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HELP with potentially wrong decision to start ELIQUIS! OUT OF TIME!
Heart & Blood Health | Last Active: Sep 18, 2018 | Replies (7)Comment receiving replies
Hi @yorlik. Glad to hear you got a new valve and are dealing with getting it to settle in for the long haul. Not sure I can be of great help, because I haven't faced a valve problem. Hypertension is one of my problems, too. A-fib and its related medications are familiar to me, and I can say a few things that may help you gain confidence in your medical care.
First of all, though, I want to share my basic principle for researching medical conditions, diagnoses, treatments, and after-care: What I learn from research is never the basis for me to make changes in my treatment or medication; what I learn is only good for identifying questions that I need to have answered by medical professionals in whom I have placed my trust. Sometimes that's a second or third doctor who makes me feel s/he cares enough to take the time to help me develop my confidence.
Because of A-fib, I'm on a "blood thinner" for good and sufficient reason. My irregular heart beats threatens formation of little blood clots. And just three months ago, a clot formed and blocked blood flow to a small area of my brain -- I suffered a "small stroke." This happened even though I was taking Coumadin "blood thinner" and probably because I drank a couple glasses of wine with dinner. My fault, not the medication's.
You said you don't want to trust Eliquis. Would you consider asking about Pradaxa? Maybe Coumadin, even though that requires regular blood tests to ensure the right dosages over time. I too take a beta blocker (Carvedilol) and a "water pill" (Amiloride) that preserves potassium. I had a bad experience with Lasix, because my kidney sloughs off potassium, and the Lasix made that worse. Did your doctor explain why you have both Lopressor and Cardura treating your high blood pressure?
Do I understand that you came home from the hospital two days ago? What are chances that you could have a discussion with your doctor soon about your concerns and your feelings of uncertainty?
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Thank you so much Martin. Your points are spot on. I too was just trying to educate myself because everything I have read and learned so far shouted NO NO NO!!
So I research, read, ask questions to my doctors, who now tell me they are too booked to even see me for 6 weeks after surgery! WTF? Everything said i should be seen 2-3 weeks after surgery. How can they do this to their patients? I thought they took an oath to help their patients before worrying about filling their pockets with money?
I explained my quandary to "my" cardiologist secretrary who answered the phone. She said she could not believe they sent me home with afib in full force or that they would give me a prescription for blood thinner! So she promised to ask the cardiologist... took the rest of the day, but at 4:45pm she called back and said she spoke with the cardiologist and he is ok with me starting elequist. (: I wonder if he even spent 30 seconds considering MY CASE. So depressinging...
OK, maybe he is right, so i put call into my surgeon - who was emphatic all along about me NOT being on blood thinners... Of course by now their office is closed. Called their answering service, got a PA to return my call. She too sounded confused with decisions beging made and promised to call surgeon himself and relay my concern... 30 minutes later she called back and gave me his reply: heis ok with my cardiologist' decision.
I feel let down. I now feel Doctors defend each other as police with their blue shield. I feel the emergency room let me down, I feel "my" cardiologist, who I saw once, doesn't care, and my surgeon just replies to cover everyone's arse..
Martin, I am curious why you have afib. My understanding was is a short term possible result of manhandling the heart in open heart surgery and thus should go away once the heart heals from it - or it is something that remains and the fix is a pacemaker. I do not understand why a peron would be allowed to just have afib and be given blood thinner to treat the symptom instead of fix the cause!
I am so sorry to hear about your TIA; I had a 5 minute no damage one 8 months ago, it was no fun. But to be able to place the potential blame on 2 glasses of wine along with your medication is very depressing... I enjoyed my beer. It was part of me. This future with no alcohol is 100% NOT for me.
I am depressed and giving up this morning. Now even my wife is mad at me for being short with her as she leaves for the pharmacy to get my crap. I am convinced I just lost my bid for any viable future and am being forced into an old frail man. No more beer every? Why the hell bother?