As I struggle to find an anti-coagulant that I can tolerate, I am looking for feed-back on Pradaxa.

I took it for a couple of years with no problem. Many had reported that it was easier on the stomach to take it with a full glass of water--so I did that. I'd certainly recommend it though I switched to Eliquis when my insurance bumped Pradaxa up to a tier 4 medication.

I've been fine with Pradaxa. Xarelto and Savaysa were hard on my stomach and gave me slight (benign) bleedings. I never tried Eliquis.
I don't know how Pradaxa differs really from the others, but the fact it requires two doses a day instead of a single one for Xarelto and Savaysa might play a role.
The only thing I dislike with Pradaxa is the packaging. A serious waste, IMO.

I had no problems with it.

What have you tried so far and what have the side effects been?

My only issue with Pradaxa is when I swallowed one without enough water. It hung in my throat and it burn’t my throat. Pradaxa is highly acidic so make sure you do not have swallowing issues and no problems with acid reflux. Best to Google Is Pradaxa acidic.

Pradaxa is linked to higher risk of GI bleed. If you have had ulcers in the past, it’s worth mentioning to your doctor and exploring other options.

Eliquis = bowel problems: Savaysa = what can only be described as whole body Restless Leg syndrome. It was not good.

I am now taking 10 mg. Xarelto, down from the prescribed 20 mg., and seem to be tolerating it well. I had informed the NP that I was splitting the 20 mg. (which is infinitesimally small) and she realized that I was in earnest. I didn't know that 10 mg. was available, but thankfully she followed through and found it.

IMHO, as you age, the less able you are to tolerate the standard dosages of drugs that are usually prescribed "one size fits all."

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Carola
IMHO, as you age, the less able you are to tolerate the standard dosages of drugs that are usually prescribed "one size fits all."

That's not just your opinion. It's well known fact. It's usually over 75 when lower drug tolerance starts showing up, though it can vary a lot between individuals. Some people never see any lowered tolerance well into their 90s and others see it much younger.

I've always been intolerant to drugs - it is not only age, but some people are naturally sensitive to them.

A long time ago a doctor looked at the long list of antibiotics and drugs that I could not take and said

"Carol, I think that you have a body that was made before the advent of modern medicine!"

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Carola
I've always been intolerant to drugs - it is not only age, but some people are naturally sensitive to them.

You also may well have a number of genetic mutations in the pathways used to assimilate drugs. I have one big one that contraindicates quite a lot of drugs. You can be tested for this to find out how you are likely to respond to the most common drugs--pharmacogenetic testing.

Daisy,

It will be a major break through in medicine when every person has a genetic profile on universal file that tells what can and cannot be tolerated and what diseases and disorders can be anticipated.

Where did you have your testing done?

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Carola
Where did you have your testing done?

My EP had me tested and some of the results get my attention. With some drugs I would need 4 times as much and for others I would need to take only a quarter dose. Others shouldn't be taken at all. She sent the sample to Asperio Labs and insurance paid for it--or at least I didn't!

I had allergic reactions to both Eliquis and Xarelto - now on Pradaxa. It causes me major GI discomfort: I must take it standing up, with a great deal of liquid and then some food. Still get stomach pains, including in the middle of the night. I also just found out it will no longer be covered by my insurance, and runs about $550/month. Was actually about to post something here about that: has anyone had that issue and figured out a way to have a doctor, for example, override the proscription?

You can get Pradaxa for less than $550/month, but what do you mean by having a doctor override the prescription? Override what?