I suffer from SVT but when I broke my hip in 2012 I had an episode of Atrial fibrillation and was started on Aspirin 75mgs. 2 weeks later I

[LaurenNat1]

had a P.E and was on Warfarin for 3months. In view of what I have read on here I am wondering if I should be on Warfarin permanently? I do not know if I have had AF since as I was not aware of the episode I did have it just showed up on the monitor whilst I was in A&E

[CDreamer]

Hi Orchid, I think it a good question to ask your doctors about. Do you know your CHADS score? If it is 1 or over I would think that the answer would probably be yes, better the meds than the stroke. And I am not a doctor.

My personal decision was based on that premise, with the knowledge I now have, my EP's, not my cardiologist's, advice and I took an anticoagulant, even though my CHADS score was 0. I considered the risk factors and made a personal choice to take them based on advice from my doctors, personal research, information from the AFA and knowledge gleaned from the patient's day.

Every intervention has it's own risks and we cannot foresee them but as Ian said in another thread yesterday, he knows of 2incidents of internal bleeds from anticoagulation but of 20+ reports on this site of people suffering TIAs or strokes from not taking anticoagulants. If you are worried why not ring the AFA and talk it through with them.

Good luck

[LaurenNat1 in reply to CDreamer]

Thanks so much CDreamer. I will do that.

[Hidden]

Hi Orchid

I should think if you've already had a PE that would raise your CHADS2VASC score, though of course best to talk it through with your doctor or preferably an EP because they are the experts... Certainly it's something you should do, if you do have AF - if you didn't realise you had it and it was caught through monitoring, you probably aren't aware if you're having it more regularly, so it's worth being on the safe side. Maybe your doctor could attach you to something like a Holter monitor to try to catch it?

Lis

[BobD Volunteer]

I agree with Lis. If you have had a PE then that bumps you to a score of 2 whatever else you had and you should be on anti-coagulation in my view. Many people with AF are asymptomatic and are not aware of having it till they have a stroke or worse. better safe than sorry.

Bob

[LaurenNat1 in reply to BobD]

Thanks BobD and Eatsalottie. Will talk to GP (whenI can get an appointment)!

[hondajazz in reply to BobD]

Good tip Bob as I didn't have any previous symptoms . Since i have been diagnosed I have been taking Digoxin and have had no further episodes either that i am aware of and my doctor then recommended Warfarin as a safe guard against stroke. I have never had an ablation or anything that other people on here talk about and i get quite confused with it all so always ask my GP or Warfarin clinic.

[LaurenNat1 in reply to hondajazz]

Thanks Hondajazz.