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Cardiologist suggests I can stop taking Eliquis. Any thoughts?
Heart Rhythm Conditions | Last Active: May 1 8:17am | Replies (115)Comment receiving replies
Hi, @rubywatch67. Two quick points in response before I run off and pick up our dinner at a drive-in and bring it home. First, I am familiar with Andexxa and Praxbind, but both of them encountered problems that delayed their release by the FDA for some time. If they are now fully approved and recommended by the FDA, that's good for everybody else to know. Second, I don't find Andexxa to be readily available. Last November, for example, I was in two hospitals in connection with a hypertension emergency, and as is my custom, I asked about the availability of Vitamin K and Andexxa. The Andexxa was not in the ready supply of either hospital. The Vitamin K solution was available in both. I am especially careful about this since my friend died of a hemorrhagic stroke four years ago because the hospital to which the ambulance took him following an accident had no Vitamin K on hand. I don't find it difficult to deal with foods (mostly vegetables) that provide Vitamin K in various amounts, because I have several years experience in consuming vegetables in fixed amounts and of regular types. Using a common diet, I achieve successful anticoagulation by minor modification of the doses of Vitamin K that I take. Your suggestion that patients needing anticoagulation medications are doomed to extreme complications if they choose Coumadin is overwrought. It is good, though, that they may find comfort in learning from you what questions they should ask when deciding on a medication. Martin
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Hi Martin! Considering how highly I hold your experience and advice, I was a bit upset by your reply to MY personal opinion of Coumadin and why I chose, personally, not to use it. I DID make a list of a few foods that would need to be eaten with some caution due to their higher Vitamin K content. I included that list because when I was discussing MY choices for an anticoagulant with my cardiologist, he gave me this list and it was a surprise to me! I posted that list for people, who like me, were faced with choosing an anticoagulant for the first time. I didn't, in any way, allude the choice of Coumadin spelled DOOM! For you to write that "Your suggestion that patients needing anticoagulation medications ARE DOOMED TO EXTREME COMPLICATIONS IF THEY CHOOSE COUMADIN IS OVERWROUGHT." That statement goes a LONG way over the line of what I actually DID say. I know you have been on Coumadin for a long time now, as have a number of my friends. A couple whom said it DID take them awhile to get comfortable with the changes in diet and the monthly trip to the clinic for level checks. But they, AND you, made those adjustments and are very happy with the results. The high availability of an antidote was, for my friends, a real selling point as some of the new anticoagulants were still working on antidotes, and yes, there WERE some hitches along the road to FDA approval for those antidotes. I have no doubt you are now aware that FDA approved antidotes are readily available for all the "new" anticoagulants on the market. I wish you had included my final opinion which said: "I believe ALL the anticoagulant choices are good and safe and it comes down to personal preference. And you can always change if your choice is not working well for you."
Linda