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If you have problems with blood clots, your doctor might suggest treatment with Xarelto or Eliquis. Both drugs are prescribed to prevent or treat certain blood clots in adults.
While these drugs are very similar, you may wonder about the differences between Eliquis and Xarelto. For example, Xarelto has other uses in addition to the ones described above, including preventing or treating certain blood clots in some children. (To learn more, see the “What are Xarelto and Eliquis used for?” section below.)
Another difference is in the forms available for these drugs, though all are forms that you can swallow. Both come as a tablet, but Xarelto also comes as a liquid suspension.
Keep reading to find out more about how Xarelto and Eliquis are alike and different.
Whether you have health insurance or not, cost may be a factor when you’re considering these drugs.
Visit Optum Perks to get price estimates for Xarelto and Eliquis when you use coupons from the site. It’s important to note that you cannot use Optum Perks with insurance copays or benefits. But keep in mind that what you’ll pay for either drug will depend on your treatment plan, health insurance, and the pharmacy you use.
Xarelto and Eliquis are brand-name drugs. Neither drug currently has generic forms available on the market. You’ll usually pay more for brand-name drugs than for generics.
Get answers to some frequently asked questions about Xarelto and Eliquis.
How do Xarelto and Eliquis compare with Pradaxa?
Xarelto, Eliquis, and Pradaxa (dabigatran) are similar drugs, all part of a group of medications called blood thinners. Here are a few key similarities and differences:
- You take Xarelto, Eliquis, or Pradaxa by mouth. Eliquis comes as a tablet, Xarelto comes as a tablet and a liquid suspension, and Pradaxa comes as a capsule.
- Like Xarelto and Eliquis, Pradaxa is prescribed to prevent or treat certain blood clots in adults. Xarelto and Pradaxa may also be used for this purpose in some children.
- These drugs can all cause bleeding, including serious bleeding, as a side effect.
To learn more about Pradaxa or other blood thinners, such as Plavix (clopidogrel) and Jantoven (warfarin), talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Do older people have a higher risk of bleeding from Xarelto compared with Eliquis?
It’s unknown. There are no studies comparing the two drugs for risk of bleeding in older people.
Older people have a higher risk of bleeding from Xarelto than younger people. For Eliquis, the risk of bleeding is similar in older and younger people. But both drugs have a risk of this side effect for anyone who takes them, regardless of age.
To learn more about your risk of bleeding with Xarelto or Eliquis, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can also discuss the risks and benefits of taking Xarelto or Eliquis for your condition. This can include a review of your risk of side effects.
Xarelto and Eliquis are prescribed to prevent or treat certain blood clots in adults. The chart below lists the uses for each medication. Xarelto may also be used to prevent or treat blood clots in some children. For more information about these uses of Xarelto, see the section just below.
| Use | Approved Xarelto use | Approved Eliquis use |
| lower the risk of stroke and blood clots in adults with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AFib) | ✓ | ✓ |
| treat deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE), which are types of blood clots, in adults | ✓ | ✓ |
| lower the risk of DVT or PE in adults who have previously had one of these blood clots | ✓ | ✓ |
| lower the risk of DVT in adults getting a knee or hip replacement | ✓ | ✓ |
| lower the risk of a kind of blood clot called venous thromboembolism (VTE) in adults who have a risk of VTE during or after being treated in a hospital | ✓ | |
| lower the risk of heart and blood vessel problems in adults with coronary artery disease (CAD) | ✓ | |
| lower the risk of blood clots in adults with peripheral artery disease (PAD) | ✓ |
Xarelto or Eliquis and children
Xarelto is also prescribed for the following uses in children:
- treat VTE in children of any age
- lower the risk of VTE in children of any age who have previously had this type of blood clot
- lower the risk of blood clots in children ages 2 years and older who have a genetic heart condition and have had a surgery called the Fontan procedure
Eliquis is not prescribed to children.
You may wonder if Xarelto or Eliquis is available as a generic. A generic drug is an exact copy of the active ingredient in a brand-name medication. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.)
