Blood thinners, they are what patients depend on for conditions such as atrial fibrillation, more commonly known as “afib”. Blood thinners are capable of treating symptoms of afib such as blood clots and irregular heartbeat. They can also prevent more serious conditions, such as stroke and heart failure.
Blood thinners work by decelerating the formation of blood clots so that there is less likelihood of getting stroke or other obstructions that are caused by these clots. But each blood thinner on the market today works in a different way.
There are typically two or three types of blood thinners that patients take. Coumadin, AKA warfarin, is the oldest official blood thinner, approved by the FDA over 60 years ago. In the last decade, though, multiple new blood thinners have surfaced in pharmacies, one of which is Eliquis, AKA apixaban.
Here is a brief description on both Coumadin and Eliquis:
Coumadin
Coumadin comes in 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.5, and 10 milligram tablets, which is a wide range. Coumadin’s dosage varies depending on who is taking it. Depending on your age, diet, and other possible medications you are taking, doctors will tend to prescribe you a specific dose that will work best for your body. A dose that is too much might cause bleeding, whereas too little might not do enough to prevent possible stroke. In light of this, you will need to have your blood levels examined often.
In addition to blood levels, patients also have to monitor their intake of vitamin K. Having too much vitamin K can limit the abilities of Coumadin. Vitamin K is commonly found in leafy green vegetables such as spinach and kale.
Coumadin, on paper, is less expensive than Eliquis. However, US pricing is higher than the pricing in other countries such as Canada or the UK. You can get generic Coumadin, warfarin, which is less expensive and serves the same purpose as brand-name Coumadin.
The bright side to Coumadin is that is stays in your body longer than Eliquis or Xarelto, a third blood thinner. It’s not considered a big deal if you miss a dose one day.
Eliquis
Eliquis, unlike Coumadin, will not require you to get your blood tested on a constant basis. Eliquis only comes in 2.5 milligrams of 5 milligrams. While Coumadin needs to be taken once a day, Eliquis is taken twice a day. The tradeoff is that the dose will leave your body faster than Coumadin. Therefore, it is very important not to miss a dose, as the clotting of blood in your body could continue as normal. With the dosage schedule, it may be easy to miss days when you will need to take it.
Eliquis doesn’t pass through the liver like most consumables but gets passed through the kidneys. There is a slim chance that Eliquis can affect the kidneys for the worse, so it is important to have your kidneys examined while on Eliquis.
Eliquis does not require constant monitoring like Coumadin, but its upfront costs are higher in comparison. However, you can buy eliquis online to get the best deal on an effective prescription.