Xarelto 15-20mg Film-Coated Tablets Treatment Initiation Pack

Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.

• Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
• If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
• This medicine has been prescribed for you only. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their signs of illness are the same as yours.
• If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.

What is in this leaflet

1. What Xarelto is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you take Xarelto
3. How to take Xarelto
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Xarelto
6. Contents of the pack and other information

Do not take Xarelto

• if you are allergic to rivaroxaban or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6)
• if you are bleeding excessively
• if you have a disease or condition in an organ of the body that increases the risk of serious bleeding (e.g. stomach ulcer, injury or bleeding in the brain, recent surgery of the brain or eyes)
• if you are taking medicines to prevent blood clotting (e.g. warfarin, dabigatran, apixaban or heparin), except when changing anticoagulant treatment or while getting heparin through a venous or arterial line to keep it open.
• if you have a liver disease which leads to an increased risk of bleeding
• if you are pregnant or breast-feeding

Do not take Xarelto and tell your doctor if any of these apply to you.

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Xarelto.

Take special care with Xarelto

• if you have an increased risk of bleeding, as could be the case in situations such as:
  • severe kidney disease, since your kidney function may affect the amount of medicine that works in your body
  • if you are taking other medicines to prevent blood clotting (e.g. warfarin, dabigatran, apixaban or heparin), when changing anticoagulant treatment or while getting heparin through a venous or arterial line to keep it open (see section “Other medicines and Xarelto”)
  • bleeding disorders
  • very high blood pressure, not controlled by medical treatment
  • diseases of your stomach or bowel that might result in bleeding, e.g. inflammation of the bowels or stomach, or inflammation of the oesophagus (gullet), e.g. due to gastroesophageal reflux disease (disease where stomach acid goes upwards into the oesophagus)
  • a problem with the blood vessels in the back of your eyes (retinopathy)
  • a lung disease where your bronchi are widened and filled with pus (bronchiectasis), or previous bleeding from your lung
• if you have a prosthetic heart valve
• if your doctor determines that your blood pressure is unstable or another treatment or surgical procedure to remove the blood clot from your lungs is planned

If any of the above apply to you, tell your doctor before you take Xarelto. Your doctor will decide, if you should be treated with this medicine and if you should be kept under closer observation.

If you need to have an operation

• it is very important to take Xarelto before and after the operation exactly at the times you have been told by your doctor.
• If your operation involves a catheter or injection into your spinal column (e.g. for epidural or spinal anaesthesia or pain reduction):
  • it is very important to take Xarelto before and after the injection or removal of the catheter exactly at the times you have been told by your doctor
  • tell your doctor immediately if you get numbness or weakness of your legs or problems with your bowel or bladder after the end of anaesthesia, because urgent care is necessary.

Children and adolescents

Xarelto is not recommended for people under 18 years of age. There is not enough information on its use in children and adolescents.

Other medicines and Xarelto

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription.

• If you are taking
  • some medicines for fungal infections (e.g. fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole), unless they are only applied to the skin
  • ketoconazole tablets (used to treat Cushing’s syndrome - when the body produces an excess of cortisol)
  • some medicines for bacterial infections (e.g. clarithromycin, erythromycin)
  • some anti-viral medicines for HIV / AIDS (e.g. ritonavir)
  • other medicines to reduce blood clotting (e.g. enoxaparin, clopidogrel or vitamin K antagonists such as warfarin and acenocoumarol)
  • anti-inflammatory and pain relieving medicines (e.g. naproxen or acetylsalicylic acid)
  • dronedarone, a medicine to treat abnormal heart beat
  • some medicines to treat depression (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs))
  If any of the above apply to you, tell your doctor before taking Xarelto, because the effect of Xarelto may be increased. Your doctor will decide, if you should be treated with this medicine and if you should be kept under closer observation.
  If your doctor thinks that you are at increased risk of developing stomach or bowel ulcers, he may also use a preventative ulcer treatment.
• If you are taking
  • some medicines for treatment of epilepsy (phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital)
  • St John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum), a herbal product used for depression
  • rifampicin, an antibiotic
  If any of the above apply to you, tell your doctor before taking Xarelto, because the effect of Xarelto may be reduced. Your doctor will decide, if you should be treated with Xarelto and if you should be kept under closer observation.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

Do not take Xarelto if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. If there is a chance that you could become pregnant, use a reliable contraceptive while you are taking Xarelto. If you become pregnant while you are taking this medicine, tell your doctor immediately, who will decide how you should be treated.

