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Mixing Xarelto & Alcohol

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Xarelto, or Rivaroxaban, is a blood thinner prescribed to help prevent strokes and blood clots. It may be used in conjunction with aspirin to reduce the risk of heart problems for those with chronic coronary artery disease. If you are currently taking Xarelto and consuming alcohol, you may want to learn more about the substances’ risks and side effects. In this article, we will discuss more about Xarelto, the side effects of mixing alcohol and blood thinners, and how you can seek treatment if you struggle to limit your alcohol use.

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Alcohol & Xarelto

According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), more than 2 million people take blood thinner medication daily to prevent blood clots from forming. Additionally, alcohol is not only a common substance used, but drinking in excess is becoming an emerging trend. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), 85.6% of Americans have used alcohol, and 25.8% of adults 18 and older engaged in binge drinking in the past month. It is reported that people who binge alcohol were 70-93 times more likely to experience an alcohol-related emergency department visit. This risk is even greater if substances such as Xarelto are combined with alcohol. This is a dangerous combination without fully understanding a common drug’s side effects and risks.

What Is Xarelto?

Xarelto, or Rivaroxaban, is a blood thinner prescribed to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Because the medicine causes the blood to be thinner, it flows through veins more quickly and is less likely to form clots which cause a heart attack, stroke, or pulmonary embolism. People with irregular heartbeat, recent hip or knee surgery, or coronary heart disease are more at risk of developing blood clots. The most common side effect of Xarelto is bleeding more than normal. This includes frequent nose bleeds, heavier menstrual cycles, bleeding gums, and bruising.

Common Side Effects of Xarelto:

  • Bleeding more than usual.
  • Tiredness.
  • Lack of energy.
  • Paler skin.
  • Heart palpitations.
  • Feeling dizzy.
  • Skin rash.
  • Nausea or vomiting.

Serious Side Effects of Xarelto:

  • Severe bleeding that doesn’t stop after 10 minutes.
  • Red or black stool.
  • Bruising that is growing in size.

It is important to seek immediate emergency medical assistance if you notice any serious side effects.

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Side Effects of Mixing Xarelto & Alcohol

Because alcohol is also a blood thinner, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol and taking a blood thinner such as Xarelto can be a dangerous combination. The following side effects should be understood, and alcohol use should be discussed thoroughly with your doctor before beginning Xarelto.

In addition to the effects alcohol has on thinning the blood, specific individuals should proceed with caution before combining alcohol and Xarelto. If you have a problem with your liver or kidneys, these organs will impact how they metabolize the blood thinner. If the blood becomes too thin, it will put a person at serious risk for life-threatening complications.

Signs of Serious Bleeding From Alcohol & Xarelto:

  • Blood in urine or stool.
  • Coughing up blood.
  • Bleeding that doesn’t stop after 10 minutes.
  • Abnormal bruising that grows in size.
  • Severe headaches.

Seek immediate medical attention if you notice any of these symptoms.

Increased Risk of Internal Bleeding

Alcohol is known as a blood thinner. When you are taking substances to thin your blood, it is less likely to thicken, which makes it more difficult for blood clots to form. Blood thinners can be dangerous because of an increased risk of severe bleeding during an accident or injury.

Additionally, when using alcohol and Xarelto, one is at a greater likelihood of experiencing internal bleeding. Excessive alcohol use can cause peptic ulcers, leading to pain, irritation, and bleeding.

One study concluded that a person who drank more than 5 drinks each day had 6.3 times more significant risk of gastrointestinal bleeding.

Signs of possible gastrointestinal bleeding include black tarry stool, bright red blood in vomit, cramps in abdomen, dark or bright red in stool, dizziness, tiredness, shortness of breath, and vomit that looks like coffee grounds

You should seek medical attention immediately if you notice any of these symptoms. Although gastrointestinal bleeding is treatable if detected early, it can lead to severe complications and is life-threatening if ignored.

Increased Risk of Liver Damage

It is already well known that alcohol use can damage the liver over time. Combining both substances to excess increases the risk of liver damage and chronic liver disease if not treated.

Why do these substances impact the liver? Because it is the liver’s job to flush out toxins before entering the bloodstream. When we chronically use alcohol and other substances like Xarelto, we put the liver in overdrive by trying to clean out the additional toxins from our system.

This overuse of the liver leads to damage and possible disease if long-term issues continue over time.

There are signs and symptoms to look for possible liver damage or disease. The sooner you can diagnose liver damage, the more quickly you can receive treatment and have a better chance of recovering.

Common Signs of Liver Damage:

  • Significant fatigue and exhaustion.
  • Unexplained weight loss and lack of appetite.
  • Nausea and vomiting.
  • Pain in the upper right side of the abdomen.

Reversing liver damage is not always possible; however, if you notice signs of potential liver damage, there may be ways to reduce the symptoms if you seek treatment early. According to the American Liver Foundation, abstaining from alcohol is the most effective approach to reversing or reducing liver disease progression.

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