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fondaparinux sodium - injection, Arixtra

GENERIC NAME: FONDAPARINUX SODIUM - INJECTION (fon-dah-PEAR-ih-nux)

BRAND NAME(S): Arixtra

Warning | Medication Uses | How To Use | Side Effects | Precautions | Drug Interactions | Overdose | Notes | Missed Dose | Storage

WARNING: Tell your doctor you use/have used fondaparinux before having any procedures involving puncture of the spine or needles left in the spine to give pain-blocking medication (including lumbar punctures, indwelling spinal/epidural catheters). Also, before starting fondaparinux, tell your doctor if you have had any of these procedures. Using this medication before/after these procedures has rarely caused severe bruising/bleeding in the area of the spine (epidural/spinal hematoma). This effect may cause paralysis that may be permanent. Discuss the risks and benefits of treatment with your doctor. Tell your doctor immediately if you have any of these serious side effects: back pain, tingling, weakness, numbness, or difficulty urinating. (See also Precautions section.)

This risk is increased the longer the needles are left in the spine or the more often these spinal puncture procedures are done. Using other "blood-thinning" or anti-platelet medications such as aspirin, clopidogrel, or warfarin, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or naproxen, also increases the risk. Do not stop taking any prescribed medication without first consulting your doctor. Your doctor will monitor you closely while you are using this medication.

USES: Fondaparinux is used to treat serious blood clots in the legs and/or lungs. It is usually used with another "blood thinner" medication (warfarin). If untreated, blood clots can travel to the lungs, heart, or brain, causing serious (possibly fatal) breathing problems, heart attack, or stroke. This drug may also be used to prevent blood clots after certain surgeries with an increased risk of blood clots (e.g., hip fracture, abdominal, knee/hip replacement).Fondaparinux is known as a "blood thinner" (anticoagulant). It is a drug similar to heparin that works by blocking certain natural substances in the blood that cause clotting.

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