Can I safely stop Eliquis and use Baby Asprin instead?

be careful; I have read that coming off Eliquis can be dangerous. but I have never found any information on how to safely come off of it

@rice It's only dangerous if you stop it without understanding the risk of clots and a resultant stroke. While some might not be able to handle one of the DOACs due to side-effects, those who can are better protected against thromboembolic events than if they were to take aspirin. If aspirin is better for them, they ought to take it, with a doctor's advice of course. But you can stop DOACs cold without anything more than a rising risk of stroke over the next 24 hours or more. So, yes, dangerous if you don't substitute something else to mitigate a known and substantial risk, but if there is a low risk, you can cease Eliquis as of the last dose.

So if your told to go off Eliquis 10 days before surgery you would be at a high risk of stroke?

@rice Technically, yes, IF the Eliquis were prescribed due to a high risk, and if the cessation were all the way up to ten days prior to the surgery. In most cases, you would be told to stop it a full day prior because it's half-life is approximately 12 hours the way most of us metabolize it. I am not a qualified surgeon, and have zero medical training, so take what I say for its apparent value. I have not been told to stop it for any procedure further out than one full day. If you have directions to cease taking Eliquis ten days prior, it might be helpful....for you...to inquire as to the reasoning so that you can rest assured that your risk is very small. The other thing is that, again depending on the reason for the prescription, you may still have a relatively low risk of a thromboembolic event, especially in just a few days until your surgery.

I don't aim to be an impediment to you, or to cause you anxiety. I don't know you, but your surgical team....should. If they say you can stop the Eliquis ten days before your operation, then I would think they assume your risk to be very low. But they also very much insist upon your doing so! They don't want any Eliquis in your system at all, and perhaps their models say it means ten full days ahead of the surgery. Ask.

@gloaming

I’ve understood that another problem with substituting aspirin for Eliquis is that long-term aspirin use irritates the stomach. Years ago, before Eliquis, a relative of mine developed a bleeding stomach ulcer while on aspirin therapy to avoid blood clots.

@methel This is my understanding as well, and for Tylenol it's not much better....just that it's a liver problem and not the stomach lining irritation. But the mechanism imparted by aspirin is not quite as good, and is not the same, as the pathway that apixaban and rivaroxaban use to retard the clotting mechanism. Even though it's natural to suspect that there might be a financial incentive for doctors to prescribe those DOACs over aspirin, and that they are costly for a great many people, the fact is that they are more than marginally better at what we need them to do for us.

@rice I have experience with not stopping Eliquis and needing to have a deep cut on my finger stitched up. I bled for 8 hours because my cut was small and seemed minor. The ER triage nurse was not well trained so I was not considered an urgent case. I do not recommend cutting yourself while on Eliquis. The bleeding made me exhausted, light headed, nauseous, and I saw flashing lights. I was in and out of consciousness. Nasty experience. I recovered about 4 days later and the wound stopped bleeding. No fun at all.

@gmakat24 the mechanism that Elequist works on is not the same as that which Aspirin works on and unless your cardiologist gives you the OK you’re at risk. If you’ve gone for 10 years without a repeat incident or other issue I would then ask to stop taking it. You can certainly do a search to compare Elequist vs. Aspirin for blood clot prevention too.

@jenatsky DO NOT stop unless the specialist says it is ok. Aspirin is no where near as strong.

Agree! Do not stop Eliquis until you and your medical team make that decision.
@gloaming Tylenol does not enter the picture in cases of needed coagulation.