Playing College Sports After Stopping Xarelto

I'm a 21 year old, female athlete. I had surgery on my left knee (3rd one) after tearing my meniscus in December. Recovered quickly and started PT within a week after surgery. A couple months after, my calf started to swell to an abnormal size and I had pain in the back on my knee through my calf. I also started to get chest pains and dizziness. Saw a few doctors - some thought I had a Baker's cyst and didn't think the swelling was bad. Even got an EKG to rule out any heart problems, everything came back normal. It wasn't until my trainer sent me to get an ultrasound in February that they found a DVT in my femoral vein. Sent me for a CAT scan and found that it broke off and "showered" around both lungs. Immediately started me on xarelto, which gave the worst side effects that caused me to miss 2 weeks of school because I was so tired and dizzy. Still got chest pains throughout the time I was on it. Couldn't drive for 2 1/2 months. Started basketball again in April and was able to participate in some post-season workouts without feeling like I was going to pass out. Saw my hematologist in the beginning of June (3 months on xarelto) for blood work and decided I could get off the meds in a couple weeks after getting an ultrasound. Ultrasound showed no clots! I've now been off xarelto for 2 weeks. I felt great for the first week and now am experiencing tiredness, chest pains and some dizziness again. Have trouble going to sleep at night because I keep waking up due to a fast heartbeat. Trying to get back in shape for my last year of basketball and felt like I was going to pass out while lifting yesterday. Should I be worried about stopping xarelto abruptly?

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Gina, I was on warfarin ever since my 1st daughter was born. She is 48 and I'm 68. My doctor took me off warfarin, said I had been on it too long. He said there was too many new medications out there so heavy put me on Xarelto. When I was on warfarin my arm's stayed bruised so bad all the time. I feel different since he has changed my medicine. I was scared at first because of all the warnings on TV about Xarelto. It's seems like I stayed tired all the time on warfarin. Actually I experienced some of the symptoms you are having when I was on warfarin. I think I feel better since changing , I still bruise but not as bad. You don't really know if you have made the right choice because of all the warnings. Just about any medicine that comes out and older medications there's a warning pop's up on TV about it. I really feel better since I have switched, so I guess it's doing the job. I don't know about your situation, but I hope they get it worked out. I know mine is for lifetime, I will always have to be on it. Good luck, and I hope the doctor's get your diagnosis and know what's best for you and what you have to do. Just wanted to know my experience with Xarelto.

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Patricia

Thank you for sharing! I definitely think it had to do with the dosage of xarelto / maybe the choice of xarelto all together. I am luckily no longer feeling that way. I also think drinking coffee was making the symptoms worse (probably the caffeine). I ended up seeing my doctor and there was no new clot - I unfortunately do have a blood clotting gene mutation that increases my chances of getting a blood clot after a surgery/pregnancy. Fortunately enough, I'm not at the age to even be thinking about having kids yet :)

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Patricia and Gina, my husband was given one of the new drugs similar to Xarelto about 7 years ago for atrial fib. He still got a stroke while on it and as anyone taking these new blood thinners , he couldn't be given the clot buster to reverse the damage done. He was then put on warfarin which he was told is "tried and true" . Yes it's a nuisance as you have to have your blood checked frequently and yes, he does bruise but it is working for him. As an example , he was taken off his warfarin to have a tooth pulled( the doctor never should have done it!) and he had a second stroke. Because he was on warfarin this time they were able to administer the clot buster which dissolved the clot and he was left with no brain damage like he had with the first stroke.If he'd been on the newer one he would have been paralyzed on his left side! He has no tiredness that he's noticed in the 6 years he's been on warfarin. So all I can say is you have to weigh the advantages of the benefits of the drugs you decide to take. His 2 cardiologists both felt that the long history of warfarin far out- weighed these new blood thinners which are still relatively new on the market. That is why they warn about excessive bleeding.

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Hi, I have read about folks having side effects while on xarelto. If your tests were good, I would not worry about it.

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Re: Gina (# 2)

Do you mind me asking what clotting disorder you have?? I had a DVT in my groin at 31 weeks pregnant and never had any issues before but after my child was born They ran test and diagnosed me with factor v Leiden. Currently on xarelto and experiencing so many aches and pains. Just curious if we could relate!

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