Driving and using machines

Xarelto may cause dizziness (common side effect) or fainting (uncommon side effect) (see section 4, "Possible side effects"). You should not drive or use machines if you are affected by these symptoms.

Xarelto contains lactose and sodium

If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicine.

This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per tablet, that is to say essentially “sodium-free”.

How much to take

The recommended dose is one tablet Xarelto 15 mg twice a day for the first 3 weeks. For treatment after 3 weeks, the recommended dose is one tablet Xarelto 20 mg once a day.

This Xarelto 15 mg and 20 mg treatment initiation pack is only for the first 4 weeks of treatment.

Upon completion of this pack, treatment will continue on Xarelto 20 mg once daily as your doctor has told you.

If you have kidney problems, your doctor may decide to reduce the dose for the treatment after 3 weeks to one tablet Xarelto 15 mg once a day if the risk for bleeding is greater than the risk for having another blood clot.

Swallow the tablet(s) preferably with water.

Take Xarelto together with a meal.

If you have difficulty swallowing the tablet whole, talk to your doctor about other ways to take Xarelto. The tablet may be crushed and mixed with water or apple puree immediately before you take it. This mixture should be immediately followed by food.

If necessary, your doctor may also give you the crushed Xarelto tablet through a stomach tube.

When to take Xarelto

Take the tablet(s) every day until your doctor tells you to stop.

Try to take the tablet(s) at the same time every day to help you to remember it.

Your doctor will decide how long you must continue treatment.

If you take more Xarelto than you should

Contact your doctor immediately if you have taken too many Xarelto tablets. Taking too much Xarelto increases the risk of bleeding.

If you forget to take Xarelto

• If you are taking one 15 mg tablet twice a day and have missed a dose, take it as soon as you remember. Do not take more than two 15 mg tablets in a single day. If you forget to take a dose you can take two 15 mg tablets at the same time to get a total of two tablets (30 mg) on one day. On the following day you should carry on taking one 15 mg tablet twice a day.
• If you are taking one 20 mg tablet once a day and have missed a dose, take it as soon as you remember. Do not take more than one tablet in a single day to make up for a forgotten dose. Take the next tablet on the following day and then carry on taking one tablet once a day.

If you stop taking Xarelto

Do not stop taking Xarelto without talking to your doctor first, because Xarelto treats and prevents serious conditions.

Possible side effects which may be a sign of bleeding

Tell your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following side effects:

• long or excessive bleeding
• exceptional weakness, tiredness, paleness, dizziness, headache, unexplained swelling, breathlessness, chest pain or angina pectoris, which may be signs of bleeding.

Your doctor may decide to keep you under closer observation or change how you should be treated.

Possible side effects which may be a sign of severe skin reaction

Tell your doctor immediately if you experience skin reactions such as:

• spreading intense skin rash, blisters or mucosal lesions, e.g. in the mouth or eyes (Stevens- Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis). The frequency of this side effect is very rare (up to 1 in 10,000).
• a drug reaction that causes rash, fever, inflammation of internal organs, hematologic abnormalities and systemic illness (DRESS syndrome). The frequency of this side effect is very rare (up to 1 in 10,000).

Possible side effects which may be a sign of severe allergic reactions

Tell your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following side effects:

• swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue or throat; difficulty swallowing; hives and breathing difficulties; sudden drop in blood pressure. The frequencies of these side effects are very rare (anaphylactic reactions, including anaphylactic shock; may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people) and uncommon (angioedema and allergic oedema; may affect up to 1 in 100 people).

