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Anyone with occasional Afib NOT on a blood thinner?
Seems a gray area exists between constant Afib and no Afib: What about those with occasional Afib?
1) A couple of hours long, once every 3 months?
2) A couple days long, once every 3 months?
I am curious how folks with occasional Afib handle the blood thinner question? Personally, I talked my cardiologist (replacement cow valve) 2 years ago into letting me stop blood thinners due to going almost a year w/o an Afib episode, the ridiculously high cost, and my woodshop/powerTools/chainsaw/woodCutting/mechanical lifestyle.
Along same lines, anyone know of natural blood thinners that could be used for occasional episodes?
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I got the same recommendation for 4 years and resisted. Then I saw a cardiologist who told me with afib that infrequently, I don't need a blood thinner. Now my original doc agrees and admits they "overmedicate." If you have an episode, they can check for a clot with an echocardiogram before you leave the hospital. Why would you have a device put in your heart if it has been a year since you had fib? Are you over 75? What are your CHADS scores? (there are two kinds of CHADS)?
Warfarin and other blood thinners certainly have side effects: like bleeding! I take care of my elderly mother who is on Warfarin.
What are Chad scores? I may go into Afib at night as I have sleep apnea and I dont use anything but a mouth guard for snoring. Thank you for the information. I did some side effects that I no longer have since being on Eliquis.
Just google CHADS scores: https://www.emedicinehealth.com/what_does_chads_score_mean/article_em.htm#:~:text=What%20Is%20a%20CHADS%20Score%3F%20A%20CHADS%20or,having%20a%20stroke%20secondary%20to%20atrial%20fibrillation%20%28AFib%29.
I did complain about the albuterol being prescribed through the hospital advocacy and was told that they couldn't find sufficient evidence for malpractice. I also take magnesium; 400mg every night. I like your idea about taking the low sodium V-8 for potassium. I've been trying to eat a banana every morning, but I'm not a big fan of bananas; they need to be under ripe for me to eat. So that means only buying a couple at a time. Too many trips to the grocery store in a week. Thank you for your response.
Because of frequent falls starting in 2013 (>12), a loop recorder was implanted which detected both A fib in daytime and tachycardia at night. I was unaware of these events, completely asymptomatic. Recorder was removed in 2018, battery expired. I take 50 mg of losartan at bedtime for my BP. My Cleveland Clinic cardiologist retired, not long after saying “a pacemaker was perhaps on the not too far horizon.” In the meantime, I was widowed, moved, and began eating differently (mostly lacto-ovarian diet), exercising. I see a local cardiologist, but he seems to think I’m doing fine.
Your thoughts?
I just read a study that supported what I have been asking for for years: short term anticoagulation after an episode of afib for those who only have it once or a few times a year. The study also said there is an overreliance on Chads2 scores and that more people are on anticoagulants than actually need it, with the possible risk of brain bleed. I also think echos after an episode are a good idea. I have declined anticoagulation for 7 years now but when in hospital always ask if I can just have short term, hoping that may now happen at some point.
I am not on blood thinners. I do take one baby aspirin daily. I rarely get A/fib and have not been able to connect it to anything specific that I do, pr that I eat or drink. It doesn't last very long when I have it, but I do get it. I see my cardiologist once a year. I refuse to take blood thinners. I saw what they did to my father. I am not on any medication at all except for a low dosage blood pressure pill.
My docs say aspirin is no longer viewed as helpful for afib and it was recently announced that preventative low dose aspirin for heart attack and stroke is no longer recommended due to risks exceeding benefit.
I'm not on a blood thinner, though given a prescription. I am using fish oil and other supplements that supposedly thin the blood. Does anyone know if Mayo treats for Roemheld Syndrome? (Afib brought on by gastric stress0
Two vitamins I take had to be stopped three days before my Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm was repaired. When I asked the in-house pharmacist why, he said they are a natural blood thinner and could make my blood to thin for the procedure and cause a bleeding problem. The vitamins were vitamin E and Beta Carotene. You could talk to your pharmacist and see if there are other ones and then ask your doctor if you could take them safely.