AFib - Question about blood thinners

Posted by dogmom1 @dogmom1, Jun 30, 2019

I am on Sotalol to control blood pressure and heart rate. It seems to be working but I am tired and week all the time. I thought with more movement and exercise, I'd feel better, but it hasn't helped. I was on Xarelto until I developed blood in my urine. Thought it might be a kidney problem, but when the Xarelto stopped, the blood also disappeared. Kidneys okay. Now, the doctor wants to put me on Eliquis. I'm truthfully really scared of it. The "Common" side effects include bleeding - in the stomach, intestines, brain, or eyes. I know also, that once on it, you shouldn't stop for fear of blood clots. I really don't want to be on any blood thinners. Still hoping for more natural solution. Anyone else have experience with this?

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@d13

I had A-fib for the first time this past February. I was told by cardiologist that he could put me on blood thinners, but I'm not ready to. Sound too scary to me. I'm thinking the reason that A-fib came about with me; is because I wasn't being active enough. I had severe sciatic problem for a few months. I put on alot of weight fast; which for me my body wasn't use to and wasn't getting sufficient exercise. My diet wasn't great either; too much sugar for sure was my go to foods. I'm still taking the blood pressure medication, but quit taking cholesterol medication. Cutting out as much sugar as I can. Basically desserts and donuts, cookies and such. I've had other health issues and is still ongoing with them; so I still need to get more active when I'm able to.

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Did you test okay on cholesterol before you quit it? Elevated cholesterol and/or triglycerides can Result in serious problems.

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@windyshores

I would really like to know the various times your afib/tachycardia lasted. It is possible I am undertreated.

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Initially it was paroxysmal as most are. On again off again. Over time it increased to hours. One day I fainted. After they implanted the loop recorder, they found I was having pauses of up to 8 seconds each. The day they sent me to the hospital, the pauses were repeated and I knew it!
Eliquis will deal well with blood clots, but hemorrhagic strokes are a different story. When I had an ischemic stroke, the hospital didn’t deal with it properly. They couldn’t get my heart beat regular and overdid thinners or something to the point where it became hemorrhagic. So, I have a pacemaker to prevent the pauses and Eliquis to help with clots, but I still have AFib (they track me electronically) only 1% of the time, and there’s not much that I know of to stop a bleeding stroke. But I can live with the odds. I hope this is helpful. You’re always going to be balancing between what will help and what won’t. Just be as informed as possible and remember your body is unique.

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Apparently it doesn't matter what drug we're on, we all seem to experience different side effects from it. I've been on Xarelto for three years, and to the best of my knowledge (and my cardiologist's) I have had no ill effects from it.

For people concerned about antidotes for the newer forms of blood thinner, please be aware that on May 3, 2018, the FDA approved andexanet alfa (AndexXa) It's the first and only antidote to reverse bleeding in people taking apixaban (Eliquis), rivaroxaban (Xarelto), or edoxaban (Savaysa).

Another newer blood thinner — dabigatran (Pradaxa) — already has an approved antidote called idarucizumab (Praxbind). A dose of vitamin K is used to reverse the action of warfarin (Coumadin), a blood thinner used routinely for more than half a century and, until recently, the only such option for most people.

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I have been on Eliquis for more than 5 years without side effects. 77 yr old male. Though I haven’t noticed any improvement in my tennis.

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@lawsonsa

I have been on Eliquis for more than 5 years without side effects. 77 yr old male. Though I haven’t noticed any improvement in my tennis.

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I can relate! Neither going on Eliquis, nor going off it, improved my golf game! Although, going off it allowed me to go from walking (perhaps) 100 yards to walking 1.5 miles at one stretch. Apparently I was one of the "Rare, but severe" leg muscle weakness side effect people.

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Eliquis for several years, so was my husband, neither one of us had any problems at all.

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I was on Eliquis and Multaq for a year, with several severe side effects (fatigue, brain fog, extreme itching). A month a go my cardiologist took me off both and changed to Sotolol and Xarelto. Side effects have gone away, but we don't know which medication caused them. Oh well.

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I have taken Xerelto for years successfully. The last four days I have had Afib. No obvious changes in routine or diet. What else should I be looking at?

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@normalou35

I was on Eliquis and Multaq for a year, with several severe side effects (fatigue, brain fog, extreme itching). A month a go my cardiologist took me off both and changed to Sotolol and Xarelto. Side effects have gone away, but we don't know which medication caused them. Oh well.

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I've been taking Xarelto for three years with no side effects going on or off. It hasn't improved my golf, tennis or for that matter, my fencing but then again, I never participated in any of the three.

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@shawirvin390

I have taken Xerelto for years successfully. The last four days I have had Afib. No obvious changes in routine or diet. What else should I be looking at?

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Hello @shawirvin390 and welcome to Connect. I am sure that this is concerning you, as it should. You'll see that I moved your post in order to connect you with other members. First, can I ask if you have contacted your physician and/or been seen for the Afib?

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