Does anyone with AFIB NOT take blood thinners?

sal70, thanks for the reply. So now that you have that monitor, you have been off blood thinners for a long time... So the plan would seem to be if the monitor alerts the Dr you begin AFIB, they will "do something."

My question is: what is their "do something" plan? have they shared that with you?

- If they see 2 minutes of AFIB, will they call you and say get to ER right away?
- Will they call you and say get to drug store and pick up Xarelto ASAP and begin taking it?
- will they call you next Thursday and say make an appointment with your cardiologist at your convenience?

I have asked "how long does it take for a dangerous blood clot to develop after AFIB begins?" I have heard no replies. Seems to me these monitors cannot get INSTANT blood thinners into our bodies when a bout of AFIB starts unexpectedly...

So if Dr.s are happy with MONITORS like this to tell them AFIB is happening and I ASSUME contact you and say make a Dr.s appointment next week, that those of us with OCCASIONAL AFIB should be able to stop taking this $ 500/mo blood thinner and resume only when the occasional AFIB kicks in!

Meanwhile my lifestyle is hampered with worry of cutting myself, knowing for the next 3 months I don't have an AFIB attack! BeRGRSD##@!!$%%#!!

What do ya'll think?

I have often wondered the same things. Hope someone answers you.

Any one?

I was recently dx with A fib and the questions you present are the same as mine...

Perhaps no one knows how long these expensive blood thinners take to begin thinning blood? Scary thought...

I will start a new post on this subject...

......re blood thinners, if you google “How long does it take for a blood thinner to work”, you will have enough information to keep you reading for a long time....not saying it will make a decision for you....but does provide knowledge about drug actions and so forth. Like you, I don’t want to be on the medication unless it is a life saving issue. I am also trying to get enough information to make the decision.

I currently take Warafrin continually as I am in constant AFIB. I have had 3 Ablations and many times cardioverted finally after years of bouncing from tachycardia to bradycardia my EP implanted a pacemaker. I can't afford any of the designer blood thinners Xerelto or Elequis.

I tried for a Watchman but "flunked" because my LLA is a "chicken leg/wing" shape and Interventional Cardiologist would not place. There is another company who is working on a product that might work for my odd shaped LLA. Hoping so as I had a major stomach bleed 3 years ago ending up in the hospital for 6 days with 5-6 units of blood. At that time I was on Xerelto and gastro surgeon could not get the bleed to stop. With warafrin at least effects of blood thinning can be reversed fairly easily.

I'm sort of a mess. I have "heard" that most clots develop in the LLA and if you have a mis-shaped one like I do, the need for a blood thinner is not necessary. My EP or Interventional Cardiologist continue to advise I take the blood thinner.

Does anyone know of a reliable Doctor who will explain to me if my "chicken leg/wing" shaped LLA can protect me from throwing a clot while in Afib? And what the percentage of probability there is for not throwing a clot. I really need to be off warafrin.

Sometimes, apparently you don't know. I wore a monitor before my ablation and it showed 3 episodes, each at least 4+ hours long, of AFIB that I was totally unaware of. I've since had the ablation but am still in the "blanking" phase. My AFIB comes and goes but is nowhere as horrible as before the surgery and I'm trying to be positive that when the scar tissue is fully formed, I won't have episodes anymore. BUT...…..because of those few I had that I wasn't aware of, I will choose to stay on the Xarelto for the protection it offers. Aside from a bit of dizziness when I began the Xarelto 7 months ago, I don't have any horrible side effects. I DO have some other medical issues and live with chronic pain from psoriatic arthritis.....so maybe I'm just unaware of Xarelto side effects? What side effects are you having that make you so adamant that you won't go back on it? You've got me a bit concerned now.

My new cardiologist mentioned the Watchman implant but he did not go in any detail. I was in the hospital for 15 days when I had the cow valve surgery........reason.....I was allergic to Heparin and it took days for them to figure out the problem, became anemic after that . I have been on Xarelto and have had some horrible side effects. I was also on aspirin. I stopped the aspirin myself because of the constant bleeding of my gums every night...I know it was not the smartest thing to do but it took the cardiologist almost TWO weeks to respond and when he did he said to stop taking the aspirin but did not consider any other suggestions for the negative side effects from the Xarelto. I recently changed cardiologists and currently am on a fourteen day heart monitor. My last EKG was not good but he said it was perfect and my last echo doppler was great too.So, I don't understand when my tests are great why I need any blood thinner. Can you tell us more about the Watchman....how long in the hospital or outpatient, can the body reject it and ...well.....whatever you think would be helpful to know.

What blood thinners are u on. I have been on xeralto for 6 years. One must not take aspirin or another thinner. Only problems I have had were of my own making. I tripped and fell , opening a bump , no cut but had blood in my face for a week.
One thing with afib is to find the triggers for it. Mine are alcohol , caffine, working too long in the heat , getting upset or mad
Alcohol comes in many. Drinks- wine beer, mixed drinks,mouth wash(if u swollow a little , food like chicken marseille , I had an electric throw that sometimes did it. My pacemaker
Checkup people tell me I now get afib less than one percent of time of course 1 should have their cell phone in the area of it even if not in use, still has signal