Below are the general guidelines for dosing Eliquis. Note that these dosages may be adjusted on a case-by-case basis for individual patients. Always follow your prescribing physician’s instructions for taking Eliquis.
The following information comes from DailyMed, an FDA label information provider.
What if I miss a dose of Eliquis?
According to Mayo Clinic, if you miss a dose of Eliquis, take the missed dose immediately, unless you are closer in time to your next dose. Never double doses.
What if I overdose on Eliquis?
**If you suspect you or someone you know has overdosed, call 911 or a poison center immediately for medical assistance.
Overdose of Eliquis increases the risk of bleeding.
In controlled clinical trials, orally administered apixaban in healthy subjects at doses up to 50 mg daily for 3 to 7 days (25 mg twice daily for 7 days or 50 mg once daily for 3 days) had no clinically relevant adverse effects.
In healthy subjects, administration of activated charcoal 2 and 6 hours after ingestion of a 20-mg dose of apixaban reduced mean apixaban AUC by 50% and 27%, respectively. Thus, administration of activated charcoal may be useful in the management of apixaban overdose or accidental ingestion. An agent to reverse the anti-factor Xa activity of apixaban is available.
Dosage and Administration
Recommended Dose
Reduction of Risk of Stroke and Systemic Embolism in Patients with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation
The recommended dose of Eliquis for most patients is 5 mg taken orally twice daily.
The recommended dose of Eliquis is 2.5 mg twice daily in patients with at least two of the following characteristics:
- age greater than or equal to 80 years
- body weight less than or equal to 60 kg
- serum creatinine greater than or equal to 1.5 mg/dL
Prophylaxis of Deep Vein Thrombosis Following Hip or Knee Replacement Surgery
The recommended dose of Eliquis is 2.5 mg taken orally twice daily. The initial dose should be taken 12 to 24 hours after surgery.
- In patients undergoing hip replacement surgery, the recommended duration of treatment is 35 days.
- In patients undergoing knee replacement surgery, the recommended duration of treatment is 12 days.
Treatment of DVT and PE
The recommended dose of Eliquis is 10 mg taken orally twice daily for the first 7 days of therapy. After 7 days, the recommended dose is 5 mg taken orally twice daily.
Reduction in the Risk of Recurrence of DVT and PE
The recommended dose of Eliquis is 2.5 mg taken orally twice daily after at least 6 months of treatment for DVT or PE .
Missed Dose
If a dose of Eliquis is not taken at the scheduled time, the dose should be taken as soon as possible on the same day and twice-daily administration should be resumed. The dose should not be doubled to make up for a missed dose.
Temporary Interruption for Surgery and Other Interventions
Eliquis should be discontinued at least 48 hours prior to elective surgery or invasive procedures with a moderate or high risk of unacceptable or clinically significant bleeding. Eliquis should be discontinued at least 24 hours prior to elective surgery or invasive procedures with a low risk of bleeding or where the bleeding would be non-critical in location and easily controlled. Bridging anticoagulation during the 24 to 48 hours after stopping Eliquis and prior to the intervention is not generally required. Eliquis should be restarted after the surgical or other procedures as soon as adequate hemostasis has been established.
Converting from or to Eliquis
Switching from warfarin to Eliquis: Warfarin should be discontinued and Eliquis started when the international normalized ratio (INR) is below 2.0.
Switching from Eliquis to warfarin: Eliquis affects INR, so that initial INR measurements during the transition to warfarin may not be useful for determining the appropriate dose of warfarin. One approach is to discontinue Eliquis and begin both a parenteral anticoagulant and warfarin at the time the next dose of Eliquis would have been taken, discontinuing the parenteral anticoagulant when INR reaches an acceptable range.
Switching from Eliquis to anticoagulants other than warfarin (oral or parenteral): Discontinue Eliquis and begin taking the new anticoagulant other than warfarin at the usual time of the next dose of Eliquis.
Switching from anticoagulants other than warfarin (oral or parenteral) to Eliquis: Discontinue the anticoagulant other than warfarin and begin taking Eliquis at the usual time of the next dose of the anticoagulant other than warfarin.
Combined P-gp and Strong CYP3A4 Inhibitors
For patients receiving Eliquis doses of 5 mg or 10 mg twice daily, reduce the dose by 50% when Eliquis is coadministered with drugs that are combined P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and strong cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) inhibitors (e.g., ketoconazole, itraconazole, ritonavir).
In patients already taking 2.5 mg twice daily, avoid coadministration of Eliquis with combined P-gp and strong CYP3A4 inhibitors.
Administration Options
For patients who are unable to swallow whole tablets, 5 mg and 2.5 mg Eliquis tablets may be crushed and suspended in water, 5% dextrose in water (D5W), or apple juice, or mixed with applesauce and promptly administered orally. Alternatively, Eliquis tablets may be crushed and suspended in 60 mL of water or D5W and promptly delivered through a nasogastric tube.
Crushed Eliquis tablets are stable in water, D5W, apple juice, and applesauce for up to 4 hours.
How is Eliquis supplied?
Eliquis typically comes in 2.5 mg yellow tablets and 5 mg pink tablets.
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