Eliquis and Joint Pain: What Users Say

• dk9...
• April 3, 2020

For Prevention of Thromboembolism in Atrial Fibrillation "I have A-Fib and had a pacemaker installed in December 2019. At that time, my doctor had told me that as soon as I am healed from the pacemaker procedure, he wanted to do an ablation for the A-Fib. About 1 month and a half ago, he prescribed Eliquis for my procedure that was supposed to be April 9th but has been canceled due to the COVID-19 issues. I have gained about 15-20 lbs since I started taking it. I am fatigued, my joints ache and hurt all the time, and I am having problems having regular bowel movements. I thought I was losing my mind to begin with until I looked at some of these reviews and saw others who were having the same kinds of issues. I am still on it and don't have any idea when I might be able to have the procedure and get off of it. I asked the nurse if the weight gain or constipation might be from Eliquis, and she said no...???? Prayers for me would be appreciated!"

• Joe...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 11, 2021

For Pulmonary Embolism "I have had 3 PEs over the last few years, the first 2 after an outpatient surgery and general anesthesia, then a 3rd small one after stopping Eliquis. I have been taking Eliquis and over time I have been experiencing increasingly terrible side effects, including chest tightness, shortness of breath, GERD, muscle weakness, joint pain, weight gain while eating less, and headaches. I am planning to go to aspirin. Has anyone gone from Eliquis to aspirin successfully? Don't want another PE but can't live with these side effects."

• Kit...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 17, 2019

For Prevention of Thromboembolism in Atrial Fibrillation "Cardiologist prescribed Eliquis 3 weeks ago for occasional Afib, and was ugly to me when I said 'that’s pretty strong to start out with'. I regret not discussing this with my primary care doctor because he agreed with me! Still, he wasn’t comfortable taking me off it since he didn’t prescribe it. I was lightheaded the first week and for the last week I have been experiencing the worst joint pain and headache ever!! I told my husband I cannot and will not live like this!! I will be in the cardiologist's office tomorrow for testing...I intend to find a way to get off this HORRIBLE 'poison'!!!"

• PRa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 4, 2019

For Pulmonary Embolism "I wound up with PE and DVT behind right knee. I was in the hospital for 72 hours and was prescribed Eliquis twice a day. I feel like I have lost me. I am in constant leg pain, my joints and lower back hurt so bad. After two weeks, my hair started falling out and I wound up with Edema. I had sudden weight gain with no diet change. I get dizzy and light-headed and fumble to speak at times. My body itches constantly. I just want off this drug!! I feel it is poisoning me and the shortness of breath and wheezing are scaring me. Please don't take this drug. I struggle every day to walk and fight through the pain."

• Kod...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 15, 2019

For Deep Vein Thrombosis Prophylaxis after Knee Replacement Surgery "I would like to know if anyone else on Eliquis has experienced the following while on this med. I have had a 12-pound weight gain in three months, a cough that won’t go away, gout, balance issues, and serious joint pain. Am I the only one? Are others experiencing some of the same? Every day I wake up, my weight is up two more pounds. I am very tired all the time. Help, I feel like I am going nuts, and the doctors think I am a hypochondriac."

• Pho...
• June 2, 2020

For Deep Vein Thrombosis "I was prescribed Eliquis after experiencing an upper extremity deep vein thrombosis due to thoracic outlet syndrome. The clot was dissolved in the hospital through thrombolysis. I was sent home with Eliquis 10 mg x2 per day for a week, then 5 mg x2 per day for maintenance. I didn't realize how horrible this drug made me feel until I called my hematologist after 3 months and begged him to reduce the dose. I experienced extreme fatigue, depression/apathy, muscle pain all over my body, and joint pain that would keep me up at night in my hips and lower back. My whole body began to hurt all the time after about 5 weeks on the medication. I couldn't do any exercise without being unable to get out of a chair for days afterwards. Not to mention the horrible heartburn. Fortunately, I see a TOS expert soon, and fingers crossed will be able to drop the Eliquis entirely. Has been an awful experience."

• San...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 20, 2019

For Prevention of Thromboembolism in Atrial Fibrillation "After a routine internist visit and then an EKG, I was diagnosed with Afib but with a low pulse, therefore, I have no major symptoms of Afib - maybe a sometimes pounding heart. I saw two cardiologists and was placed on Eliquis. Since then, I have had major joint pain, difficulty climbing steps, dizziness, fatigue, and itching. All in all, the joint pain was unreal, and I took myself off the 2.5 mg twice a day that I was taking (even though my prescription was 5 mg twice a day). Eliquis has lactose in it, and I am lactose intolerant, so I immediately noticed a problem, and that is why I cut my pills in half to take a 2.5 mg dose. That did solve the lactose problem, but the joint issues were not resolved until I got off the medication. I was on it for about 2 months, so I am unsure how expensive it was ultimately going to be because I was given a free month and then a reduced-rate month. I am 72 years old."

• Ach...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 7, 2018

For Prevention of Thromboembolism in Atrial Fibrillation "Symptoms of joint pain, fatigue, and burning skin came on gradually until it felt as if I had the flu with burning skin. Symptoms started to resolve within two days of discontinuing this drug. You couldn’t pay me to take it again."

• Ore...
• March 13, 2020

For Deep Vein Thrombosis "Update from a previous comment. Switched from Xarelto to Eliquis about 12 months ago. Horrific side effects as with Xarelto. I had days where I can't remember simple basic things, difficulty remembering family members' names. Am dizzy, nauseous, osteoarthritis, joint pain, ears ringing, complete loss of vision. Penile bleeding. Strange pimples. Horrific lack of energy. Chest pains and fluttering heart, feels like a heart attack. WEIGHT GAIN... I went from 150-165 average to becoming 210. But adding weight plus the inability to exercise and strengthen the body.. any mishap fall or jump or avoidance of sudden movement and you can be SEVERELY INJURED. As I lay here with a back injury also related to NEUROPATHY from Eliquis."

