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Key takeaways
Stopping Eliquis doesn’t require tapering, and you won’t experience withdrawal symptoms.
Stopping Eliquis means an increased risk of blood clots and strokes.
Follow your healthcare provider’s medical advice carefully after stopping Eliquis, and only stop taking it under guidance from your provider.
Eliquis is the brand name for apixaban, an anticoagulant (blood thinner) that’s FDA-approved to reduce the risk of stroke and clots in people with atrial fibrillation (AFib). It’s also approved for the prevention of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) in people who’ve had hip or knee replacement surgery. Additionally, Eliquis is approved to treat DVT and PE, and to reduce the risk of repeated DVT and PE after initial therapy. Eliquis is in a class of medications known as factor Xa inhibitors. Eliquis works by blocking Factor X, a protein that helps blood clots form.
If your healthcare provider tells you to stop taking Eliquis, you might have questions about how to stop taking Eliquis safely and what the side effects might be. While stopping Eliquis doesn’t have withdrawal-type side effects, it can increase your risk of blood clots or strokes, which is why it’s vital only to stop taking Eliquis under the close supervision of a healthcare provider.
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Why you might need to stop taking Eliquis
Eliquis is an anticoagulant, which means that it slows blood clotting. While it can be lifesaving and prevent serious medical issues like strokes and clots for people at risk, there are times when you may need to stop taking it.
According to Joyce Oen-Hsiao, MD, associate professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine, you might need to stop taking Eliquis if you experience negative side effects. For example, you might need to stop Eliquis if “you have excess bleeding—internally (e.g., through the GI tract) or externally (cuts that won’t stop bleeding or nose bleeds),” Dr. Oen-Hsaio says. It may be especially important to stop taking Eliquis if there’s bleeding in your brain, she emphasizes.
These are rare instances, though. “The commonest reason to stop Eliquis is usually a temporary pause for a surgery or elective procedure with increased risk of bleeding,” says Kaustubh Dabhadkar, MD, a preventive cardiologist in Charlotte, North Carolina. This might include dental procedures or medical surgeries.
Some people only need to take Eliquis for a certain amount of time when they are at higher risk of clots, such as after a hip or knee replacement or if they had a clot because of certain risk factors that are now resolved.
Other reasons to stop taking Eliquis include having an allergic reaction. Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals may also need to stop taking Eliquis or switch to a different medication.
Most importantly, don’t stop taking Eliquis unless a healthcare professional has specifically instructed you and given you medical advice about how and when to stop.
Side effects of stopping Eliquis
Unlike certain other medications, stopping Eliquis doesn’t cause withdrawal symptoms. But it’s essential to understand that stopping Eliquis puts you at a higher risk of conditions that the medication is helping to prevent, such as blood clots and strokes.
“Stopping Eliquis usually doesn’t come with major side effects,” Dr. Oen-Hsiao says. But, she points out, “if you are on Eliquis, usually there is a reason that your doctor wants to have your blood thinned.” Dr. Oen-Hsiao urges patients to discuss alternative blood thinners with a healthcare professional if they stop Eliquis.
This is in line with boxed warnings on the medication label, which note that stopping Eliquis, or any oral anticoagulant, puts you at a higher risk of a thrombotic event, which is when a blood clot forms in a blood vessel. MedlinePlus warns that people who have atrial fibrillation and take Eliquis to prevent stroke or blood clots have an increased risk of having a stroke after they discontinue Eliquis.
How long after stopping Eliquis does your blood return to normal?
Usually, it takes about two days for the body’s blood clotting process to normalize after stopping Eliquis, Dr. Dabhadkar says. However, this process may take longer if you have certain medical conditions. “It may take up to three days in patients with kidney disease, elderly patients, or underweight patients,” he says.
How to stop taking Eliquis safely
There is no need to gradually decrease doses when stopping Eliquis, because discontinuation doesn’t result in withdrawal symptoms. “Tapering is not necessary,” Dr. Dabhadkar explains. “After consultation with a prescribing physician, one can stop Eliquis without any taper or wean-off schedule.”
At times, your provider may decide to decrease your dose of Eliquis instead of having you stop taking it altogether, according to Mohamed Dahodwala, MD, a cardiologist at Saint Anthony Hospital in Chicago. “In some instances, after a few months, the dose can be lowered for less bleeding risks,” he says. However, any change to your Eliquis routine is made on a case-by-case basis and in consultation with a medical provider.
If you need to stop taking Eliquis before surgery, ask your provider for medical advice. How long before the surgery to stop taking Eliquis depends on your type of surgery, your medical profile, and your medical history. Usually, Eliquis is stopped between two and five days before the surgery.
Considerations for long-term blood thinner use
Certain people need to take a blood thinner like Eliquis on a long-term basis. “Conditions like atrial fibrillation, deep venous thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism may require long-term anticoagulation,” says Aeshita Dwivedi, MD, cardiologist at Northwell’s Lenox Hill Hospital.
Taking blood thinners long-term has risks. The biggest risk is serious bleeding, which can cause internal bleeding that can be life-threatening at times. However, medical providers don’t prescribe blood thinners on a long-term basis unless the benefits outweigh the risks.
“The benefits outweigh the risks when the risk of clotting is higher than the risk of bleeding,” Dr. Dabhadkar says. Doctors use different tests and metrics to determine that, including each person’s unique medical history and health needs. “In case of atrial fibrillation, we use the CHA2DS2VASC risk score to estimate the risk of clotting and the HAS-BLED score to estimate the risk of bleeding,” Dr. Dabhadkar explains.
If you are taking blood thinners long-term, you will be in close touch with your healthcare provider. Dr. Dabhadkar underscores the importance of following your healthcare provider’s instructions regarding other medications or prescription drugs you may be taking alongside blood thinners. According to Dr. Dabhadkar, over-the-counter medicines like ibuprofen and other NSAIDs may increase the risk of bleeding. “So, it’s important to discuss with your primary care physician regarding even over-the-counter medicines.”
Sometimes, Eliquis is not the right medication for a particular patient, and alternative blood thinners must be considered. Eliquis alternatives include:
- Coumadin or Jantoven (warfarin)
- Heparin
- Pradaxa (dabigatran)
- Savaysa (edoxaban)
- Xarelto (rivaroxaban)
Of course, any decisions about discontinuing Eliquis or trying a different blood thinner should be made in close consultation with your medical provider.
The bottom line
Stopping Eliquis doesn’t require tapering, because the side effects of Eliquis discontinuation don’t include withdrawal effects. However, you should only stop taking Eliquis if your healthcare provider recommends doing so. Stopping Eliquis makes you more susceptible to blood clots and strokes, so it’s important that you follow your healthcare provider’s protocols.
- Label: Eliquis- apixaban tablet, film-coated, DailyMed (2024)
- Important facts about Eliquis® (apixaban) tablets and Eliquis® sprinkle (apixaban), Eliquis (2024).
- Apixaban, MedlinePlus (2025)
- Breadth of complications of long-term oral anticoagulant care, Hematology Am Soc Hematol Educ Program (2018)