Well...it's all change for me....comments welcome!

[gemini52]

After having been in AF for 7 weeks - I finally got to see a cardiac consultant at hospital today. I explained that I was on 10 mg Bisoprolol which did not seem to be doing anything for my heart at all - just made me so tired and put my brain into foggy mode!! I also have been taking warfarin with no ill effects apart from my INR not being totally stable. I also pop a statin every day. My ECG reading today showed my resting heart rate was 97.

I left the hospital with 2 new prescriptions - 1 for Apixaban and the other for Securon. Does anyone have any experience of this wee cocktail. I am also on the list for cardioversion (waiting list 4-6 weeks) which I may cancel if things improve. I am just desperate to get rid of this "feeling" and the consultant did say there are other combinations to try before cardioversion (you may remember me saying some time ago I am scared of cv - I am scared of pretty much everything ) but I realise that life is pretty miserable with this constant "feeling" that I have.

So....as from tomorrow....no more Bisoprolol or Warfarin - hello new medication - and a prayer to God that things improve.

Thank you for listening and please feel free to comment.....Kind regards, Patricia.

[PhyllisK]

Good luck with the new medication Patricia, I haven't any knowledge of these two drugs but I recognise the strength 'sapping' symptoms you have described. Hopefully your prayer to God will also help.

Keep well.

Phyl.

[Rellim296]

This sounds very refreshing and let's hope the new meds will make a big difference. Enjoy the freedom to eat what you please!

[Hidden]

I've heard good things about apixaban, I hope it does the trick for you! Never heard of the other drug. It all sounds very novel. Let us know how you go.

Lis

[Hidden]

I found it liberating when I came off warfarin, my palour improved, I felt better in myself all with the added bonus of eating anything. Good luck with your new drugs.

[Stratton-sully]

I was taken off Warfarin and given a choice of which anti- coagulate I wanted to go on I choice apixaban simply because it was to be taken twice a day. (Better time release)

Warfarin had been impossible to control and with. A Vegan diet and long periods in Spain where the INR fluctuated from 5.9 to 1.1 on the next reading.

Cardioversion a piece of cake a week later and off to Spain with no concerns.

I still take 10mgs of Bisoprolol every morning without the tiredness you discribed.

The cost of Apixaban came as a suprise when I tried to buy it last week in Spain 98euros

For 56 pills. A months supply.

Having read a glowing report from 2012 Stroke conference that had a link on here with the comparison to Asprin, I forwarded it to a friend who had high marks in critic appraisal in his FRCS and he spoke of CI "confidence interval being a bit bit wide 1.3 to 0.4 and the summary of the Authors that it was less inferior.

Basically the best of a bad bunch. Sorry to be long winded , ha ha the cardioversion must have worked. Mike

[gemini52 in reply to Stratton-sully]

Thank you Mike....hope it works for me. Gosh 98 euros....that's expensive! My GP is probably bit annoyed that the hospital suggested it without me even asking! No more weekly tests either! One wee question - is it ok to take a few glasses of wine now and again? Thanks again. Patricia.

[Stratton-sully in reply to gemini52]

Hi Patricia, as a non-drinker I have never given it a thought and apart from liver history it's not mentioned.

They prescribe this to people that have AF a one other condition.

Mine was a TIA in November and AF just before Christmas. My hospital's criteria was strict and you haven't mentioned anything else.

I don't know anything about Securon and as woodwork is my trade will stick to the last as they told the cobbler.