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Cardiologist suggests I can stop taking Eliquis. Any thoughts?
I have been on Eliquis for about 2 years now for afib. I had a successful ablation at Mayo in Rochester in August 2019 and have had no afib incidents that I’m aware of since that time. I track my pulse with my iwatch and regularly track my blood pressure. Both are fine. I’ve been of the understanding that I need to take Eliquis for the rest of my life, however, my cardiologist in Florida has suggested that I could stop taking the Eliquis. Has anyone had a similar situation or has stopped Eliquis because of a successful ablation?
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My new cardiologist put me on eliquis about three months ago but I can not afford it, about $800 a month. I have high blood pressure and am treated with Losartan, to good effect. Ablation has successfully taken care of my afib problem. My problem relates to my bladder cancer, which has returned. I noticed blood coming out of my penis today, was cystoscoped last Friday. I stopped the eliquis on my own today, the cancer and bleeding situation outweighing any heart or stroke concerns at the moment. Can I dead stop this drug without hurting myself? I know it has a boxed warning but I assume the risks are somewhat magnified.
Hi Azu,
No one on this site can dispense medical advice, but we can share our own experiences.
You certainly have a lot going on, medically. I can’t speak to the cancer issue, but as to the Eliquis…. it’s important to gauge your stroke risk. Do you know your CHA2DS2-VASc score?
How long has it been since your ablation? Are you being monitored for any arrhythmias?
My EP green lighted my going off Eliquis despite the fact I am female, have a score of “2” and had several instances of non-sustained arrhythmias several months post-RF catheter ablation for AF. (I have an implantable loop monitor is why.) I too was initially hesitant about stopping the Eliquis cold turkey, concerned about an increased risk of stroke. My EP felt that was not a real issue for me. But this needs to be a frank discussion between you and your EP, with input from your oncologist. It’s never a good idea to peremptorily discontinue a medication without proper oversight.
You may be creating a whole host of new problems for yourself!
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2 ReactionsLess expensive Eliquis:
Maple Leaf Meds
https://www.mapleleafmeds.com
800-998-4016
It takes about six weeks to get it.
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1 ReactionBe careful in stopping Eliquis. Just because a person has not noticed an AFIB episode for a long period of time post-ablation does not necessarily mean they have not had AFIB episodes. Many AFIB episodes can be without symptoms and go unnoticed.
Most of my episodes are symptomatic, but some are asymptomatic and only get picked up on my Apple Watch 8. The Apple Watch gives me a high heart rate notification so then I use it to take an ECG and it shows I’m in AFIB. I confirm it with my AliveCor Kardia Card which also shows AFIB even though I have no symptoms. Clots can start to form in a very short period of time which puts a person at risk of a stroke.
Sure, Eliquis has its risks too and it’s expensive. Even though my ablation was considered successful, I’ll take the risk of continuing Eliquis to have a better chance of not having stroke.
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3 ReactionsI just replied to you in my post of Flecainide & Multaq.
I just saw your response on this post. I too because of the low heart rate I wrote about in the other post am asymptomatic.
Until I purchased the Kardia I really did not know.
The problem with the Kardia is it has become addicting and now I am always checking and I know that’s not a good thing.
I got ahold of my cardiologist and she told me to curtail the eliquis and start taking an 81mg. aspirin daily.
I appreciate your response. Somehow I believe that the threats of stopping eliquis cold turkey are vastly overstated.
My cancer concerns and internal bleeding definitely take precedent for me right now over the long term worries of a stroke. Probably get hit by a bus first anyway.
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2 ReactionsSo glad you touched base with your cardiologist, and were able to take a middle course by using aspirin instead. (My husband is a cancer survivor, so I totally get why that would be uppermost in your mind.). Most important, you are able to keep a sense of humor about it!
Eliquis is quite expensive, and not without possible dangerous side effects. So even when on Eliquis, I had very conflicting feelings about the drug. And conflicting feelings being off of it!
But nice to know there are docs out there who have our backs. 😉
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2 ReactionsWhat are the potential bad side effects? I am not really clued in...
Side effects as long as your arm, from mild to alarming, common to rare. Try a Google search for a complete list. What concerned me most was the potential for hemorrhage. One site even listed Afib as a potential side effect!
Was diagnosed with AFID after a routine checkup. Successful Cardioversion 1 year ago. No AFID since. Blood pressure & heart rate perfect. I am 77 and in good physical shape. My cardiologist says continue on with Eliquis….is it safe to stop taking Eliquis? Thanks…….. Off to play Pickleball….