Note: This information is intended only to provide an overview. This page is meant to familiarize you with rivaroxaban and how it may be used to prevent blood clots that can cause stroke. Click here to learn more about anticoagulant medications. Several anticoagulants have been approved by the U.S. To learn about the tools doctors use to determine if anticoagulants are appropriate for individual patients, click here. The decision to take an anticoagulants – and which one – needs to be carefully evaluated for each person, depending on your individual risk factors, medical history, ability to take medications exactly as prescribed and, in the case of warfarin (Coumadin), willingness to have regular blood tests that are used to monitor the effects of the drug. For most people with Afib, the risk of a blood clot causing a stroke is greater than the risks that come with taking an anticoagulant. This is also a risk that comes with taking anticoagulants: they can prevent the blood from clotting when it needs to and can cause dangerous internal bleeding. The benefit of anticoagulant medications is that they keep blood from clotting.

If you have Afib, your doctor may have prescribed an anticoagulant to reduce your risk for stroke. This is important for people who have atrial fibrillation ( Afib or AF) and, therefore, are at increased risk for stroke. (This group of medications is sometimes called novel oral anticoagulants, or NOACs.) Anticoagulants are often referred to as blood-thinning medications, but what they actually do is make it take longer for the blood to clot. Rivaroxaban (brand name: Xarelto) is a newer anticoagulant medication.

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