AFib - Question about blood thinners

I had A-fib for the first time this past February. I was told by cardiologist that he could put me on blood thinners, but I'm not ready to. Sound too scary to me. I'm thinking the reason that A-fib came about with me; is because I wasn't being active enough. I had severe sciatic problem for a few months. I put on alot of weight fast; which for me my body wasn't use to and wasn't getting sufficient exercise. My diet wasn't great either; too much sugar for sure was my go to foods. I'm still taking the blood pressure medication, but quit taking cholesterol medication. Cutting out as much sugar as I can. Basically desserts and donuts, cookies and such. I've had other health issues and is still ongoing with them; so I still need to get more active when I'm able to.

My cardiologist gave me the OK to stop Eliquist.

I could not get my cardiologists office to call me back, so I weaned myself off, every other day for 2 weeks, then 3/2 x's a day for another week. So far I have been doing very well, actually my arm/feet itching has stopped almost entirely. and sweating has been down to a minimum, as far as side effects. I did get another consultation from another cardiologist and he stated I should still be on a blood thinner however. I see my doctor in Dec. Not sure what will happen.

Was just reading a story from a Medscape article about CVS Caremark removing Eliquis from it's list of provided drugs. Wondering how this would effect current users of Eliquis of which I am one.

If you have had only one episode that ended fairly quickly, you most likely do not need blood thinners yet. You can look up the Chads2 scoring but even if you are a 3, I would think on discrete episode would not mean anticoagulation,

I hate to sound like a commercial, but I think Eliquis has been saving my life. I had 3 of 5 AFib symptoms and was advised to go on Eliquis, but smart me said no. I didn’t have it often so why take a pill every day. Ha. I had a stroke. Ischemic that became hemorrhagic thanks to medical screw ups. Overall all I was lucky. A few memory issues and balance problems. Eliquis twice every day with no discernible side effects. It beats another stroke any day.

4-1/2 years after having very high heart rate I was admitted to our local hospital. Their Hospitalist put me on Eliquis. My Cardiologist kept me on it through having an Ablation and a loop recorder implant within 3 months of my hospital stay. The loop recorder said I had MINIMAL Afib (less that 0.5%) during its battery life. Neither my Primary from 2017 to 2020, nor my Cardiologist from 2017 - 2022, nor my new Primary from 2021 - now made a connection between leg weakness that began just a month after starting Eliquis ... to the point where I had to be wheel-chaired through any 1/4 mile walk or more. It wasn't until I visited my Chiropractor in mid-December 2021 and told him I had weak legs that HE MADE THE CONNECTION!

He asked two questions: "Are you on a Statin?" [NO] and "Are you on Eliquis?" [YES] He had his assistant print off info from the manufacturers' website and then pointed me to the specific Bristol-Meyers Squibb website that listed my issue: a rare but severe side effect! Talked with my Cardiologist, discussed my minimal Afib, and got his OK to stop the Eliquis. Did exactly that December 23, 2021 and by January 1, 2022 was able to walk a continuous mile without stopping. Being off Eliquis for a week has made a MAJOR difference in my legs. If only the connection had been made 4 years ago, my wife could have avoided pushing me around zoos, ice sculptures, and the Kennedy Space Center among other places! Who-da-thunk it would be a Chiropractor who made the connection!

I am sorry for your stroke and glad for any recovery that has been possible. Noone can tell us how long an afib episode has to be to pose a danger, but I read recently that research has shown that after 5.5 hours, a new approach would be short-term, one-month of anticoagulation. I have asked for this over the years. In my case, I always feel afib (and end up in ER due to tachycardia that comes with it) and monitors over 30 days have not shown any afib. Blood thinners pose risks too. I wonder if you had either silent afib or an episode that lasted too long, before the stroke. Glad you are doing well on Eliquia. Your story is what scares me, but so far blood thinners scare me more.

I almost always knew when I had it because it was usually accompanied by tachycardia. My electrophysiologist said the rapid heart beat and fibrillation made it more likely to throw a clot. It lasted various times. He implanted a loop recorder and they monitored my heart. They warned me to go to the ER and I had a pacemaker. Given the progression of the AFib I’m glad I’m on the Eliquis. It has side effects (my bruised arms can testify!), but I prefer them to the alternative.

I would really like to know the various times your afib/tachycardia lasted. It is possible I am undertreated.