(elle-e-kuis)
apixaban
Consumer Medicine Information
NOTICE: This Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) is intended for persons living in Australia. This page contains answers to some common questions about . It does not contain all the information that is known about . It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist. All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risk of you using this medicine against the benefits he/she expects it will have for you. If you have any concerns about using this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Bookmark or print this page, you may need to read it again.
What Eliquis is used for
What Eliquis does
This medicine is used to prevent blood clots in your veins after a hip or knee replacement surgery.
After an operation you are at an increased risk of getting blood clots.
How Eliquis works
The active substance in Eliquis is apixaban. It belongs to a group of medicines called antithrombotic agents.
It works by inhibiting a blood clot forming substance called Factor Xa.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you.
Your doctor may have prescribed it for another reason.
This medicine is not addictive.
This medicine is available only with a doctor's prescription.
This medicine is not expected to affect your ability to drive a car or operate machinery.
Use in Children
There is not enough information to recommend the use of this medicine in children under the age of 18 years.
Before you take Eliquis
When you must not take it
Do not take Eliquis if you have an allergy to:
any medicine containing apixaban
any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet.
Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include:
shortness of breath
wheezing or difficulty breathing
swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body
rash, itching or hives on the skin.
Do not take Eliquis if you have, or have had, any of the following medical conditions:
a bleeding condition or you are at an increased risk of bleeding
bleeding in the brain due to a stroke within the last 6 months
liver disease which leads to an increased risk of bleeding
severely reduced kidney function. Your doctor will determine your kidney function.
Do not take Eliquis if you are taking the following medicines:
medicines for fungal infections e.g. ketoconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole or posaconazole, unless they are only applied to the skin
anti-viral medicines for HIV/AIDS e.g. ritonavir.
Do not take this medicine after the expiry date printed on the pack or if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.
If it has expired or is damaged, return it to your pharmacist for disposal.
If you are not sure whether you should start taking this medicine, talk to your doctor.
Before you start to take it
Tell your doctor if you have allergies to any other medicines, foods, preservatives or dyes.
Tell your doctor if you have or have had any of the following medical conditions which may lead to an increased risk of bleeding:
any bleeding disorder
active ulcer or a recent ulcer of your stomach or bowel
a heart condition known as bacterial endocarditis
recent bleeding in your brain due to a stroke
blood disorders that affect your ability to form blood clots
a recent operation on your brain, spinal column or eye(s)
kidney disease
moderate or mild liver disease
high blood pressure that is not controlled with medications.
Your doctor may decide to keep you under closer observation.
If your operation involves a catheter or injection into your spinal column e.g. for epidural or spinal anaesthesia or pain reduction:
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.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant or are breast-feeding.
Your doctor can discuss with you the risks and benefits involved.
If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell him/her before you start taking Eliquis.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including:
all prescription medicines
all medicines, vitamins, herbal supplements or natural therapies you buy without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket, naturopath or health food shop.
Some medicines may be affected by Eliquis or may affect how it works. You may need different amounts of your medicines, or you may need to take different medicines. Your doctor will advise you.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following:
medicines used to treat fungal infections such as ketoconazole (Nizoral®), itraconazole (Sporanox®), voriconazole (Vfend®) and posaconazole (Noxafil®)
rifampin or rifampicin (Rifadin®)
medicines to treat epilepsy such as phenytoin (Dilantin®), carbamazepine (Tegretol®), phenobarbitone
St John's Wort
medicines used to treat pain and inflammation including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as naproxen (Naprosyn®) or aspirin (Aspro®)
other medicines used to prevent blood clots such as enoxaparin (Clexane®), clopidogrel (Iscover®, Plavix®), heparin, fondaparinux (Arixtra®), bivalirudin (Angiomax®), rivaroxaban (Xarelto®), dabigatran (Pradaxa®).
(Not all brand names are given above so check with your doctor or pharmacist).
Your doctor and pharmacist have more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while taking this medicine.
How to take Eliquis
Follow all directions given to you by your doctor or pharmacist carefully.
They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.
If you do not understand the instructions on the box, ask your doctor or pharmacist for help.
How much to take
Your doctor will tell you how many tablets you need to take each day.
The recommended dose is one tablet (2.5 mg) taken twice a day.
How to take it
Swallow the tablet whole with a full glass of water.
When to take it
Take the first tablet as directed by your doctor. This is usually 12 to 24 hours after your operation.
Take your medicine at about the same time each day.
Taking it at the same time each day will have the best effect. It will also help you remember when to take it.
It does not matter if you take this medicine before or after food.
How long to take it
Continue taking your medicine for as long as your doctor tells you.
