Does anyone with AFIB NOT take blood thinners?

So, you are saying a clot could form elsewhere in the body and move to the heart, even with the implanted watchman?

From what I've read, the Watchman will protect your HEART from clots, but drugs like Xarelto prevent clots from forming anywhere in your body. I've been on Xarelto for one year now and have had no bad side effects, so I'm opting for "total body" clot protection. There are so many things to consider when we're faced with anti-coagulation therapy. Do your homework and don't let anyone talk you into something because they get a bigger kick-back from the company but leaves YOU at risk. Sometimes there are no "do-overs" for people like us. I wish you the best. I wish ALL of the best!

Also I've had Warfarin for almost 5 years. No problem at all, since I'm willing to watch my diet. I don't want to have a stroke!!! None of us do!

Soph, none of us WANT a stroke.

4 months ago, while still on Xarelto, I had a piece of firewood I was cutting simply kick back into my leg just below my knee. It immediately began to turn blue and puff out. I went back home from the woods as I was not sure if the 2" bump after a minute would continue to bleed internally and if I would need to call 911... (it stopped at 2" bump but took over a month to go away).

Last week I was smashing 4 bags of dried portland cement with a hammer and missed; smashed my thumb. In a couple minutes it was an inch out and blue. Luckily I had decided to STOP xarelto the week before! I am sure if I was still on xarelto I would have had to go to the emergency room instead of having the blister stop at 1" bubble.

I started this thread back when I had a bout of Afib in February. I since learned from xcarelto that their product is at FULL STRENGTH in blood stream in a couple hours or taking the first pill! It takes a few days to peter out and stop thinning blood when stopped. I do not know why it took a week and what appears to be a thousand phone calls to get those answers! Anyway, I quit my blood thinner a couple weeks ago for 2 reasons: 1) I hit the 'donut hole' on insurance and cost would be again $ 400/month if I got a refill, and 2) I had no known Afib spell since February.

I could always tell when my Afib started. I confirmed it with one of the zillion FREE smart phone apps that plot your heartrate. These apps work on ALL smart phones - just download one and try it. It uses the built in phone camera: turns on that brite lite, you put your finger over it/lens and it illuminates your finger red and counts pulses. Most free apps also PLOT each pulse, so you can watch the pulse, the backstep, and see easily if Afib is happening or if the pulses are all consistent and none missing. When I had Afib, these programs could not even figure out the 140+ pulse/min rate and clearly showed the missing pulses in between. Anyone with Afib should not leave home without one of these free programs on their phone. I check my pulse on it 3-4 times a day...

Ruby, but what is Afib? Isn't it irregular beat that let's blood sit in the upper chamber behind the valve and not move often, potentially cloting, causing a clot. So Afib clots are always right there in the heart; no need for 'whole body clot' protection,, no?

And unless I misread what watchman does, it does NOT prevent clots - it simply ALERTS your doctor if one might (or does?) happen! It is just a MONITOR thing is it not? It does NOTHING active to eliminate clots. Am I wrong?

One reason I stay with the old-fashioned Warfarin is that it is very, very cheap, less than $5/month.
I'm not sure, but I think it is fast to leave your system when you stop taking it. Better check this.

yorlik…...All I know, and that isn't much, is that the Watchman "alerts" doctors that something is going on, which to my way of thinking is that if it's something bad, you then have to call 911 or get to the ER. Drugs like Xarelto are anti-coagulants which stop your blood from clotting in the first place, which is why they have to have an antidote. So what you said about there "always" being a clot in your heart, I don't think that's right. The Xarelto would not let a clot form no matter how long blood sat in a chamber of your heart. I GIVE UP. My cardiologist and the EP who did my ablation both said "Xarelto" will prevent my blood from clotting....they did not say "just in your heart." I will clarify this at my next appointment. Seeds of doubt...…...

TO EVERYONE I AM ON ZARELTO HAVE BEEN FOR 2 YEARS HAD NO PROBLEMS AND BY WHAT MY SPECIALIST SAYS ITS GOOD AND I AM NOT COMING OFF IT. NO BLOOD CLOTS FOR ME. OF COURSE IT EVERYONES OWN DECISION WHAT THEY DO. I AM SPEAKING FOR MYSELF GOOD LUCK 😉

Hi Rubywitch67, You said "So what you said about there "always" being a clot in your heart, I don't think that's right. The Xarelto would not let a clot form no matter how long blood sat in a chamber of your heart." I am sorry my comment was confusing: I agree totally - that is what the blood thinner is for, to prevent a clot from forming. The fact is though, that if a clot is going to form in a person with Afib, it will form in the upper chamber of their heart that is spasming and not pumping all the blood out of it. THAT is where and why a clot will form. You and I are no more at risk of forming a clot in our leg or elsewhere than anyone else - our uniqueness is that the blood can stagnate and sit in the heart long enough to clot due to Afib not moving it. Once formed, of course the issue is that it then gets shoved somewhere else and can cause a stroke. The fact that the blood thinner prevents clots from forming EVERYWHERE in one's body is irrelevant because the exact location where it will form is in the heart. Sorry for my confusion.

You said "My cardiologist and the EP who did my ablation both said "Xarelto" will prevent my blood from clotting….they did not say "just in your heart." I will clarify this at my next appointment. Seeds of doubt" Seeds of doubt causing us to ask the doc more questions to better understand all we can about our medicine is a good thing! Hope this helps you get good answers from your doc at next appointment. I would like to hear back what he says! Thank you.