My EP took me off eliquis. But I’m petrified. I’ll have a stroke now.

@kmj126
I have AFIB off and on now for decades. If you had only one probably something your doctors want to monitor. When you said converted with medication. Where you referencing Eliquis or something else. Eliquis is a blood thinner.

You are right that the most concern by cardiologist (per my Mayo cardiologist and EP) is if you have sustained AFIB is can cause a stroke. But you have only had one episode. You did a 2 week Holter monitor and appears this was an isolated event.

Being under stress and anxiety per my EP can cause PACs and PVCs which can move into AFIB and VFIB and you need to address the anxiety. Medications can help but changing lifestyle can really help. Do you like doing any type of exercise? How about a hobby. If you have an exercise you like doing check with your doctors and try to do it. Exercise is going to help you both mentally and physically. Do a hobby is going to relax you.

How is your weight? Can weight affect AFIB? Per my Mayo EP yes, as well as PVCs, and PACs.

Talk to your doctors about your concerns. Are you seeing a electrophysiologist (EP) they are cardiologist specialty trained in electrical functions of heart. But from my experience with my EP (now over 20 years) seems they did the right tests and trying to assure you isolated event but occurs again will address.

You mentioned Chads Score. Is that the test done to determine impact on heart or something else.

Sometimes per my EP AFIB is an isolated event. My EP states it is the continuous one that starts to affect the function of heart that they are most concerned with.

To answer your question: No, I did have AFIB sustained back in 2006 but corrected itself like yours and was not put on blood thinners. I have isolated episodes like yours since then had what the call non sustained AFIB that corrects itself.

My brother has A-fib; he has had cardioversions, one ablation and has taken an arrhythmic for years. He has, suprisingly to me, never been on a blood thinner except for a baby ASA. I have no clue why. I think you sound like you will be okay, especially since your score risk is so low. I am 79 and all they do is look at old people and put them on a blood thinner.

I had a triple CABG back in early 2022, ended up with AFIB and put on Eliquis, aspirin, metoprolol and amioderone.
By fall the Afib had subsided and I was taken off all but the metoprolol and aspirin.
Over the next few years, my Fitbit, 4 Zeo Patches, and 3 hospital visits finally resulted in being rediagnosed with Afib.
The last episode lasted about 12 hours and I was chemically converted.
Back on Eliquis now.
So, if you can take anything positive out of this, my experience is another scenario where no, Afib doesn't mean instant stroke.
If your docs think you're otherwise at low risk, they're probably right.
Just keep asking questions and voicing concerns at your visits.
Have a good '26.

@jc76 CHA2DS2-VASc is a metric where one's risk of stroke due to cardiac arrhythmia can be estimated. A score above 2.0 normally requires a physician to ask the patient to begin taking a DOAC, direct-acting oral anti-coagulant like apixaban (Eliquis) or rivaroxaban (Xarelto).
https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/801/cha2ds2-vasc-score-atrial-fibrillation-stroke-risk
The current guidelines for anti-platelet drug administration is if the patient has been in AF for more than 48 hours or spends several hours each week in that arrhythmia.
https://www.england.nhs.uk/north-west/wp-content/uploads/sites/48/2025/04/23.-Decision-Aid-New-initiation-of-DOACs-in-AF-April-2025-final.pdf

@jc76 I was converted using fleccanaide (sp) they put me on the blood thinner just to make sure I didn’t have a clot after the a fib and took me off of it two months later. I do have an EP He’s the one that took me off of the blood thinner. Right now I’m just doing pill in pocket. I’m just so scared to be off of it. I do an EKG using Kardia every day and so far I haven’t sure had any other episodes. I’m hoping

The only time I had AFIB was after three operations. I wore a Holter monitor for a month after two of the operations. I check myself twice daily with a Kardia Mobil. No sign of it but my cardiologist still wants me to stay
on the Eliquis! It's been eight years!

@gloaming
Thanks for information and web sites.

I could always see on my ICD/Pacemaker results a score but did not know what meant.

Thanks

@jc76 I am unsure of your meaning since I have no experience with a pacemaker or ICD. The CHA2DS2-VASc is a derived score with input and would, as I understand it, have little to nothing to do with whether you might need a pacemaker or ICD...unless....the patient cannot or declines to take a DOAC, but still has substantial risk of a thromboembolic event due to arrhythmia. In that case, the best approach might indeed be to have a pacemaker to try to tidy up the arrhythmia...I could see that as a possibility. Otherwise, the score is just a way of estimating one's risk and then deciding what, if anything, should be done to mitigate the risk.

Are you saying your device gives an estimate of some kind....a numerical score? If so, I'm lost and don't know what it might be.

I'm sorry if I have been the cause of any confusion. I certainly don't want to do that if I can help it.

@gloaming
Not an issue at all @gloaming .

I have AFIB but does not last long. They give me a % number of impact in heart I assume. No one at Mayo Pace Clinic or EP ever say much about it as I don't stay in Afib.

I think me, not you, caused any confusion. I am just not knowledgeable enough on this subject.

@sjm46 I agree with the comments about being 79 and automatically in the Eliqus Club. When you look at the scoring they use for anticoagulation it's amazing that there are not even more people on it.