Atrial fibrillation

@earther : I understood the risks associated with any procedure to the heart and the possible percentage of success rate. As I indicated I had it performed twice, once to deploy the watchman, another to install a device to seal the leakage by another surgeon. I guess I was pretty lucky that other than the normal effect of the surgeries, it appeared that I did not experience any other side effect. No issue during the surgeries. So now I am only taking baby aspirin (81mg) daily with no more blood thinner like Eliquis. I had an aneurysm in my brain caused by my first bleeding stroke which was also "fixed" with put coil in there. It was explained to me that most of the blood clots in AFIP individuals are caused in the appendage of the heart. I admit I was quite scare or anxious prior to the Watchman procedure in considering the pros and cons. I decided it was worth the risk for me and my wife (a retired RN) and I consider the side effect and danger of keep taking Eliquis. I appreciate you stating all the danger and side effect of the Watchman procedure. Your cardiologist may not recommend such procedure due to you condition. My procedures were completed in 2023. This is surely a very personal decision even if your cardiologist recommends it, one is good and successful is not necessarily good for the others.

If you are consuming any caffeine or lots of refined sugar and processed foods, consider eliminating.

@andrewc999

re: you comment that "My reasoning for not doing cauterization is because it is irreversible, i.e. once the heart tissue is burnt or killed, it will never grow back."

This is from email from the company that makes (and aggressively markets) the Watchman:

The WATCHMAN FLX and WATCHMAN FLX Pro Devices are permanent implants designed to close the left atrial appendage in the heart in an effort to reduce the risk of stroke.

With all medical procedures there are risks associated with the implant procedure and the use of the device. The risks include, but are not limited to, accidental puncture of the heart causing fluid to collect around the heart possibly leading towards the need for an additional procedure, allergic reaction, anesthesia risks, altered mental status or confusion after procedure, arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), bleeding or throat pain from the TEE (Trans Esophageal Echo) probe, chest pain/discomfort, congestive heart failure, renal failure, excessive bleeding, gastrointestinal bleeding, groin puncture bleed, bruising at the catheter insertion site, groin pain, anemia (reduced red blood cells requiring transfusion), hypotension, infection/pneumonia (example: in or around your heart or lungs), misplacement of the device, improper seal of the appendage or movement of device from appendage wall, clot formation on the device, blood clot or air bubbles in the lungs or other organs, stroke, transient ischemic attack (temporary stroke-like symptoms), cranial bleed (bleeding in or around your brain), thrombosis (blockage of a blood vessel or vein by a clot) and in rare cases death can occur.

Be sure to talk with your doctor so that you thoroughly understand all of the risks and benefits associated with the implantation of the device. SH-2109508-AA

@lindy9
I have emanated all that. I eliminated caffeine 45 years ago. I assure you people all react differently to caffeine. Bad for me all around. Very little I can eat due to many AFib triggers and other eating issues, but what I do eat is healthy. What triggered the last 42 hour episode was pushing a friend in her wheelchair for 2 miles. The last mile got a little hilly and even walking too fast can trigger my AFib. I took a risk and paid a price. Different people have different triggers. It’s not one size fits all. I have a lot of triggers. I’ve had about 150 episodes in the past 5 years so you do start to see patterns. I keep journals. Because my diet is limited that makes triggers easier to identify. I will likely have an ablation in 2026 as I’ve tried and tried to eliminate afib organically and it has progressed each year. Just waiting for my second opinion from another EP. Great that you’ve found what works for you. That recipe doesn’t work for all of us. I’m a hard sell on meds and procedures but sometimes I have to give in.

@andrewc999 - I'd certainly like to quit taking Eliquis, not only because my income is low so I pay out of pocket, so now I have to charge part of my groceries because of this. But also because I think it's a rather radical, risky drug. Yet I'm at very high risk for stroke and will do all I have to do to avoid ending up in any kind of "care facility."

I'm going to ask the heart rhythm doc and my cardiologist about Watchman this week, but any more surgery and general anesthetic are nearly as high risk for me as the stroke risk.

@earther Canada prices are usually a fraction of USA. I get the generic of Xeralto for 1/15 of the USA price. Just be sure the Canadian Pharmacy is legit. If you can not get Eloquis switch to the generic of Xeralto if possible .

Thanks for that helpful info. I'm seeing my cardiologist tomorrow and will ask her about Xeralto. You haven't had any problems with it? I haven't with Eliquis, but no matter how hard I try, I seem to forget a dose here and there. Once, I took a double dose, checked the maker's site, and it said "Go to the ER!" It was 11 at night, I didn't feel any pain or anything else wrong, so I didn't.

Eliquis is on the list of 10 Rx drugs that Joe Biden's administration negotiated for lower prices starting in 2016. It's supposed to drop by 59%.

I'm still new to taking a blood thinner, so it's still a bit worrisome for me and seems rather radical and risky.

@earther
It’s hard for me to remember the nighttime dose unless I set the alarm on my phone. I set the night alarm the minute I take the morning dose. Hope that works for you too. Set the alarm for morning too if you need it.