u/SnooSeagulls9376

So I had Fresca a couple of times while I was at my daughter’s house and I didn’t think about that interaction between grapefruit and Xarelto. When we realized it, I stopped drinking it, but is there any repercussions my having drunk grapefruit sodas? How serious is the reaction or how much grapefruit do you need to cause it? Is it OK for me to occasionally have one Fresca or grapefruit soda? Do I need to be reading labels for grapefruit in other products? And are any other citrus fruits—pomelos, tangerines, lemons, etc.—potential cause for interaction/interference with Xarelto?

I did Google it, but couldn’t find anything except a warning that you shouldn’t consume any at all. It doesn’t talk about what happens if you already did it without realizing it was grapefruit.

Thank you for your help.

This is a little convoluted because I have lots of medical issues.

So New Year’s Eve I got diagnosed with an upper arm DVT, which has been shrinking with the aid of Xarelto for the last six months. I have an ultrasound actually scheduled for next week.

I have lots of other conditions including joint problems, and MPN (chronic blood cancer, where my platelets are produced willy-nilly, currently under control, but never will go away). Anyway this DVT may have been provoked because it occurred shortly after an iron infusion and the iron infusion did hurt. The only symptom that I felt with my current DVT was that I had pain similar to, and in the same location as golfers’ elbow. No swelling or redness, although I did have the pain directly after and during the infusion.

So the other day my daughter helped me up from a low stool, which I shouldn’t have been on to be honest, and I didn’t correct her when she hauled up on my other elbow. Usually, I put my hand on somebody’s forearm and pull myself up. (I actually did this with the DVT arm, and she used her other arm on the back of my arm and elbow.) I do frequently have people help me up because I wear knee braces due to a kneecap which constantly dislocates and arthritis – hopefully I’m on the way to get any replacement because the specialist who sees complicated patients thought he could help!!

Anyway, my elbows typically ache and definitely experience sometimes sharp pain when I press on them, because of fibromyalgia. With the first DVT, it was my worst pain over my whole body, which is not good.

I ended up with a small bruise on the back of my elbow. But the elbow itself is really hurting. It’s not as bad as after the iron infusion. Now do any of these injuries or other things that might cause bruising externally also predispose me to a DVT in that area? Should I mention that injury to the vascular ultrasound or my hematologist or should I simply wait for it to heal, thinking that maybe the Xarelto would take care of it if it was a problem?