1. < Heart Rhythm Conditions

Questions about Eliquis and Meds for Pain Relief

Posted by cece55 @cece55, Mar 2, 2019

I have a question for the group. I was diagnosed with AFib three months ago and after my first event I was put on a low dose aspirin along with my metoporal that I had been taking for a year. The dosage for the metoporal was 12.5 MG three times a day. After my second event of AFib six weeks ago, my electrophysiologist put me on Eliquis. The dosage is 5 MG twice a day. I felt fine for 4 weeks and then two weeks ago I started to have aching and stiffness in my lower back and hips. I might also add that I have very tight hips and lower back for years before this and have seen a physical therapist and added yoga and advil to my regimen. That seemed to give me a tolerance level over the years and I have been able to live with it.

Now...no advil allowed and I just saw a physical therapist again today who I will start working with next week. How do I know if I am having a reaction to the Eliquis or I am in a flare with my already tight hips and back? Is there a blood test to request? Possibly checking my liver and kidney function? The physical therapist also said I have osteo arthritis which could be contributing to this.

I am frustrated because I don't know how you tell the difference between a side effect and an existing condition that has worsened. I really don't want to chance going off the blood thinner....but what other way is there to tell?

Has anyone experienced this aching and does it finally go away if it is the Eliquis? I am not having any other problems with this drug except that there is not an over the counter medication for pain that you can take with it except Tylenol which has no effect on me.

Thank you for your input.
CeCe55

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Mentor
Dana, Volunteer Mentor | @danab | Mar 28, 2020
In reply to @jenniferhunter "@catmom777 Call Medicare and ask about billing. My mom is in on Medicare and also has..." + (show)
@jenniferhunter

@catmom777 Call Medicare and ask about billing. My mom is in on Medicare and also has a supplement insurance plan, and a prescription plan, so that pays everything with her medical bills. Medicare providers have to accept the rates that Medicare sets, and I don't think they are allowed to bill the patient. If there was anything else, the Bluecross plan picks it up. Medicare can answer.

Sleep apnea can be a big part of the issues and can contribute to heart disease, so I think you are right linking that to afib. You'll feel a lot better after you address that. A friend of mine had some anxiety being caused by sleep apnea because she was always in fight or flight mode all night when she stopped breathing. She said getting a CPAP machine made a huge difference. She had gone through a hospitalization when they had trouble figuring out what was wrong. Would it help to sleep only half reclined in a recliner until you can get to the cardiologist? It might keep your throat from closing off if you are not laying flat. That's a guess. I don't have sleep apnea.

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Yes i use a cpap and it does help. But also raising you head for now will help. A few times when i was in the hospital i didn't have my cpap with me and raising the end of the bed helped a lot i tried the hospital version of cpap but it never worked for me. If i know i may end up staying i always pack it now with me now

REPLY
1 reply
catmom777 | @catmom777 | Mar 28, 2020
In reply to @danab "Yes i use a cpap and it does help. But also raising you head for now..." + (show)
@danab

Yes i use a cpap and it does help. But also raising you head for now will help. A few times when i was in the hospital i didn't have my cpap with me and raising the end of the bed helped a lot i tried the hospital version of cpap but it never worked for me. If i know i may end up staying i always pack it now with me now

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I hardly ever choke in my sleep, but when I do, it wakes me up, BUT, I got a fitbit and it looks like I'm awake a couple hours in the night & didn't know it, so I wonder if I wake up because I quit breathing. No wonder I'm tired every day. My cardiologist appointment is in about 16 days and I'll bring that up. I suspect I'll be doing a sleep study. But, I have been doing a lot of internet research, and it turns out that even moderate drinking increases afib risk. I thought I was OK with having 1.5 glasses of wine a night (8-10 oz) but no--not OK. Now I can never drink again, so I fixed that good, didn't I? I liked wine. I also liked coffee. Now both are off limits thanks to my being clueless.

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yorlik | @yorlik | Mar 28, 2020
In reply to @catmom777 "I had some side effects with Xarelto, so the doc put me on Eliquis, but now..." + (show)
@catmom777

I had some side effects with Xarelto, so the doc put me on Eliquis, but now I'm feeling dizzy on this too. At least I think it's the Eliquis. It's kind of like a trap. I am supposed to take it for my afib, and I can't go off it because I might get a blood clot if I do, so I keep taking it. I've been taking it for five days now. The first couple days I felt no effects. It was the same way with Xarelto. I was fine for a couple days, then started feeling very dizzy and had some eye issues too.

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Wow catmom777; no more wine? no more coffee? I suspect if you search enough you should find just as many studies calling that BS!

Of course we are all individuals with individual metabolisms. So there are likely people who cafein or alcohol will effect in a negative way and maybe cause more AFIB. Just like some people I know who drank 2 CASES of beer EVERYDAY for 40 years and NEVER had any liver problems! Different stroke for different folks

Personally I went thru this same phase you are at now, after my valve replacement and being put on blood thinners. I researched it - why bother if I cannot have my beloved beer? Well, MY research showed that alcohol is NOT a big bad thing. I asked my cardiologist and on two different visits his various super nurses: ALL said no problem to alcohol. I said what about 3-4 beers a day? Answer: no problem. Based on my experience now since Nov. 2018 open heart surgery, they are correct.

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catmom777 | @catmom777 | Mar 28, 2020
In reply to @catmom777 "I had some side effects with Xarelto, so the doc put me on Eliquis, but now..." + (show)
@catmom777

I had some side effects with Xarelto, so the doc put me on Eliquis, but now I'm feeling dizzy on this too. At least I think it's the Eliquis. It's kind of like a trap. I am supposed to take it for my afib, and I can't go off it because I might get a blood clot if I do, so I keep taking it. I've been taking it for five days now. The first couple days I felt no effects. It was the same way with Xarelto. I was fine for a couple days, then started feeling very dizzy and had some eye issues too.

