Drug

Xarelto® and alcohol

introduction

Xarelto® is the proper name of the active ingredient rivaroxaban and is used to thin the blood. It belongs to the oral anticoagulants and is used to prevent blood clots (thrombosis) in arrhythmias, artificial heart valves or therapy for thrombosis.

Preventing the formation of a blood clot is very important because if the clot is carried over, it can lead to serious consequences such as a pulmonary embolism or a stroke. The effect of Xarelto® is based on the inactivation of the coagulation factor Xa. X stands for the Roman number 10 and a means active. The coagulation factors are proteins and enzymes that are responsible for the clotting of the blood. The coagulation stops bleeding in wounds, and in some diseases the likelihood of "false" formation of a blood clot is increased. This means that a blood clot forms without any injury. If this is carried into small blood vessels, these become blocked, which can lead to a stroke or heart attack.

In general, taking the drug also results in an increased tendency to bleed.

You might also be interested in this article: Side effects of Xarelto®

Can you drink alcohol when ingested?

The consumption of alcohol while taking Xarelto® is not recommended.

Alcohol itself has a blood-thinning effect. This effect is increased in combination with a blood-thinning drug, so that a high risk of dangerous bleeding arises. In addition, alcohol causes the blood vessels to widen, which increases the risk of bleeding.

possible side effects

The risk of bleeding increases particularly with long-term, excessive alcohol consumption. Alcohol is known to damage the liver. The liver is the place where the coagulation factors are formed. Long-term alcohol abuse leads to a functional impairment of the liver, certain proteins can no longer be produced in sufficient quantity or quality, including the coagulation factors. If there is a lack of coagulation factors or if they are restricted in their function, dangerous bleeding that cannot be controlled can occur.

Long-term alcohol consumption also leads to fatty degeneration of the liver and increased formation of connective tissue in the liver. This causes the blood to build up in front of the liver and the blood vessels that are in front of the liver are widened. In this case, very dangerous bleeding can occur, especially in the area of the esophagus. The blood-thinning effect of Xarelto makes it harder to breastfeed them. This situation is an absolute emergency and requires immediate hospital treatment. The bleeding must then be stopped by surgery.

Another danger is that under the influence of alcohol the risk of falling or injury is increased. If a bleeding injury occurs in this case, it is more difficult to breastfeed.

Alcohol promotes the development of stomach ulcers. A dreaded complication of these ulcers is that they begin to bleed. This bleeding is aggravated by anticoagulant drugs.

Further information on this:

Esophageal variceal bleeding

Interactions

About two thirds of Xarelto is broken down in the liver. Enzymes are involved, which are influenced by many factors. Alcohol also has an effect on these enzymes, so the breakdown of Xarelto can be influenced. With acute alcohol consumption these enzymes are less active, so that the drug is broken down more slowly. This can lead to higher concentrations of the drug in the blood and thus to an increased effect. The risk of dangerous bleeding increases.

Chronic, i.e. permanent alcohol abuse, however, increases the effect of these enzymes, the concentration of the drug in the blood is lower and the effect is weakened. It is more likely that a thrombosis and its serious consequences can occur.

You may also be interested in this topic:

Alcohol addiction

Distance from taking

Xarelto is a drug that is taken regularly every day in order to achieve a constant level of the drug in the blood. This is important to ensure the constant protective effect of the drug. The consumption of alcohol should therefore be avoided during the entire period of taking Xarelto.

How long this is depends on the underlying disease. In the case of a thrombosis, for example, the drug has to be taken for three months at a time to prevent it from recurring; if you previously had a pulmonary embolism, it is even 6 months. Many diseases also require a permanent, i.e. lifelong, intake of Xarelto, for example in the case of cardiac arrhythmias.

After the last dose of Xarelto, the drug remains effective for about 12 hours. After this time, alcohol can be consumed again in moderation.

You might also be interested in the topic: What should be considered when stopping Xarelto?