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Near-Occlusion of Left Vertebral Artery & Looking For Advice
Heart & Blood Health | Last Active: Jun 27 10:35am | Replies (10)Comment receiving replies
Hi, im responding because we have similar circumstances. I am 44 and have a full occlusion in my left vertebral artery and I have had a stroke. I however am symptomatic. I have had my blood clot for almost 2.5 years. I went to my neuro doctor last Friday and he told me NO more eliquis. He said just aspirin and statin. He said the blood clot is staying put. They will absolutely not remove it because risk of it breaking off and traveling to smaller arteries in the brain and I have a high risk of brain bleed which can be fatal if the blood flow is restored. None of my doctors gave a prognosis of when or if I will have another stroke soon. My stroke happened almost 2.5 years ago. I thought that I had a dissection but, my doctors think it's from plaque. I think that it may have been a dissection given that the other vertebral artery right next to it is in perfect health and there are no abnormalities in the opposite artery. Also, I am very young to have what I've been told is extremely bad artery disease. My cholesterol levels at the time of my stroke were normal. Anyway, I guess I was told not to take eliquis mainly because of the risk of the blood clot dissolving and the risk of brain bleed if blood flow is restored to my brain because the brain has since adapted to the low flow of blood. I was explained that the brain tissue is not healthy anymore and would not be able to tolerate this sudden change.
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@schmidt1981 I'm so sorry to hear what you're going through, especially at your young age. I'm curious about why you were taking Eliquis? How did they determine you had a stroke 2.5 years ago? Was that just dx recently or when the stroke happened? Surprising that your cholesterol numbers were normal when you had the stroke. Sounds like you're getting really good medical care and I hope your med regimen keeps you stable long into the future.
Since I posted, I've been seen by a neuro/vascular doc. I had a brain MRI, which confirmed no abnormalities or strokes. In my case, the neuro doc said my vertebral artery has formed collateral blood flow around the blockage, which is robust. That's why I have no symptoms. I was told to keep taking Eliquis and a statin. Had I not been on Eliquis, I would've been on an aspirin + statin, just like you. If the MRI had shown evidence of a stroke, the neuro doc would've added Plavix. I'm just guessing they are keeping me on Eliquis to maintain the status quo, since my blood flow is not an issue & no abnormalities (clots, strokes) were found. But, I will ask my doc about it, so thank you for sharing that! I realize that every case is different. My stroke risk is still greater than someone who doesn't have a near-blocked artery, so I need to be on alert for any symptoms.
How often are you monitored? And, do you get an MRI, CT scan, sonogram?
I so appreciate your reply and sharing your experience. Wishing you all the best!