What foods to avoid with Xarelto

Xarelto is an anticoagulant medication used to treat and reduce your risk of blood clots. It was initially approved by the FDA in 2011 and is manufactured by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. It is important to avoid foods such as grapefruit and other medications such as blood thinners that can increase your risk of bleeding while taking this medication.

Learn more about what foods you should avoid with Xarelto and which foods are beneficial to eat while using this medication.

What is Xarelto?

Xarelto is the brand name of the active ingredient rivaroxaban. It is a factor Xa inhibitor that is FDA-approved to:

• Reduce your risk of stroke and blood clots if you have atrial fibrillation (Afib)
• Treat deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• Treat pulmonary embolism (PE)
• Reduce your risk of another DVT
• Prevent DVT if you are undergoing knee or hip replacement surgery
• Prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE)
• Treat VTE and reduce the risk of recurrent VTE in pediatric patients from birth to less than 18 years
• Prevent blood clots in pediatric patients 2 years and older with congenital heart disease after a type of open-heart surgery called the Fontan procedure

With Xarelto, you are not required to take regular blood tests, whereas other blood thinners such as warfarin may require frequent blood tests. A prothrombin time (PT) and international normalized ratio (INR) are performed regularly when a person is taking warfarin to make sure the clotting time is normal and the dose does not need to be adjusted.

How does Xarelto work?

Xarelto is an anticoagulant medication that works by blocking a protein involved in the blood clotting process called factor Xa. When this protein is blocked, blood clots are less likely to form in your body which reduces your risk of having a stroke or heart attack.

Xarelto is typically taken once or twice daily, depending on the condition being treated. You can take Xarelto with or without food. You should not stop taking this medicine unless instructed by your healthcare professional. Stopping this medication suddenly can increase your risk of heart-related problems such as heart attack or stroke.

What are the side effects of Xarelto?

The most common side effects of Xarelto include:

• Bleeding
• Bruising
• Back pain
• Stomach pain
• Dizziness
• Fatigue

Xarelto can sometimes cause more serious side effects such as:

• Increased risk of heart attack or stroke if Xarelto is discontinued too soon
• Serious allergic reactions
• Serious, life-threatening bleeding
• Bleeding around the spine which can leave you paralyzed, especially before spinal surgery, spinal taps, or epidurals

These are not all of the possible side effects of Xarelto. You should seek medical advice from your healthcare professional for any questions or concerns relating to your medical condition or treatment.

What foods should I avoid with Xarelto?

You should avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while taking this medication. It may increase the concentration of Xarelto in your bloodstream and lead to a major bleed.

Xarelto is not known to have a food interaction with leafy green vegetables. Leafy green vegetables can contain high levels of vitamin K that affect other blood-thinning medications such as Coumadin/Jantoven (warfarin). The manufacturer of Xarelto claims you can enjoy a full variety of healthy food without any dietary restrictions.

What foods are good to eat while taking Xarelto?

There is no specific diet you have to be on while taking Xarelto, but eating a healthy and balanced diet is always important. You should try and eat a diet consisting of:

• fresh fruits and vegetables
• whole grains
• lean protein
• low-fat dairy

Having a healthy diet can help improve your overall health. It can lead to a decrease in your weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol. This can help reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, stroke, and other serious medical conditions. If you have any questions about what to eat while taking Xarelto, talk to your doctor or dietitian. They can help create a diet plan that is right for you.

Can you eat leafy green vegetables while taking Xarelto?

Xarelto is not known to have a food interaction with leafy green vegetables. Leafy green vegetables can contain high levels of vitamin K that affect other blood-thinning medications such as Coumadin/Jantoven (warfarin). The manufacturer of Xarelto claims you can enjoy a full variety of healthy food without any dietary restrictions.

Do carrots affect blood thinners?

Carrots are low in vitamin K and unlikely to affect your INR levels. Carrots should be safe to eat while on blood thinners.

Can you drink orange juice while taking Xarelto?

If you are taking Xarelto, you should avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice. There are several fruits that have no vitamin K that should be safe to drink while on Xarelto. This includes citrus fruits and juices, including tangerines, oranges, and clementines.

Can you eat bananas on blood thinners?

There is no known food interaction between bananas and blood thinners. You should be able to eat bananas without having to adjust your dose of any blood thinner you are taking.

Do eggs affect blood thinners?

There are certain foods that are considered safe to eat while on blood thinners which include eggs. They should have no effect on your clotting time.

Who can take Xarelto?

Xarelto is an anticoagulant medication that is used to prevent blood clots in people with an irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation) who are at risk of developing a blood clot. It is also used in the treatment of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

Before taking this medication, make sure your doctor is aware of your medical conditions, especially if you have any of the following:

• An active bleed or history of bleeding disorders
• Liver or kidney disease
• Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS)
• Are pregnant, plan on becoming pregnant, or are breastfeeding
• Have a known allergy to rivaroxaban or any inactive ingredients in Xarelto

What are some drug interactions with Xarelto?

When Xarelto is taken with other medications, it can change how they work or increase the frequency and severity of side effects. You should ask your healthcare professional if any of the prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and herbal supplements you take may interact with this medication, including:

• Anticoagulants such as Coumadin (warfarin), Eliquis (apixaban), Pradaxa (dabigatran), Plavix (clopidogrel), Savaysa (edoxaban) and heparin
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Motrin (ibuprofen), Aleve (naproxen), and aspirin
• Drugs that are metabolized by the liver such as Tegretol (carbamazepine), Nizoral (ketoconazole), St. John’s wort, and Norvir (ritonavir)

Can you drink alcohol while taking Xarelto?

It is not known whether alcohol interacts with Xarelto. Xarelto does thin your blood and large amounts of alcohol may cause you to bleed more. You should ask your doctor if it is safe for you to drink alcohol while taking Xarelto.

How long does it take Xarelto to start working?

Xarelto typically takes between 2 to 4 hours for it to reach its full effects and will leave your bloodstream in about 24 hours.

What if I miss a dose of Xarelto?

Xarelto is typically taken once or twice a day, at the same time each day. You can take this medication with or without food.

If you take this medication twice a day and miss a dose, take it immediately after you remember it on the same day. You can take 2 doses of Xarelto at the same time to make up for a missed dose. You will then take the next dose at its regular time.

If you take this medication once a day and miss a dose, take it immediately after you remember it on the same day. You will then take the next dose at its regular time.