Overall list of possible side effects

Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)

• reduction in red blood cells which can make the skin pale and cause weakness or breathlessness
• bleeding in the stomach or bowel, urogenital bleeding (including blood in the urine and heavy menstrual bleeding), nose bleed, bleeding in the gum
• bleeding into the eye (including bleeding from the whites of the eyes)
• bleeding into tissue or a cavity of the body (haematoma, bruising)
• coughing up blood
• bleeding from the skin or under the skin
• bleeding following an operation
• oozing of blood or fluid from surgical wound
• swelling in the limbs
• pain in the limbs
• impaired function of the kidneys (may be seen in tests performed by your doctor)
• fever
• stomach ache, indigestion, feeling or being sick, constipation, diarrhoea
• low blood pressure (symptoms may be feeling dizzy or fainting when standing up)
• decreased general strength and energy (weakness, tiredness), headache, dizziness
• rash, itchy skin
• blood tests may show an increase in some liver enzymes

Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)

• bleeding into the brain or inside the skull
• bleeding into a joint causing pain and swelling
• thrombocytopenia (low number of platelets, which are cells that help blood to clot)
• allergic reactions, including allergic skin reactions
• impaired function of the liver (may be seen in tests performed by your doctor)
• blood tests may show an increase in bilirubin, some pancreatic or liver enzymes or in the number of platelets
• fainting
• feeling unwell
• faster heartbeat
• dry mouth
• hives

Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)

• bleeding into a muscle
• cholestasis (decreased bile flow), hepatitis incl. hepatocellular injury (inflamed liver incl. liver injury)
• yellowing of the skin and eye (jaundice)
• localised swelling
• collection of blood (haematoma) in the groin as a complication of the cardiac procedure where a catheter is inserted in your leg artery (pseudoaneurysm)

Not known (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data)

• kidney failure after a severe bleeding
• increased pressure within muscles of the legs or arms after a bleeding, which leads to pain, swelling, altered sensation, numbness or paralysis (compartment syndrome after a bleeding)

Reporting of side effects

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via:

United Kingdom

or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store.

Ireland

Malta

By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

What Xarelto contains

• The active substance is rivaroxaban. Each tablet contains 15 mg or 20 mg of rivaroxaban, respectively.
• The other ingredients are:
  Tablet core: microcrystalline cellulose, croscarmellose sodium, lactose monohydrate, hypromellose 2910, sodium laurilsulphate, magnesium stearate. See section 2 “Xarelto contains lactose and sodium”. Tablet film coat: macrogol 3350, hypromellose 2910, titanium dioxide (E 171), iron oxide red (E 172).

What Xarelto looks like and contents of the pack

Xarelto 15 mg film-coated tablets are red, round, biconvex and marked with the BAYER-cross on one side and “15” and a triangle on the other side.

Xarelto 20 mg film-coated tablets are brown-red, round, biconvex and marked with the BAYER-cross on one side and “20” and a triangle on the other.

First 4 weeks treatment initiation pack: each pack of 49 film-coated tablets for the first 4 weeks of treatment contains:

42 film-coated tablets of 15 mg rivaroxaban and 7 film-coated tablets of 20 mg rivaroxaban in a wallet.

Marketing Authorisation Holder

Manufacturer

The manufacturer can be identified by the batch number printed on the side flap of the carton and on each blister or bottle:

• If the first and second characters are BX, the manufacturer is
  
  Bayer AG
  Kaiser-Wilhelm-Allee
  51368 Leverkusen
  Germany
  
• If the first and second characters are IT, the manufacturer is
  
  Bayer HealthCare Manufacturing Srl.
  Via delle Groane, 126
  20024 Garbagnate Milanese
  Italy
  
• If the first and second characters are BT, the manufacturer is
  
  Bayer Bitterfeld GmbH
  Ortsteil Greppin
  Salegaster Chaussee 1
  06803 Bitterfeld-Wolfen
  Germany