The lists below indicate whether Xarelto or Eliquis is available as a generic.
- Xarelto:
- Available as a generic: no
- Active ingredient: rivaroxaban
- Eliquis:
- Available as a generic: no
- Active ingredient: apixaban
Here’s an overview of the dosages for Xarelto and Eliquis and how you’ll take either drug for conditions they both prevent or treat. The strengths of these drugs are in milligrams (mg) or milligrams per milliliter (mg/mL).
Dosage for preventing or treating blood clots in adults
| Xarelto for preventing or treating blood clots | Eliquis for preventing or treating blood clots | |
| Forms | tablet or liquid suspension, both of which you swallow | tablet that you swallow |
| Strengths | • tablet: 2.5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg • liquid suspension: 1 mg/mL | • tablet: 2.5 mg, 5 mg |
| Dosage | dosage will depend on the treatment plan your doctor prescribes | dosage will depend on the treatment plan your doctor prescribes |
| How often to take | once or twice per day | twice per day |
Dosage for lowering risk of stroke or blood clots in adults with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AFib)
| Xarelto for nonvalvular AFib | Eliquis for nonvalvular AFib | |
| Forms | tablet or liquid suspension, both of which you swallow | tablet that you swallow |
| Strengths | • tablet: 2.5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg • liquid suspension: 1 mg/mL | • tablet: 2.5 mg, 5 mg |
| Dosage | dosage will depend on the treatment plan your doctor prescribes | dosage will depend on the treatment plan your doctor prescribes |
| How often to take | once per day | twice per day |
In addition, Xarelto may be prescribed for other uses than those listed here, including some in certain children. These are described in the “What are Xarelto and Eliquis used for?” section above. The forms and strengths of the drug for these uses are the same as listed here. But your dose will depend on the treatment plan your doctor prescribes. Your doctor or pharmacist can provide more information.
Both Xarelto and Eliquis can cause mild and serious side effects. These drugs are part of a group of medications called blood thinners, so they cause some similar side effects. But they can cause some different ones, too.
For more information about the side effects both drugs can cause, check out the side effect articles on Xarelto and Eliquis.
Mild side effects
Xarelto and Eliquis may cause mild side effects in some people. The chart below lists examples of mild side effects that have been reported with these drugs.
| Xarelto | Eliquis | |
| anemia (low red blood cell level) | ✓ | |
| back pain | ✓ | |
| belly pain | ✓ | |
| dizziness | ✓ | |
| fatigue (low energy) | ✓ | |
| itchiness | ✓ | |
| mild bruising or bleeding, such as nosebleeds | ✓ | ✓ |
| muscle cramps | ✓ | |
| nausea | ✓ | |
| trouble sleeping | ✓ |
This chart may not include all mild side effects of these drugs. For more information on mild side effects of the two drugs, see the Xarelto prescribing information and Eliquis prescribing information.
Serious side effects
In addition to the mild side effects described above, serious side effects may occur in people using Xarelto or Eliquis. See the chart below for a list of serious side effects that have been reported with these drugs.
| Xarelto | Eliquis | |
| increased bleeding risk, which may cause serious or life threatening bleeding | ✓ | ✓ |
| risk of blood clots if you stop taking the drug too soon* | ✓ | ✓ |
| risk of spinal or epidural hematoma after certain spinal injections* | ✓ | ✓ |
| allergic reaction | ✓ | ✓ |
* Xarelto and Eliquis have a
You may wonder whether Xarelto and Eliquis are effective at treating your condition. These drugs are both prescribed for certain uses in adults. The chart below lists the uses that Xarelto and Eliquis share and whether the drugs are recommended for these uses in certain guidelines.
| Use | Guidelines | Recommend Xarelto? | Recommend Eliquis? |
| lower the risk of stroke and blood clots in adults with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AFib) | Journal of the American College of Cardiology | ✓ | ✓ |
| treat deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE), which are types of blood clots, in adults | American Society of Hematology (ASH) | ✓ | ✓ |
| lower the risk of DVT or PE in adults who have previously had one of these clots | ASH | ✓ | ✓ |
| lower the risk of DVT in adults getting a knee or hip replacement | ASH | ✓ | ✓ |
Xarelto and Eliquis may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors that affect your health. Here, these are referred to as warnings.
