Can I safely stop Eliquis and use Baby Asprin instead?

@daisy11 I was just rejected by Eliquis for the $10 a month card because I’m on Medicare. They will not help people on Medicare, Medicaid or VA insurance. So I guess if you are old, disabled or a veteran they don’t care if you die. These are often the very people that need the help the most because they can’t afford the $300 a month. So I have no choice but to go with aspirin and prayers.

Ask your MD if you can go on Dabigatran. It is available as a generic. It is as effective as Eliquis, but has potentially more side effects (more GI irritation (reflux, stomach pain), it is more sensitive to dehydration, and it requires more "kidney awareness"). Last time I looked, you can get 60 of 150mg (one months supply) for $24.00 at "Cost Plus Drugs". I have not tried it yet, but I will probably switch to it when my last insurance-aided Eliquis purchase runs out. I keep looking for alternatives for being on these meds the rest of my life, but I haven't found one yet.

@mfmikula
I have read elsewhere that rivaroxaban *Xarelto has just ended patent and that apixaban *Eliquis, will end on patent in Nov of this year.

@gloaming it is about time! This is not a new drug but continues to be so expensive.

@ejmmama My dr said Eliquis & aspirin work differently, so I have to take both. So sorry it is so expensive for you. Maybe you can get through Canada? I see on here that the generic is suppose to be available this November. Hope you find something that works until then.

Absolutely cannot stop Eliquis without discussion with your PCP. But on the same hand I think Eliquis is a dangerous drug due to side effects. Have to be careful using anti-coagulants as they all work in a different manner which is difficult to understand. What about good ole Warfarin......you have to have your blood levels monitored but once you stabilize and get the correct dosage blood tests can be only once a month. Dr's don't like it, patients don't like it due to lab but it has been around and is a stable, no side effect medication.

I am currently on Xarelto 20 mgs. I am taking it because of afib. However, I wish the doctors would have explained the medication better to me, before the xarelto I was taking a full strength aspirin daily because of a previous heart attack 16 years ago. They told me to stop and take xarelto along with a baby aspirin. About 2 weeks later I had a coughing spell from a cold and developed a bleed issue under the skin around the trunk area. I was told to probably stop the baby aspirin, I was taking the aspirin along with the xarelto at the same time. At the last doctor visit he mentioned about maybe starting the baby aspirin again, I asked him if I could take it later at a different time away from the xarelto, but he couldn't find any information on a different time, a simple question but little or no concrete information?! So I'm still in limbo about still taking it yet. I'd love to get off xarelto and just go back to my regular aspirin like I was taking before, but was told no. It's expensive and I am currently getting the generic version of my 20 mg. dose from Canadian located in Florida, it's manufactured in India. As far as I know, my doseage still isn't available here, only the very small doses, but I'm still paying a bit for it in that generic version. If the doctors would have explained more to me at the onset, I never would have started taking it, I would have told them no thank you, I'm staying on my aspirin. Also there is one very important plus with taking aspirin, it quells inflamation, very important. I'm still not done with discussing this with the doc. To me, and yes I fully know on how it works differently (xarelto) I'd like to just stop the xarelto and go back to aspirin, there must be a way to do it. Nurses that I talked to told me they would not go on Warfarin either even though it's cheap.

I don’t think I would stop Eliquis unless you talk to a doctor about it. I’m pretty sure that Eliquis is going to go generic. I’m not sure it’s either this year or next year so that will help with the cost. I don’t think baby aspirin is a good idea. I was on it for a while before I spoke to somebody about Eliquis and it caused me to have a lot of bleeding into my skin in my arms. I think it’s also considering that I have acid reflux not a good idea for the gut.

@gmajane2
I have employer provided health insurance and the cost with insurance is $329/mo. However, I applied for a $10/mo. co-pay card (no income restrictions) and simply activated it via ELIQUIS website:

Patients with commercial insurance may
be eligible for our Co-Pay Program, which
may allow you to pay as little as
$10 per 30-day supply or $30 for a
90-day supply, subject to an annual
maximum benefit of $6400.*
Please visit ELIQUIS website for
information about Co-Pay Program.

If you have Medicare Part D:
Patients with Medicare Part D coverage
are not eligible for the Direct-to-Patient
program. However, you may qualify for
additional resources and support.
To learn more about Medicare Part D,
please visit ELIQUIS website for more information about MedicarePartD
or call ELIQUIS 360 Support.

Assistance for uninsured patients Via Bristol Myers Squibb Patient Assistance Foundation. Please see ELIQUIS website for contact info and more information about independent charitable programs that provides free medication to eligible, uninsured patients who are experiencing financial hardship.

From personal experience, I know how frustrating and stressful it can be to depend on life safing medicication! I hope that you find your med at an affordable price!!!

@mfmikula I think Eloquis will go generic but not until next year so I read.