Warfarin to Amixifan

[Callingbird]

I have just changed meds from Warfarin to the new anticoagulant. I asked to change iver as the hew anticoags are reported as beung a more stable drug and give better protection against stroke. There seems to be a difference in opinion ad to whether your blood should be checked a couple of times a year or never. I was fine on warfarin and now begin to wonder if I should have stayed on it but my GP agreed it was a better drug. What does everyone else think?

[10gingercats]

Do you mean Apixaban?I take it and get kidney function checked once yearly.Blood is not checked.

[Hidden]

Hi Callingbird, s'pect you mean Apixaban which is one of the more modern types of anticoagulant which is less sensitive to changes in diet and does not require the regular blood tests that are necessary with Warfarin. I and many others here take Apixaban and its very rare to hear of any concerns. The same can be said of Warfarin, so its very much a personal preference. If you opt to take Apixaban, you should first have a blood test to check your kidney function is OK and that is repeated after 3 months and thereafter annually.

There is a lot of information on the AFA webpage about anticoagulants and I suggest you should check for yourself so that you can make an informed decision. Best of luck, John

[Rellim296]

Warfarin has to be checked to see how well it is working. The INR level needs to be in the therapeutic range as various things can upset the way Warfarin works, making it go high or low.

The new anticoagulants provide a steady, more constant level of protection and I for one much prefer the feeling that as long as I remember to take the pills on time each day, life is simple and I won't have been wandering out of range. As 10gingercats and John say, you need a test every year to be sure the anticoagulant is not having any adverse effect on the kidneys,

[CDreamer]

I have monthly blood draws but for other reasons so my kidney function is very carefully checked as I am on other drugs which also could alter kidney function.

I have had no ill effects on Apixaban and much prefer it to Warfarin.

[opal11uk]

The same has happened to me, I was on Warfarin for 17 years but recently had 4 mini strokes so stroke doctor recommended Predaxa which I am now taking, I have kept my INR machine as I self test so will be taking a sample every now and then to monitor results. Very nervous to start with but have now been taking the new for approximately 1 week and so far so good.

[CDreamer in reply to opal11uk]

It will not help as Pradaxa does not work on INR it uses a completely different mechanism as an anticoagulant - it inhibits thrombin whereas Wafarin inhibits VitK so INR testing is useless for testing efficacy of Pradaxa.

mghope.com/wp-content/uploa...

Warfarin inhibits the vitamin K-dependent synthesis of biologically active forms of the calcium-dependent clotting factors II, VII, IX and X, as well as the regulatory factors protein C, protein S, and protein Z.

[opal11uk in reply to CDreamer]

Well thank you very much, didn't realise, can now give my machine to the hospital...........

[Beancounter Volunteer in reply to opal11uk]

Yes Opal as CDreamer rightly says do not try and test yourself for INR if you are on a NOAC it will not work at all, and you could get all sorts of concerns from the tests.

Warfarin is a Vitamin K Inhibitor, it suppresses Vit K which is an early part of the clotting process. NOACS are called thrombin inhibitors and either inhibit Factor Xa or if you take Dabigitran Factor IIa which are later parts of the process.

Your home testing will not work, it does not measure the actions of the NOACS so please don't use it.

Be well

Ian

[opal11uk in reply to Beancounter]

Thank you Beancounter for your reply, Dabigitran is the drug and I can now see why it has been prescribed for me since having these pesky mini strokes, thankfully the Warfarin protected me and there was no damage to the brain, (apparently I am lucky as at 73 I don't have any brain shrinkage and have a brain lol, not what hubby says), but stroke doc felt this drug would work better for me than Warfarin so went with it, felt a bit strange at first but if it does the job who am I to complain.

[Rusty8]

I have changed to apixaban and was wondering if anyone felt there blood was thinner and bled easier thank youn

[Rusty8]

Does anybody think changing over to apixaban make there blood thinner I feel as though mine does even on those smaller of cuts

[starry-eyes in reply to Rusty8]

Well its purpose is to ensure you do not clot so easily but as a clumsy cook, I have always found knife cuts respond to a pad and pressure. Just might take a little longer. It does not inhibit the take up of oxygen in the blood and is not a blood "thinner".

[Callingbird]

Sorry for my incoherent question last night, but thank you for all the replies. I don't think I am confused as much as I was. Leaving warfarin was a personal choice for me, because of the increased protection from stroke these new drugs give. I am concerned about the fact they have no antidote but the benefits seem to outweigh that (at least I hope they do) and I guess someone somewhere will be working on an antidote. No one has mentioned any kind of blood tests to me. So I shall be asking that question the next time I have to visit the GP.

[doodle68]

Hi Callingbird I asked my GP about blood testing for Apixaban and was told there is usually an initial blood test for kidney/liver then regular blood tests are not usually necessary .

I had already had a blood test last year so another wasn't deemed necessary.

[doodle68]

Quote =Rusty ''I have changed to apixaban and was wondering if anyone felt there blood was thinner and bled easier''

Hi Rusty , Apixaban doesn't make your blood thinner , it interrupt the complex way in which clots are formed so your blood takes longer to clot.

I haven't found I bleed any more than usual although I have only had small cuts while on the drug.

[DGET1]

I also was on Warfarin and changed to Apixaban. You are much less likely to have a stroke on Apixaban, and much less likely to have a brain bleed, but gastric bleeds are more common, but are easier to deal with, so in my opinion you have made the right choice like myself. You don't need INR checked as research shows that INR will stay constantly at 2.5. One downside to Apixaban is that there is no antidote as yet if you do bleed, but there will be one any day soon, but don't be alarmed as there are other things they can do to stop or slow down bleeding if this should happen