Cardiologist suggests I can stop taking Eliquis. Any thoughts?

Sergio -- Wanted to expand on my previous response.

IF: you don't have symptoms with your afib (many of us don't even realize it when we're in it); AND your heart rate is within the normal range (60 to 90 bpm at rest); AND you tolerate well all your other daily activities; AND you have no other cardiac issues; THEN you can discuss with your EP not having an ablation. You WILL need to continue taking an anticoagulant.

FURTHER if your HR is higher than 90 at rest, your EP may prescribe a rate control med (often a beta blocker) to keep it below 90.

The above is what I've done since my Afib diagnosis at age 54. For the past 20 years, I've exercised regularly several times a week (weight training, jogging, walking, etc.), worked full-time (till retirement at 70), still sing / play in a Classic Rock band part-time, and do work around the house -- all without issues. I have no other cardiac or medical problem, including no hypertension, no diabetes, no kidney problems, excellent blood work labs (including cholesterol, triglycerides, etc.), BMI less than 22, and no stroke or TIA history.

I take atenolol (25 mg daily for rate control) and Eliquis (5 mg twice / day for anticoagulation). Know many people with Afib that follow a similar medical plan.

I get checked by my EP twice yearly. And I feel great!

Hope this helps.

/LarryG

i would continue on the blood thinner .as i am going to have an ablation but it will be my choice to stay on it . i am 75 , though the people who felt confident about not taking it the stroke they experienced convinced me to stay on it. though if i was pretty young then maybe i would take a chance.

Afib is an electrical problem. Your cardiologist is a plumber,. Your electrophysiologist is an electrician.

If a watchman fails, it means that it didn't prevent the stroke it was meant to prevent. I find that suggestion almost bizarre. I could see an appendage isolation procedure failing, but not the implantation of a watchman.

There is admittedly one remote possibility, and I have read that this happens very rarely: the watchman actually does not get adhered, or tissued, into the atrial endothelium as it is meant to do over a few months and to get lodged there permanently. If that happens, they try to re-apply it in place and hope it works this time.

this is so encouraging thankyou

This is encouraging to me also! I had a successful ablation last April and am still taking Eliquis and Carvedilol. I cut it down on my own but my electrophysiologist says I should wait an entire year. I don't understand why and why yours thinks differently. So confusing.

Don’t know the difference except I was pretty adamant that I wanted off the metoprolol because of horrible vivid dreams (I would wake up stressed out). I also stressed that I have a diet full of blood-thinning foods. Maybe because I’m a squeaky wheel or simply because different docs have different comfort levels. I am 63; I don’t know if that makes a difference, and my CHADvasc score is only 1 (for being female)

Your conversations about blood thinners have been very enlightening to me.. I had an ablation in April of 2022 and felt like I have not had an Afib incident again..I went to a lipid clinic yesterday where they were discussing my test results from extensive blood work and a calcium scoring CT scan. I wanted this information because my primary care wanted to put me on Rovustatin because "all people your age have blocked arteries". Anyway, I was asking about getting off of Eliquis because of a successful ablation and was told that I could still be having very short Afib incidents without knowing it. And that 5 seconds can cause a stroke. So my hope of getting off Eliquis has faded...as a side note, I do not have to go on a statin (yet) and have 6 months to bring my LDL down from 107 to below 100. I'm 69. Still curious about those who were able to stop blood thinners after an ablation. Thanks!

I am 78 years old. I had mitral valve repair and ablation about 8 months ago. I also had a left atrial appendage closure. About three months ago my cardiologist suggested that I wear a heart monitor for 30 days which showed that I was out of AFib. After that my cardiologist allowed me to be off of Eliquis which I have been for 3 months and I'm doing quite fine. I have had no afib incidents and I wear a Fitbit to check my heart rate a few times a day. I also take my blood pressure now and then which also shows that I'm doing quite well. Good luck to you.

Thank you! I'm going to ask for a heart monitor for 30 days and see what happens!