• Puc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 31, 2019

For Pulmonary Embolism "50 years old. Grade 3 tear to knee ligament. 2 x 13 cm blood clots in lower leg resulted in PE. 2 clots broke off into lungs. Tried Xarelto, Eliquis, Pradaxa, and currently on Warfarin. All the same side effects. Shocking joint and muscle pain at night. Wake through the night all seized up. Takes 5 mins to unseize myself and sit up. Mornings are the worst. Can't walk without crutches. Have a window of 7 hrs in the day where I'm almost normal. Still seize up if I'm sitting for an hour or so. It's been 3 months now and can't get answers from anyone. Doctor says need to be on anticoagulant for 6 months. I'm at a loss :-("

• Sep...
• September 28, 2017

For Deep Vein Thrombosis, Prophylaxis "Anyone who takes this drug should have their head examined. I plan to file a lawsuit for what this medicine did to me. Nausea, headache, bruising, stiff, painful joints, bleeding, and fatigue. You name it, this drug will do it to you. I quit this drug, and any doctor who suggests taking it again will get dismissed by me."

• Tor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 6, 2023

For Deep Vein Thrombosis "I was diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis this past summer in my lower calf muscle. No injury to the area, so it was labeled an unprovoked event. I started taking Eliquis at 10 mg twice a day for 7 days and then 5 mg twice a day until last week. I am waiting for the doctor's consultation about the results of the last ultrasound. There was a gradual increase in side effects severity. My blood pressure spiked from low 90's-100's to 150 last week. My heartbeat is steady at low 60's per minute but pounds in the chest. My muscle and joint pain has stopped my exercising, as it causes me to limp for days, and minor use of the arms causes rib cartilage and sternum pain. Constipation followed by diarrhea is on a 1-3 day cycle now. The anxiety started out rare to now almost a daily occurrence. The answer I got to these concerns last week from the doctors was to keep taking my full-dose pill or die from a heart attack or stroke. The doctors don't seem to listen to the patients."

• Tir...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 21, 2024

"I had one episode of A-Fib and ended up on Metoprolol and Eliquis. Paperwork supplied by the pharmacy said I should watch out for blood in urine. And it did appear... turned out I had a large kidney stone and had surgery for that. Then had surgery to remove diseased parathyroid... reason for kidney stone. Expected to start feeling better, but progressively got worse. I'm a healthy 69-year-old, but standing on my feet for too long was hard. Now, I have a knee that gets so sore and stiff I can barely get in or out of my car, I have trouble standing up from sitting, and have to stand and hold on for a minute to steady myself before walking... which I can only do slowly. I can barely go up and down stairs, and my washer/dryer are in the basement. I'm tired all the time - I can sit down and fall asleep for an hour or two or three. Fatigue, depression, sore joints, sore muscles, random pains, balance, no energy. I'm actually relieved to find a reason - apparently Eliquis side effects."

• Tor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 23, 2018

For Venous Thromboembolism "I've been using Eliquis for a month now, and it is horrible. I have tremors, headache, a lot of gas, body pain, and joint pain. I take it for the prevention of DVT. If the doctor doesn't find another way to treat me, I'll just have to change doctors because Eliquis side effects are bad, and they won't change it to something else. I think the doctor gets paid extra for prescribing this medicine because he is too obsessed with giving me this garbage."

• cow...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 9, 2022

For Pulmonary Embolism "I was put on Eliquis 5 mg twice per day. I weigh 120 lbs, and after reviewing the drug warnings, that is too much for my size. I am experiencing extreme muscle and joint pain to where I can barely stand up and walk and hair loss. I cut it back to 2.5 mg twice a day, and the pain is better but still there, and hair is still falling out. My doctor said those side effects were not part of Eliquis, but they definitely are for me."

• Pen...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 24, 2023

For Deep Vein Thrombosis "I have been taking Eliquis for more than 2 years now after being diagnosed with left leg DVT and PE. At first, it was okay, but after 6 months, I noticed joint pain and thought it was just plain arthritis. It started to get worse, and I can't sleep due to pain in my elbows, palms, knees, and pelvis. Due to Eliquis, I can only take Tylenol for pain. I went to the emergency in Oct 2021 due to this pain and was told I have polyarthralgia. My rheumatologist made me take a lot of blood tests, including rheumatoid factor and anti-nuclear antibody, but the results were all negative for autoimmune disease. Then last year, I started having chest pain and shortness of breath and also went to the emergency because of this. After all the tests, including echo and CT scan, they found my heart had no problems. My chest pain and some joint pain come and go, but my shortness of breath is frequent now. I asked my pulmonologist if I can reduce my dosage from 5 mg twice a day to 2.5 mg a day. I am a 63-year-old male."

• Kar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 1, 2024

For Prevention of Thromboembolism in Atrial Fibrillation "I started Eliquis two weeks before a cardiac ablation. After the ablation (three weeks ago), I began to have fatigue, shortness of breath, and muscle and joint pain. I stopped taking it yesterday to see if this was from the Eliquis."

• Fat...
• August 3, 2019

For Prevention of Thromboembolism in Atrial Fibrillation "Been on Eliquis for two years, no noticeable side effects besides slight knee joint pain. Prescribed 5 mg 2x day."

• BER...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 15, 2020

For Pulmonary Embolism "20 lb weight gain in 5 months, shortness of breath, tiredness, fatigue, muscle and joint pain."