Question: After taking Eliquis for 21 days, 5mg twice per day, I have developed lightheadedness and on occasion

After taking Eliquis for 21 days, 5mg twice per day, I have developed lightheadedness and on occasion

I have no other side effects. I’m wondering if it’s safe to cut back to 2.5 mg twice per day instead of 5mg twice per day. Or even 2.5 and a baby aspirin. I want to get rid of the DVT but want to feel semi normal. Right now I’m afraid to drive.

I have no other side effects. I’m wondering if it’s safe to cut back to 2.5 mg twice per day instead of 5mg twice per day. Or even 2.5 and a baby aspirin. I want to get rid of the DVT but want to feel semi normal. Right now I’m afraid to drive.

I’m not sure why my first email was cut off. I’m between MD’s right now. I can’t get in to see the new Doctor until this Thursday.

I’m not sure why my first email was cut off. I’m between MD’s right now. I can’t get in to see the new Doctor until this Thursday.

All of the info was in the original email that some how only partially went through. I'm 73. I have no other medical issues. This all started on August 30th of this year. I have suffered with swallowing problems for several years due to Schatzkis (sp) Ring. I had a stomach virus that led to projectile vomiting that included blood in the vomit. The next day I had very tarry stool and ended up up an urgent care facility, who sent me to the emergency room. They doctors at the hospital thought I had a bleeding ulcer. 3 different doctors asked me why I was taking a daily baby aspirin. My reply was I just turned 73 and for the past 8 - 10 years I've taken it just for general concern about blood clots, stroke heart attack, etc. They all said to stop taking the baby aspirin. Which I did. After 2.5 days in the hospital they found that I had torn the ring and had bled into my stomach. It was healing but I did stop with the baby aspirin. I was scheduled to for a 2nd upper endoscopy on Oct. 1 to check the healing and to dilate the ring. A few days before that, my left calf began to feel tight. The night before the endoscopy, I woke up with pain in the left calf. I mentioned to the EI doctor that I had stopped with the baby aspirin and now I thought I had a blood clot. He said to start back with the baby aspirin tomorrow. Everything was great with the endoscopy but I ended up back at the urgent care that afternoon with the pain in my calf. They sent me to the Vascular lab at the hospital where blood clots were found in several veins in the left leg below the knee. They gave me a script for 1 month of Eloquis. I took 2 pills of 5mg each twice a day for one week and since have taken 1 pill of 5mg twice a day. On the 21st day of taking these I found that when I bent over I was very light headed and One time had "Room Spinning" dizziness. On Tuesday, I was laying on the bed propped up by pillows and had another bout of Room Spinning that lasted about 15 sec. followed by cold sweats. That night I woke up and rolled to lay flat n my back. Dizziness again and cold sweats. On the morning of the 23rd, I held off with the morning pill while I contacted the new doctor I was hoping to have as my general practitioner. I never got to talk to her because the receptionist said she had no opening until my appointment this coming Thursday and she couldn't advise me as I wasn't her official patient yet. That was last Friday. I missed that morning pill, and began to feel a bit less lightheaded and weak by evening when I did take the regular 5mg pill. Back to feeling bad. I know that Eloquis also comes in 2.5 mg strength, so on Saturday I cut the 5mg pills in half and took 2.5 mg morning and evening. Sunday morning I was feeling more normal and stayed with 2.5 mg. By Sunday afternoon, I was beginning to feel the tightness in my lower calf, where the gastroc, solius and achilles all kind of meet. Fearing another blood clot, I contacted you for advice and took the full 5 mg before bed. This morning the light headedness has returned and the calf now has a sore spot which I'm sure in the result of more clotting. I don't want to go the the Urgent Care because I will just see a Nurse Practitioner, who are very informed, but have to send me to the doctors at the hospital emergency room for official diagnosis and perscription. I don't want to go directly to the Emergency Room do to the crowded conditions and Covid. What do you suggest I do from now til my appointment on Thursday?

All of the info was in the original email that some how only partially went through. I'm 73. I have no other medical issues. This all started on August 30th of this year. I have suffered with swallowing problems for several years due to Schatzkis (sp) Ring. I had a stomach virus that led to projectile vomiting that included blood in the vomit. The next day I had very tarry stool and ended up up an urgent care facility, who sent me to the emergency room. They doctors at the hospital thought I had a bleeding ulcer. 3 different doctors asked me why I was taking a daily baby aspirin. My reply was I just turned 73 and for the past 8 - 10 years I've taken it just for general concern about blood clots, stroke heart attack, etc. They all said to stop taking the baby aspirin. Which I did. After 2.5 days in the hospital they found that I had torn the ring and had bled into my stomach. It was healing but I did stop with the baby aspirin. I was scheduled to for a 2nd upper endoscopy on Oct. 1 to check the healing and to dilate the ring. A few days before that, my left calf began to feel tight. The night before the endoscopy, I woke up with pain in the left calf. I mentioned to the EI doctor that I had stopped with the baby aspirin and now I thought I had a blood clot. He said to start back with the baby aspirin tomorrow. Everything was great with the endoscopy but I ended up back at the urgent care that afternoon with the pain in my calf. They sent me to the Vascular lab at the hospital where blood clots were found in several veins in the left leg below the knee. They gave me a script for 1 month of Eloquis. I took 2 pills of 5mg each twice a day for one week and since have taken 1 pill of 5mg twice a day. On the 21st day of taking these I found that when I bent over I was very light headed and One time had "Room Spinning" dizziness. On Tuesday, I was laying on the bed propped up by pillows and had another bout of Room Spinning that lasted about 15 sec. followed by cold sweats. That night I woke up and rolled to lay flat n my back. Dizziness again and cold sweats. On the morning of the 23rd, I held off with the morning pill while I contacted the new doctor I was hoping to have as my general practitioner. I never got to talk to her because the receptionist said she had no opening until my appointment this coming Thursday and she couldn't advise me as I wasn't her official patient yet. That was last Friday. I missed that morning pill, and began to feel a bit less lightheaded and weak by evening when I did take the regular 5mg pill. Back to feeling bad. I know that Eloquis also comes in 2.5 mg strength, so on Saturday I cut the 5mg pills in half and took 2.5 mg morning and evening. Sunday morning I was feeling more normal and stayed with 2.5 mg. By Sunday afternoon, I was beginning to feel the tightness in my lower calf, where the gastroc, solius and achilles all kind of meet. Fearing another blood clot, I contacted you for advice and took the full 5 mg before bed. This morning the light headedness has returned and the calf now has a sore spot which I'm sure in the result of more clotting. I don't want to go the the Urgent Care because I will just see a Nurse Practitioner, who are very informed, but have to send me to the doctors at the hospital emergency room for official diagnosis and perscription. I don't want to go directly to the Emergency Room do to the crowded conditions and Covid. What do you suggest I do from now til my appointment on Thursday?