The two drugs share some of the same warnings, but they also have different ones. Some of these warnings are mentioned below. Before you start using Xarelto or Eliquis, be sure to talk with your doctor to see if these warnings apply to you.
Boxed warnings
Xarelto and Eliquis have the following boxed warnings. These are the most serious warnings from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A
Risk of blood clots if you stop treatment too soon. Stopping treatment with Xarelto or Eliquis increases your risk of having a blood clot. Due to this risk, you should not stop taking either drug without speaking to your doctor first. They can suggest safe ways for you to stop Xarelto or Eliquis treatment.
Risk of spinal or epidural hematoma after certain spinal injections. While taking Eliquis or Xarelto, receiving certain spinal injections may cause bleeding around your spine or brain. These include spinal injections, epidural injections (an injection into the area around the spinal cord), and lumbar punctures (sometimes called spinal taps).
This bleeding may result in a spinal or epidural hematoma (a buildup of blood in your spine or brain). These kinds of hematomas can cause paralysis that is long term or even permanent.
The following factors may increase the risk of this side effect when taking Eliquis or Xarelto:
- if you’ve had surgery on or problems with your spine
- if you’re taking medications that affect your ability to form blood clots, including:
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as Advil (ibuprofen) or Aleve (naproxen)
- other blood thinners, such as aspirin or Plavix (clopidogrel)
- If you’ve had repeated or difficult spinal or epidural injections
If you must have a spinal or epidural injection while taking Xarelto or Eliquis, your doctor will closely monitor you for hematomas. After such a procedure, if you experience symptoms of hematoma, contact your doctor immediately. Symptoms include:
- loss of bladder or bowel control
- numbness, tingling, or muscle weakness, especially in your feet and legs
- back pain
Other warnings
In addition to boxed warnings, Xarelto and Eliquis have other warnings.
Before using Xarelto or Eliquis, talk with your doctor if any of the following conditions or health factors apply to you.
- Warnings for both Xarelto and Eliquis:
- if you’ve had an allergic reaction to either drug or any of its ingredients
- if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant
- if you’re breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed
- if you have active bleeding or a bleeding problem, such as hemophilia
- if you have a condition called triple-positive antiphospholipid syndrome (APS)
- if you have an artificial heart valve
- if you have liver problems
- if you have kidney problems
The short answer: It’s possible.
Details: It may be possible to switch from Xarelto to Eliquis and vice versa, since both medications are prescribed for some of the same uses. (For more information, see the “What are Xarelto and Eliquis used for?” section above.) Your doctor can discuss with you whether it’s safe for you to switch from one to the other.
Reminder: You should not switch drugs or stop your current treatment unless your doctor recommends it. If you’re interested in switching from Xarelto or Eliquis to the other drug, talk with your doctor. They’ll give you recommendations about switching and details on how to switch from one drug to the other.
Xarelto and Eliquis belong to a group of medications called blood thinners. They’re prescribed to prevent or treat certain blood clots in adults. In addition, Xarelto may be prescribed to prevent or treat certain blood clots in some children. (To learn more about Xarelto’s additional uses, see the “What are Xarelto and Eliquis used for?” section above.)
Another difference between Xarelto and Eliquis is that both drugs come as a tablet, but Xarelto is also available as a liquid suspension. You take all of these forms by mouth.
If you’d like to learn more about how Xarelto and Eliquis compare, talk with your doctor. They can answer questions you may have about these medications. Here are a few to get you started:
- How will you determine whether Xarelto or Eliquis is safer for treating my condition?
- If I have side effects from taking Xarelto or Eliquis, should I try switching to the other drug?
- What happens if my insurance plan prefers Xarelto or Eliquis, but I’m prescribed the other medication?
To learn more about Xarelto, see these articles:
For more information about Eliquis, see these articles:
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Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.