If and when your doctor recommends that you stop taking Eliquis, you can do so without tapering off the drug. This means you don’t need to lower your Eliquis dosage gradually when stopping treatment. (Stopping a drug without tapering off is sometimes referred to as “stopping cold turkey.”)However, stopping Eliquis before you’re supposed to can raise your risk of developing a blood clot. And if you have a type of irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation (AFib), stopping Eliquis can increase your risk of having a stroke. Eliquis has a boxed warning for this side effect. (To learn more, see the “FDA warnings” section at the beginning of this article.)Do not stop taking Eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. If you need to stop taking Eliquis, your doctor may have you take a different drug to prevent blood clots.Your doctor will explain if and when you should stop taking Eliquis. How long you take Eliquis depends on the reason you’re taking it. For example, Eliquis only needs to be taken for 12 days after a knee replacement, because after this the risk of a blood clot is much lower.However, when treating a DVT or PE, the length of treatment can vary depending on the likelihood that you’ll have another blood clot. And if you’re taking Eliquis to prevent blood clots and stroke because you have AFib, you’ll likely need to take it long term.Taking Eliquis can raise your risk of bleeding with certain surgical, medical, or dental procedures. To reduce your risk of bleeding, your doctor may recommend stopping Eliquis for a few days beforehand. If you’re planning to have a procedure, ask your doctor if you’ll need to stop taking Eliquis. Your doctor may have you take a different drug to prevent blood clots while you’re not taking Eliquis. And they’ll also tell you when to start taking Eliquis again.