Hi @trish602,

I've been on Xarelto since it was 1st introduced in Canada over 3 years ago. I've also been privy to current/past studies showing the effects Xarelto might or might not have on patients. Xarelto was 1st introduced to patients who received knee surgery to prevent DVT's (Deep Vein Thrombosis) in the legs. Its primary function is for the prevention of DVT's, but it has been approved for other clotting conditions as well.

For me, it changed my life in a great way since I no longer had to take blood tests to measure my illusive INR that could never get to a therapeutic state.

Now in your case, where your back is concerned. I see you went to an Oncologist for advice? I would recommend seeing a Thrombo expert instead. Are you seeing a Hematologist as well to consult with the Oncologist? You may want to try switching to Eliquis (Apixaban 5mg x2 daily). Both Xarelto and Eliquis are very similar, they are easy to take pills with no need to test your blood on a regular basis and require minimal follow up from professionals.

Each person reacts differently to the same medications. Always remember that the "side effects" detailed online are from thousands of participants in their studies, and only represent a fraction of patients who got those symptoms.

Now I should also note, if you're taking pain medication to help with the back pain or other, be very careful on what you take. Xarelto was created by Bayer, who of course also makes Aspirin, BUT the combination of the two together can be very lethal and create havoc in your system, causing all sorts of bleeding problems. Stick to Tylenol or the like.

The best test to ensure you aren't having bleeding problems internally is by checking your stool every single time. I know, yukky, but it's a precursor to very serious problems. If you notice the stool is extremely dark, almost black or tar like, STOP taking your blood thinner and talk to your doctor ASAP. Internally bleeding is very serious and very few people check for the signs. I made the mistake once by taking Aspirin for my pain years ago and ended up with blood in my stool.

When it comes to procedures, I would talk to your doctor of possibly going on the injectables instead (i.e. Fragmin / Innohep), over the years, I've had to switch back and forth from pills to injectables for different reasons. I've found they help to alleviate the pain and the struggles of going on and off the medication without complications. Again, these are my own results after years of switching medications due to different reasons.

ALWAYS REMEMBER: Anticoagulants aren't fool proof. Just like you can get pregnant while using condoms, well you can get blood clots while being on blood thinners. I've had many clots while being on blood thinners, it's a prevention method only. Try to concentrate on other areas that you can control (i.e. Proper diet / Exercise / Less Stress). Creating a full-body health system to help your recovery, healing and survival stage is just as important as being medicated and speaking with doctors.

Keep all your options open. Talk to the right specialists about these medications and try to write down all of your questions. We tend to forget some questions if we don't write them down. Don't worry about wasting their time, it's your life and it's very important.

I hope this helps a little.
I wish you all the best.
Stay safe and happy holidays!

Regards,
Martin