Cardiologist suggests I can stop taking Eliquis. Any thoughts?

My EP cardiologist was certified to handle the Lariat, the Amulet, the Watchman. He simply picked the one that best suited my anatomy and had the shortest time under anesthesia. I don't know about any ranking but I think they all work well and are worth it.

Yes, indeed, Eliquis and Plavix both cause shortness of breath. Once I had The Amulet implanted and stopped these awful drugs, that problem disappeared, along with many others. They simply give everyone the same dose of these drugs without regard to side effects, risks or discomfort.

Hi dsisko,

I too had a successful ablation in August 2020. During the first 8 months following the ablation I experienced numerous PACs (upwards of 8,000/day) and occasional bouts of non-sustained atrial tachycardia, but these have since resolved. (At around the 4 month post-ablation mark, my EP and I had agreed it would be prudent to implant a loop recorder, should the AF or AFL return.)

So I am reasonably sure that aside from the blanking period, I have not had any AF. About a year and a half ago, my EP gave his okay for me to discontinue my Eliquis as my loop recorder (ILR) has not shown any significant arrhythmias.

All well and good, but there is only about 6 months of battery life left in my ILR,
and I am anxious to have it removed once the battery goes. My regular cardiologist seems to think I can get by with self-monitoring with a smart watch or Kardiamobile — although my Kardiamobile had misidentified certain arrhythmias in the past. I had been fairly symptomatic when experiencing the afib and flutter, so I think that would be the case again. I believe the latest research indicates the risk of stroke is quite minimal unless the AF lasts 24 hours or more, but you should check with your cardiologist.

In any case, knock on wood, doing alright, without the Eliquis, despite being a “2.5” (my cardiologist’s take) on the CHA2DS2-VASc score. I may rethink this choice once I hit 75! 😗

I was put on Eliquis for a month after bypass surgery. The switched me to Plavix instead. Will be on it for a year...then just a baby aspirin.

Thank you for sharing your story... I am also on the Five milligrams of Eliquis b I d and also the metapropal twelve point five daily... Recently I went to The hospital and I also war the emcot for thirty days... There was only one time that it showed a fib... I believe That this is because I started walking At least twenty minutes every day.. Honestly , it was exhilarating and i've kept it up... When I went to see my cardiologist , he said There is no way I can get off of these Two drugs and I also suggested aspirin and he said No.. I just hate the idea of taking this crap the rest of my life... We are so being ripped off by the drug company because they don't want to make Anything generic you know it's called greed!!! I want to find an honest pharmacy In canada that I can deal with... If there is anyone that thinks they can help me.Please send information to My email address that I have listed... I am a retired nurse of many years.. I would appreciate anything Anyone can contribute to help me... Thank you so very much and feel free to contact me...

I hear ya. I read that aspirin and apixaban have different purposes at the molecular level, and that they are not interchangeable. I, too, was told I would be on apixaban for life by my cardio, even though every diagnostic he could make me trip over, including an angiogram, said I had only minor deposits in my coronary arteries (I was 70 already!), My CHADS score is 1, maybe 1.5 if someone wants to quibble, but I'm still on both a statin and DOAC. It's my sex and age. And that I have had both AF and RF ablation isolation of the PV. The scarring and the history, by themselves, mean I have this crud for the rest of my life. With my luck, it'll be another 35 years!

Yes, I am in a similar position. I had a cardiac ablation in August. It is now March. During my follow up with my electrophysiologist, he informed that although everything sounded fine (he will not do a CT scan for a year) that I should plan to be on blood thinners for the rest of my life. I am planning to get a second opinion as I do not agree with that theory. I would like to be blood tested for blood clotting factors and have a CT scan at the six month point. If all is normal, I do not see why I need to stay on blood thinners. I was using alternative supplements (Serrapeptase, Olive Leaf Extract, Omega 3's, etc.) together with a Mediterrean Diet before the ablation. Before the ablation my blood clotting factors were within normal range, so I assume they were working. My only problem was the arrhythmia. I was placed on blood thinners after the ablation. I understood from what I read that I could go off them six months after the ablation, if all went well. Any thoughts?

Run your logic past your cardiologist. Chances are he/she will feel pressed to err on the side of the insurance he/she carries and defer to the formulaic responses suggested by the College. That would be, 'Well, you DO have an electrically disordered heart, and although you are currently in mechanical remission for AF, you're still at risk for recurrent AF in the future, as are almost all AF patients who are successfully ablated. You'll reduce your risk of a stroke if you simply resign yourself to taking it until you die.'

I had my ablation performed in 2017. Since that time I have not had one episode of AFIB. I also had a ILR which lasted about 3 1/2 years before the battery died. I didn't have the ILR removed because there really is no need to unless it seems to bother you. I stopped all anticoagulant drugs except for 81mg aspirin. I exercise regularly 4 times a week, I wear my Apple watch to monitor my fitness and test for AFIB. My Apple watch has never detected signs of AFIb, but the standard response every month is that you have had less than 2% of AFIB signs, which means none.

I too had a cardiac ablation going on 2 years ago. I have developed afib and SVT and CHF (Stage 1 and 2); but, because I stroked (cardioembolic) 2 times at 50 due to afib I will forever be on Eliquis. I can see why anyone who has never stroked in the past and has had a successful ablation would want to discontinue blood thinners. Crazy as it sounds and forgive me for not having the reference on hand but I read earlier that eliquis has about the same affect as aspirin. hmmmmm? I am NOT saying I believe this but in a situation as to whether to take a blood thinner the rest of my life or just an aspirin it would prompt me to check it out. I remember after my 2 strokes (23 years ago) my neurologist agreeing to not begin blood thinners as at the time I was teaching yoga/meditation classes (20 classes a week) and in excellent shape that he thought I was OK with just the 81 mg aspirin on the promise that I take it every single night. I eventually stopped (a student did a "test" on me and I showed weakness with the aspirin)...then suffered more serious afib and hospitalized for 3 days and was given eliquis. I will be on eliquis for my remaining time here. Every body is so different. I am refusing to restart amidarone again and my bp drops dangerously low with metroprolol so I am not able to take it either, so I am just hoping I don't stroke again. I do have a smartwatch and I measure my sleep patterns, oxygen (I'm on oxygen every night) and check bp regularly and my weight daily. Thanks for sharing everyone. I am new at this site. I appreciate being able to share.