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← Return to Afib and stress test
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Heart Rhythm Conditions | Last Active: Jun 10, 2023 | Replies (13)
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The MDs go by the patient's CHADS-VaSc score. If it is indicated by the score, the patient is advised to commence anti-coagulants, usually for the rest of his/her life. The reason is that the clot, if it happens, is likely to be catastrophic, particularly among the elderly, and clots form not only DURING atrial fibrillation, but can form some days AFTERWARDS, or be dislodged from the danger chamber, the left atrium appendage where many lethal clots form during AF.
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My cardiologist pressured me to take anticoagulants over a 5 year period for afib that occurred once a year (or recently, two years). My CHADS score indicated a need and he went by the protocol. Then the 1 point score for female gender was removed and I no longer met the CHADS criteria for meds! The MD told me I was probably right, that they were overmedicating people.
A hospital doc once told me to "go home and forget this happened"!
For those of us with infrequent episodes, it is important to recognize the risks of anticoagulants and balance benefit and risk.
For most people w/afib that is more frequent, anticoagulants are needed of course. I request short term anticoagulants (one month) when I have a longer episode (7 hours is my longest) and have seen studies on this, but it is not in practice yet. They give me Lovenox and an echo to check for clots and release me the next day.
The first time, in 2015, I was told to take a full dose aspirin for a month. Now they don't recommend that so I don't take anything.