Apiban 2.5 is a medicine known as an anticoagulant or blood thinner. It helps prevent and treat blood clots. It is used to reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack. It prevents and treats clot formation in the veins of your legs, lungs, brain and heart. Apiban 2.5 is commonly used in patients with irregular heart rhythm (atrial fibrillation) to prevent clot formation. It also reduces the risk of getting clots in people who have undergone knee or hip replacement surgeries. It can be taken with or without food and it is best to take them at the same time each day. You may need to take this medicine for many years, even for life in some cases. Do not stop taking it or change the dose without guidance from your doctor. It could quickly put you more at risk of having a heart attack, stroke or thrombosis (formation of a blood clot within a blood vessel). You can reduce your risk of having a blood clot by making changes to your lifestyle, such as not smoking, eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise and losing weight if you need to. The most common side effect of Apiban 2.5 is bleeding more easily than normal, for example, having nosebleeds or bruising. If you experience any symptoms, tell your doctor immediately. Other side effects include low blood pressure, nausea, and skin rash. Do not take this medicine if you have severe kidney or liver problems, if you are currently bleeding or if you are taking other medicines to reduce blood clotting. You should not breastfeed while using this medicine. Unlike other anticoagulants, a regular blood test (PT-INR) is not required while taking this medicine.