{"id":636408,"date":"2026-05-06T15:33:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T19:33:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=636408"},"modified":"2026-05-06T15:33:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T19:33:32","slug":"xarelto-20-mg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/xarelto-20-mg\/","title":{"rendered":"Xarelto 20 mg: Uses, cost, and side effects vs. other strengths"},"content":{"rendered":"

Xarelto<\/span><\/a> (rivaroxaban) is a prescription blood thinner used to prevent life-threatening blood clots. It is a direct oral <\/span>anticoagulant<\/span><\/a> (DOAC) that\u2019s <\/span>FDA approved<\/span><\/a> to prevent blood clots in people at high risk and reduce the risk of stroke, deep vein thrombosis (DVT, a clot in a deep vein) and pulmonary embolism (PE, a clot in the lungs) in certain patients. Healthcare providers prescribe it at different doses depending on the condition being treated and the patient’s medical history.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Xarelto 20 mg used for?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Healthcare providers may prescribe 20 mg of Xarelto once daily to prevent strokes in a<\/span>dults with <\/span>nonvalvular atrial fibrillation<\/span><\/a>. “The 20 mg dose is commonly used daily as a long-term maintenance dose for stroke prevention in this population,” explains <\/span>Tonie Reincke<\/span><\/a>, MD, medical director at Reincke Vein Center in Sugar Land, Texas. For people with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and reduced kidney function (creatinine clearance, a measure of how well the kidneys filter waste, of less than 50 mL\/min), a lower dose of 15 mg daily is prescribed instead.<\/span><\/p>\n

For adults with DVT<\/span><\/a> or PE, 20 mg Xarelto is the recommended maintenance dose after the first three weeks of treatment. People with significantly reduced kidney function (creatinine clearance of less than 15 mL\/min) are not recommended to take Xarelto for DVT or PE treatment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Xarelto 20 mg may also be prescribed to prevent recurrent <\/span>venous thromboembolism<\/span><\/a> (VTE), or blood clots in the veins, in patients younger than 18 years old who weigh more than 50 kg.<\/span><\/p>\n

For people preventing DVT after hip or knee replacement surgery and those on long-term clot prevention beyond six months, lower doses are typically used.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0Xarelto dosage chart<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

Indication<\/b><\/td>\n10 mg<\/b><\/td>\n15 mg<\/b><\/td>\n20 mg<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Prevent stroke in people with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation<\/b><\/td>\nN\/A<\/span><\/td>\n15 mg (renal impairment)<\/span><\/td>\n20 mg once daily<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Initial DVT\/PE treatment<\/b><\/td>\nN\/A<\/span><\/td>\n15 mg twice daily (first 21 days)<\/span><\/td>\nN\/A<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ongoing DVT\/PE treatment<\/b><\/td>\nN\/A<\/span><\/td>\nN\/A<\/span><\/td>\n20 mg once daily<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Extended prevention of DVT<\/b><\/td>\n10 mg once daily\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nN\/A<\/span><\/td>\n20 mg occasionally<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

RELATED: <\/b>Xarelto dosage guide<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Xarelto 20 mg vs. 10 mg<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cHealthcare providers may adjust the dosage of rivaroxaban based on several factors, including kidney function, bleeding risk, age, body weight, or interactions with other medications,\u201d says <\/span>Tavi Schlueter, CPNP, PMHS<\/span><\/a>, nurse practitioner and Director of Growth Initiatives at <\/span>Collaborating Docs<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Xarelto dosage varies by indication:<\/span><\/p>\n