.g. dabigatran, rivaroxaban, or apixaban) at the time of the next scheduled dose of Lixiana.
Changing from Lixiana to parenteral anticoagulants (e.g. heparin)
Stop taking Lixiana and start the parenteral anticoagulant (e.g. heparin) at the time of the next scheduled dose of Lixiana.
Patients undergoing cardioversion:
If your abnormal heartbeat needs to be restored to normal by a procedure called cardioversion, take Lixiana at the times your doctor tells you to prevent blood clots in the brain and other blood vessels in your body.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.