If you have had a hip replacement, you will usually take the tablets for about 5 weeks.
If you have had a knee replacement, you will usually take the tablets for about 2 weeks.
If you forget to take it
Take your next tablet as soon as you remember, then continue taking the tablets as normal (twice a day).
Do not take a double dose to make up for the forgotten tablet.
If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
If you have trouble remembering to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for some hints.
If you take too much (overdose)
Immediately telephone your doctor, or the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 for advice, or go to the Accident and Emergency Department at the nearest hospital, if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much Eliquis.
Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
You may need urgent medical attention.
Symptoms of an overdose may include bleeding that does not stop.
While you are taking Eliquis
Things you must do
If you are about to be started on any new medicine, remind your doctor and pharmacist that you are taking Eliquis.
Tell any other doctors, dentists and pharmacists who treat you that you are taking this medicine.
If you are going to have surgery, tell the surgeon, anaesthetist or dentist that you are taking this medicine.
It may affect other medicines used during surgery.
Tell your doctor that you are taking Eliquis if your doctor is planning for you to have an anaesthetic injection in your back (spinal or epidural injection).
If you become pregnant while taking this medicine, tell your doctor immediately.
If you are about to have any blood tests, tell your doctor that you are taking this medicine.
It may interfere with the results of some tests.
Keep all of your doctor's appointments so that your progress can be checked.
Things you must not do
Do not take Eliquis to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you to.
Do not give your medicine to anyone else, even if they have the same condition as you.
Do not stop taking your medicine or lower the dosage without checking with your doctor.
If you stop taking it suddenly, your condition may worsen or you may have unwanted side effects.
Things to be careful of
Eliquis contains lactose. If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking it.
Side effects
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking Eliquis.
All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical attention if you get some of the side effects.
It can be difficult to tell whether side effects are the result of taking Eliquis, effects of your condition or side effects of other medicines you may be taking. For this reason it is important to tell your doctor of any change in your condition.
Do not be alarmed by the list of side effects.
You may not experience any of them.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
Tell your doctor if...
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice any of the following and they worry you:
tiredness, weakness, paleness, dizziness, headache (due to low iron in the blood)
bleeding from any part of your body
bruising
nausea (feeling sick).
The above list includes the more common side effects of your medicine.
Tell your doctor as soon as possible if...
Tell your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any of the following:
excessive bleeding or prolonged bleeding
oozing from your surgical wound.
The above list includes serious side effects that may require medical attention.
Go to hospital if...
Tell your doctor immediately or go to the Accident and Emergency Department at your nearest hospital, if you notice any of the following:
bleeding from your nose
blood in your urine
if you cough up blood
if you vomit and it is black
if you have black stools
if you have an allergic reaction to Eliquis. Symptoms may include shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty breathing, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body, rash, itching or hives on the skin.
The above list includes very serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice anything else that is making you feel unwell.
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some people.
Some of the other possible side effects (for example, changes in liver function) can only be found when your doctor does tests from time to time to check your progress.
After taking Eliquis
Storage
Keep your tablets in the pack until it is time to take them.
If you take the tablets out of the pack they may not keep well.
Keep your tablets in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 30°C.
Do not store Eliquis or any other medicine in the bathroom or near a sink. Do not leave it on a window sill or in the car.
Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.
Keep it where children cannot reach it.
A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.
Disposal
If your doctor tells you to stop taking this medicine or the expiry date has passed, ask your pharmacist what to do with any medicine that is left over.
Product description
What it looks like
Eliquis 2.5 mg tablets are yellow and round with "893" on one side and "2 1/2" on the other.
They are packed in blister packs in cartons of 10, 20, 30, 60 or 100 tablets. Not all pack sizes may be available.
Ingredients
Eliquis contains 2.5 mg of apixaban as the active ingredient.
It also contains:
lactose
microcrystalline cellulose
croscarmellose sodium
sodium lauryl sulphate
magnesium stearate
hypromellose
titanium dioxide
glycerol triacetate
yellow iron oxide
This medicine does not contain sucrose, gluten, tartrazine or any other azo dyes.
Sponsored and Supplied by:
Bristol-Myers Squibb Australia Pty Ltd
ABN 33 004 333 322
556 Princes Highway
Noble Park VIC 3174
Also distributed by:
Pfizer Australia Pty Ltd
ABN 50 008 422 348
38-42 Wharf Road
West Ryde NSW 2114
Australia
Australian registration number
2.5 mg tablet: AUST R 172244
Date of preparation
This leaflet was prepared in July 2011.
® = Registered Trademark
© Pfizer Australia Pty Ltd
