hi guys. so shall i take warfarin anyway??? i did ask the question last week .whether i needed warfarin or not

[moggdog]

and the ones that were kind enough to answer. said yes .but both my docs .the cardio and my gp said no. so now what do i do ???? shall i take the warfarin anyway??? by the way. they say my chad score is o

[elmbury]

You should be guided by the experts' opinion. I am also on a CHADS2 score of 0 and was not put on any anti-coagulant. The cardiologist said to look at it again in a few years time when I will be both older and there should be newer, reversible, anti-coagulants available - and that sounded good to me.

[moggdog in reply to elmbury]

ok. ta mate

[BobD Volunteer]

Go online at AFA main site and download the Chads2Vasc2 calculator and work it out for yourself. Many docs still don't fully understand it. Remember what I said about not being able to drop a score.

BobD

[moggdog in reply to BobD]

ta bob. ye my gp seemed 2 not fully understand what chad meant . but this was the guy that told me i had a small.electrical fault with my heart

[dedeottie]

I was told I didn't need warfarin as my Chad score was 0. Then I had three TIAs so hey Presto my Chad score went up to 3 so I was allowed to go on warfarin but only after much discussion with my doctor. Because my blood pressure and weight and heart health were fine it took a TIA to put me in the right category for warfarin treatment. Doesn't seem to make sense does it?

[Hidden]

look at NICE guidelines if they say you should be on it may give you some leverage with medics however if you dont need it then leave it till you do

[JamesH]

Firstly I would strongly recommend that you take nothing your Doctor hasn`t recommended. The best time to query things is after they are recommended.It`s simply the same as being handed the agenda for a meeting. CHADS as one Consultant told me is a scientific table as- it is not, its a Rule of Thumb. Secondly don`t rush in to taking warfarin if you don`t need it and if your Doctor dosen`t want you to have warfarin, you won`t have it, unless you buy it on the internet and this is highly dangerous. Finally it would seem to me you need a second medical opinion perhaps from a Doctor in the Practice you attend, this way at least these guys can discuss you case at their Mothers Meeting they have. Stay safe and sensible. J.

[Hidden]

I didn't need to take it, apparently all was fine. No other heart conditions though, and I use natural blood thinners in my cooking most days and one asprin every third day to be on the safe side. My cardiologist didn't disagree with this, but I need to keep on checking with him.

[cupoftea]

Hi,

After I had my ablation the cardiologist at the hospital gave me the choice of coming off of bisoprolol and warfarin, I said that I didn,t think it was an informed choice as he was a DR. and me a lay person. Asked my GP and he said that it was a bit like driving a car if you drove a Nissan and had an accident you could be quite badly hurt, if you were driving a Volvo you would probably come off better as the car gives more protection. Guess what I drive? A Volvo I chose to stay on Warfarin as I still have AF quite regularly , I have Bisoprolol to take as and when I may need it. Maybe good to talk to another Doc and ask questions.

Good Luck

[steve60]

Excellent thread, my chads and chads2 have always been 0, there is nothing wrong with my heart except for this infernal AF, keep away from the warfarin for ever if possible, if your chance of stroke is 0 why take medication to prevent something thats not there, its like a non smoker using an e cigarette to ward of any passive smoking threat, be posative people

[chuckle]

I have been on Warfarin for two years. No side effects as far as I can tell. I am now off all of the beta-blockers etc after an ablation but still taking Warfarin just in case. I feel great. I do remember when I first went on Warfarin the nurse told me that I would be able to tolerate hot climates better i.e. sweat less. I have always been a sweaty person but much less so now on Warfarin. I guess that ties in with the other comments here about feeling cold on Warfarin.

[frizzylizzy in reply to chuckle]

Hi, I've been on warfarin for 40 years and am always hot! I was never sure whether the fatigue was due to my heart problems or the warfarin but now I can blame it on my MS! I wish warfarin made me cooler!!

[beano2013]

have been on warfarin for 2 years now and self check with INR machine at home which I find much more convenient. I would agree with others that you check your Chads score and then discuss with another G.P or pharmacist as to their rationale for not putting you on warfarin. Apparently my G.P. says the latest research states that taking aspirin daily has no beneficial benefit! Best of luck. Beano

[Lal531]

Hi Lizzie, I was on Aspirin 75mg (baby dose) however when I had a bout of AF in March, I was offered Warfarin. Knowing what my late Father went through with constant blood tests, I declined. I was dreading this day when my hereditary physiology was going to catch me up. So I kept abreast of developments and proposed Rivaroxaban to my cardiologist who happily prescribed it. My GP has continued to follow suit, so only 6 monthly blood tests now required. Happily no side effects and its happy days all the way.

Cheers

Anth