Eliquis and AFIB

Pat, In the past, I had afib severe. Then last year started up again. It was caffeine and only takes less than one half cup coffee from the US. But never took Eliquis, and never will. I have learned to never take meds without investigating the side effects first and end up taking none. I search for the root cause, and do what I can to eliminate that. And if you have GI upset or indigestion, examine what and what combinations you are putting down the hatch. I am 77 this month and have greatly changed little by little what I eat the last 50 years, and rarely have any indigestion, but in the past was doubled over in pain, or full of gas bubbles for hours.

I take Bisoprolol, it really drops heart rate a lot , not sure about it either, it’s a 2.5

@windyshores hi
I was put on Bisoprolol at 2.5 and my rate dropped to 50 , which was quite low
So I cut my pill in half and it stayed at 60 but then all of a sudden one morning my Afib kicked in again . The problem with the meds is causing high anxiety , I’m sure there causing the problem
So I was told to go back to 2.5 , because 50 heart rate was ok, as long as it didn’t drop below that
I don’t feel comfortable with that , I have been on Coumadin for 20 years because of a couple clots , I’m not real sure about being on blood thinners either . I totally agree with you on the blood thinners

I don't take any blood thinners at all.

Starting in 2015 I have had afib with very rapid heart rate, once a year, or even had a two year interval. This past year I had one episode in late August 2023, two in early October, and I just had one two nights ago, 4/16, with heart rate peaking around 200.

I am meeting with a new cardiologist at a teaching hospital and am going to ask about the "pill in a pocket" approach meaning short term anticoagulation. Some say a month, some say less time. And there is a lot of difference of opinion on how long it takes to form a clot.

When one of my episodes lasted 7 hours (usually they are 45 minutes to 2 1/2 hours) the hospital did an echocardiogram to check for clots.

A cardiologist pressured me to take a blood thinner back in 2015 and I declined. He later told he he agreed (much later) and that they were "probably" overmedicating people. Then again, my mother had continuous afib and had a stroke when off Coumadin for 5 days.

How often do you have afib?

@lindy9 --

re: Why would you want to take a med that causes severe bleeding???

To keep from having a stroke and ending up in a "care facility" or dying.

Why would you want to take a med that causes severe bleeding??? Not hard to figure out. It is a side effect.

RE: the cost of Eliquis, I was paying $100. per month until about a year ago when a generic brand of Apixaban became available. Now it costs $30.00 per mo.
That's for 5mg.x 2 per day. I have Paroxysmal A-fib....I don't even know when or if I'm having episodes. I think mine is caused by a bicuspid aortic valve.

@windyshores I have the dilemma of wether or not to continue Eliquis. After a routine hemerroidectomy I restarted my Eliquis and 4 days later had severe recital bleeding, requiring a 4 day ICU stay and 3 blood transfusions. No doctereill tell me when to start the Eliquis again I have not been in AFib for 2 years and am trying to figure out what to do! Watchman has been suggested. As for now I will stay off another week til I try to be my own doctor and figure it out!!