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My EP took me off Eliquis but I’m petrified I’ll have a stroke now
I’m a 53-year-old female and I heard my first afib episode in October which lasted about eight hours of my converted with mediation. I haven’t had any episode since and I was given to echocardiograms and a two week Holter monitor and the doctor said because my chads score is 1 due to being female that I don’t need the blood thinners anymore. He said if I have another episode that we can further discuss what to do then but I’m definitely afraid right now that I’ll have a stroke. Does anyone that have had one episode of a fib not on a blood thinner?
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@marybird Based upon your experience I'm not so sure my theory about Kardias dying from being in my wallet is valid.
Fewer drugs is usually a good idea. Bleeding risk from meds is more likely to result in death. Use of aspirin, even low dose 81mg aspirin, is not universally recommended now although it was in the past.
@chickenfarmer That's kind of what I was thinking too. There wasn't a Kardia 6L out there that was treated better than mine was, and it still died!
Interestingly enough, when we were in the market for another blood pressure monitor ( seems those things have shelf-lives too and ours was about 12 years old and was getting wonky) we found an Omron digital monitor with an arm cuff similar to the old one, except this model also had a Kardia mobile 2 L built into it, on sale. This model both checks the blood pressure and does EKGs simultaneously, or the owner can do either of those separately without the other reading. To use it, the Omron app is opened on the cell phone, which is placed on a cradle type holder on the monitor, and the user selects the "EKG and BP" or either one singly, places the fingers on the two pads on the top, and two pads on the side, and presses start to get the readings. The app records both readings, can store them, prepare the readings into a PDF format for transmission via email to a provider- just like the Kardia does.
I haven't used it a lot, I don't check my blood pressure as often as I should ( it's ok most of the time), and so it mostly sits on the dresser. I have been able to catch a few A-fib readings when I was experiencing the familiar symptoms and the A-fib lasted long enough. They looked like typical A-fib EKG readings, the heart rate was elevated ( around 120 BPM), and when I showed them to my cardiologist he verified these were A-fib. The thing with this device is that my A-fib/tachycardia episodes are for the most part short-lived, ( which is a good thing) generally less than one minute. So by the time I realize I'm experiencing those "flutters", pull the Omron device out of its case, set it up, set up the phone, ( with or without measuring the blood pressure at the same time which takes additional time placing the cuff on my arm) the tachycardia/A-Fib has stopped and I'm back in NSR. Happens almost all the time. I'm relieved and glad when it stops, so I've taken to considering the Omron EKG/Blood pressure monitor more of a terminating device for my A-Fib than one to record it. I feel the A-fib, run for the Omron/Kardia thingie, set it up for a reading and that guarantees I'll be back in NSR before I push that button. Almost as good reason for having one as using it for documentation of an arrhythmia!
@chickenfarmer Mary, Thx for the info. I wasn’t aware of the OMRON Kardia bundle so will consider it when I need another BP monitor. I’m very religious about taking BP measurement every day as I’m trying to keep under control for stroke risk among other things. I actually use an old CVS monitor that is probably 12 yrs old like yours. I also have an OMRON BP monitor but seldom use it- silly but it doesn’t fit in my bedside table. Actually I don’t really need a watch or KARDIA to know if I’m in AF, just check the heart rate and if it’s over 120 bpm and I feel fatigued then it’s AF. I’ve verified that with smartwatches as well as ECG. I use the Iwatch to detect ectopic beats which normally occur at 60-70 bpm.
@drdianeschneider I was in AF 3% of the time and my cardiologist put me on Eliquis. Now I am in AF 30% of the time since I started taking it. Resisted going on it, now afraid to quit.
If I get another episode, I will for sure go back on it.
YES, WHEN 73, 1 EPISODE, SHOCKED OUT, ELIQUIS 4-5 YRS, MKINOR HEAD INJURY LED TO BRAIN BLEED, LEFT ELIQUIS IMMEDIATELUY, 4-5 YRS AGO, NO AFIB SINCE.
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1 ReactionTwo approaches with one being to take a drug to reduce AF frequency and or duration. The alternative is to take a P2Y12 antiplatelet inhibitor such as prasugrel. The P2Y12 inhibitor minimizes blood clotting and the resulting damage. There are concerns with bleeding but from everything I have researched this happens most often with people who are also taking ASA or aspirin. Do not take Clopidogrel.
Prasugrel demonstrates superior platelet inhibition compared to clopidogrel:
82.5% vs 71.1% inhibition at 4 hours after loading dose 5
84.1% vs 67.4% inhibition at 30 days during maintenance 5
Reduced composite endpoint of cardiovascular death, nonfatal MI, or nonfatal stroke compared to clopidogrel 2, 6
Particularly effective in patients with diabetes mellitus
Prasugrel is not recommended for the wrong reasons for people over 75 years of age as it is thought to cause intracranial bleeding but when people do have a stroke and need a stent implanted in the brain it is Prasugrel that is usually proscribed.