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I'm too scared to drink any more alcohol. I used to love margueritas too. There are some real good ones here in real Mexican restaurants. I suspect that at family reunions I'll have a sip or two of wine. Some people in my family are big wine drinkers, and they do fine. They drink a lot more than I do and have never had any issues. I suspect though that the real reason for my afib is lung issues. My lungs have been through the wringer. My dad was a smoker and so were most of his friends so I grew up in a cloud of smoke. Then I lived with smokers on & off, and battled occasional long bouts with bronchitis, and then four years ago I got bad smoke inhalation. I thought I got over that but a year ago got sick and got bronchitis again and have been coughing on & off since. I have a smoker's cough. Also, I think I might have sleep apnea. This morning I had just woken up and suddenly was gasping for breath. That happens every now & then, not frequent that wakes me up, but I wonder if I quit breathing in the middle of the night sometimes. A few days ago I woke up at about 3:15 am with my heart pounding. My heart rate was 152 and it kept going up. Finally when it reached 181 bpm I called the paramedics. They came and sat with me until my heart rate went down to between 80 - 110 because I didn't want to go back to the ER for the 5th time in three weeks. It's a puzzle. Hopefully the cardiologist will help me figure it out.

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nene22 | @nene22 | Mar 28, 2020
In reply to @nene22 "My heart doctor said I had Afib and put me on Multaq even though I had..." + (show)
@nene22

My heart doctor said I had Afib and put me on Multaq even though I had CKD (about 40% of my kidneys). Within a week I had an appt. with my GYN doctor and she did a blood test. They found that my kidney function was down to 23%!!!! I stopped the Multaq right away and they said my kidney function should go back up. Last time I had it checked it was only 28%. I have had another test done but don't have the results yet. The doctor has me on Eliquis (2.5mg. twice a day and I haven't had any bad results from it. Just a warning-if you have CKD think twice before taking Multag.

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My kidney function has come back up to 39% so I am happy about that. I saw my heart doctor last week and he told me if I can lose a little weight (I am 5' 1" and weigh 138), exercise more and watch my intake of salt, sugar and carbs that I could bring my BP down naturally. I am going to try those things. I did some yard work yesterday and brought my BP way down. I do eat a lot of sweets and, when I go out to eat, I usually eat a LOT of bread.

REPLY
spudmato | @spudmato | Mar 28, 2020
In reply to @catmom777 "I had some side effects with Xarelto, so the doc put me on Eliquis, but now..." + (show)
@catmom777

I had some side effects with Xarelto, so the doc put me on Eliquis, but now I'm feeling dizzy on this too. At least I think it's the Eliquis. It's kind of like a trap. I am supposed to take it for my afib, and I can't go off it because I might get a blood clot if I do, so I keep taking it. I've been taking it for five days now. The first couple days I felt no effects. It was the same way with Xarelto. I was fine for a couple days, then started feeling very dizzy and had some eye issues too.

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I doubt that it is the Eliquis - I've been on it for some time, and have suffered from dizziness too, but the dizziness was due to low blood pressure and/or poor hydration. I have been careful to drink more water. Good luck.

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1 reply
catmom777 | @catmom777 | Mar 28, 2020
In reply to @spudmato "I doubt that it is the Eliquis - I've been on it for some time, and..." + (show)
@spudmato

I doubt that it is the Eliquis - I've been on it for some time, and have suffered from dizziness too, but the dizziness was due to low blood pressure and/or poor hydration. I have been careful to drink more water. Good luck.

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What I thought was a reaction to blood thinners turned out to be low sodium (127) after over-hydrating. The docs said to hydrate, so I did, and wound up in the hospital. Moderation in all things as they say.

REPLY
nene22 | @nene22 | Mar 28, 2020
In reply to @nene22 "My heart doctor said I had Afib and put me on Multaq even though I had..." + (show)
@nene22

My heart doctor said I had Afib and put me on Multaq even though I had CKD (about 40% of my kidneys). Within a week I had an appt. with my GYN doctor and she did a blood test. They found that my kidney function was down to 23%!!!! I stopped the Multaq right away and they said my kidney function should go back up. Last time I had it checked it was only 28%. I have had another test done but don't have the results yet. The doctor has me on Eliquis (2.5mg. twice a day and I haven't had any bad results from it. Just a warning-if you have CKD think twice before taking Multag.

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My kidney function now is 39%.

REPLY
nene22 | @nene22 | Mar 28, 2020
In reply to @catmom777 "Sometimes I forget to take my Eliquis and Diltiazem at the right time, close to the..." + (show)
@catmom777

Sometimes I forget to take my Eliquis and Diltiazem at the right time, close to the twelve hours after my dose. Can anyone tell me how big a deal that is? Like last night I took them both at 7:30. I have an alarm that goes off to remind me in case I forget. But, this morning I didn't remember until about 8:45 am. Will this create further problems for me? Thanks.

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That happens to me all the time. Don't know how it affects me though.

REPLY
catmom777 | @catmom777 | Mar 28, 2020

Sometimes I forget to take my Eliquis and Diltiazem at the right time, close to the twelve hours after my dose. Can anyone tell me how big a deal that is? Like last night I took them both at 7:30. I have an alarm that goes off to remind me in case I forget. But, this morning I didn't remember until about 8:45 am. Will this create further problems for me? Thanks.

REPLY
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