Connect
← Return to Does anyone with AFIB NOT take blood thinners?
Discussion
Does anyone with AFIB NOT take blood thinners?
Heart Rhythm Conditions | Last Active: Jan 23 9:08am | Replies (149)Comment receiving replies
@janet23 I was especially interested in your use of a blood thinner for one month after an afib episode. I read a study on that and have asked my docs. Noone has prescribed that for me. I suppose I could agree to an anti-coagulant and then just stop myself after a month! Are there issues with stopping? Do you taper? Is there a rebound risk?
I also wonder if EP's are up on short term treatment and cardiologists aren't. I only have a cardiologist. My afib episodes are dramatic with heart rate close to 200, but have been once a year since 2015, and I even just went two years. They ranged from one to 7 hours long. Then recently I had episodes 8/30, 9/5 and 9/13 all related to lifting. These were short, under 45 minutes, one was even 10 minutes.
I am looking into a hiatal hernia as a trigger. At any rate, glad you can do short term meds and am going to press for that for my episodes, at least if they go on more than 45 minutes or so. ( I take magnesium and drink low sodium V-8 for potassium.)
Replies to "@janet23 I was especially interested in your use of a blood thinner for one month after..."
My EP still recommends Eliquis twice a day because there are no peer reviewed clinical studies showing that Nattokinase or Natto can prevent a stroke after an AFib episode. He did say that there are studies in progress to see if the 2-4 week approach to taking Eliquis after an AFib episodes will be effective in preventing strokes.
I did taper myself off of Eliquis before first starting the pill in the pocket approach.
My Apple Watch alerts me for arrhythmias, including AFib, and then I confirm it with my Lookee Tech ECG. I take 100 mg of Flecainide when I see big runs of PACs, which can turn into AFib, Apple Watch Alerts, or my ECG looks terrible after multiple measurements. I also check my ECG while exercising, hiking, traveling, air travel, or being more active than usual
AFib, like most people know, damages the heart. I want to identify and treat arrhythmias early. A recent overnight episode occurred with a lower heart rate and no symptoms. My EP looked at my Lookee Tech ECG and said I was in AFib with a heart rate of 99!
I prefer to eat the food Natto instead of the Nattokinase supplement on days when I am not taking Eliquis.. I am still recovering from the after effects of having a mild case of COVID in 2020, 2 Pfizer jabs and 1 J&J booster in 2021, which is when my serious heart issues started.
Nattokinase is in clinical trials as a treatment option to detox from the spike protein. I prefer to just eat the food which has a long safety history in Asian cultures where it is as a regular part of their diet.
I am very active and I like to hike and garden. I have had a couple of falls. I don't want to fall, hit my head, and go to a hospital and learn that they don't have the antidote for Eliquis, like other posters have mentioned.
I hope you can figure out the best approach to use to treat your AFib. We all have different experiences, co morbidities, and respond differently to medications and treatment options. I am still learning more each day, but I am happy I have made remarkable progress over the last 4 years by careful monitoring and trying new treatment options.
Connect
@windyshores
I had to look up hiatal hernia having an afib connection. I hadn't heard that. I can say that I have a hiatal hernia, but I had it long before I had afib which started due to taking Kisqali for breast cancer. Even though I'm confident that afib would stop if I stopped Kisqali, I still try to figure out what triggers each episode as they aren't non-stop. It seems every time I think I have it figured out, then that same thing doesn't seem to trigger it. I do know chocolate does for sure. I'm very caffeine sensitive. Then I felt just high carb days triggered it, but then I can have very high carb days and no afib. Hard to say. I hope you can figure out your triggers.