After my first ablation, six months of no return of the AFib including 30 days of heart monitoring, I was off both Pradaxa and Sotolol. Ten years later I had my second ablation done in 2021 and was all set to get off the Sotolol and Eliquis. At my first checkup I was told that I no longer needed to take the Sotolol but I should take the Eliquis the rest of my life because of my age (73 at that time). I took the Eliquis twice a day for 2 more years dealing with bone, joint, and muscle pain daily which I finally discovered could be a side effect of the Eliquis. I was told that that was not a side effect of Eliquis so it couldn’t be the Eliquis. I finally convinced my cardiologist that I was not going to continue the Eliquis so he agreed to do a Holter monitor and I had no AFib during the wearing of the monitor so I now take a baby aspirin twice a day. I have always been able to feel when my AFib begins and I do check for it with a Kardia device if I feel even a little bit like I might be in AFib. So far it has not reoccurred. Within a week of quitting the Eliquis my daily bouts of bone, joint and muscle pain were gone. (Of course at 76 I still experience some of that from time to time but not the intensity I felt every day on the Eliquis). I do plan to have the Watchman implant eventually as an added precaution against stroke. I have found that doctors do push you to take prescription medications. So you do need to be your own advocate about what you can tolerate. I have refused to take cholesterol drugs because after ablations, angiograms, and other tests, I have never been told my arteries are bad and my cardiologists have agreed. Quality of life is more precious to me than length of life. Listen to your doctors but advocate for what your knowledge of yourself tells you. Ask questions, know what side effects drugs can cause, if possible do your own research into treatments so you have the information to make the best decisions for you. But be aware of the consequences of your choices and your responsibility for them.