In the past 18 months I have developed increasing joint pain . It is bad enough to keep me awake at night and is demoralising. It seems to move into different joints, now it is back ,feet and left shoulder. I am usually very active but this is making me feel ancient. I have asked if the drugs he has prescribed could be the cause, Digoxin, Losarton Potassium and the newest Rivaraxaban. He denied all knowledge of their effects( other than break through bleeding with Rivaroxaban) he even said " am I an expert?" . I found this hideously surprising and unsettling for an answer. Having persistent AF is not fun but ,we learn to just get on with it. However to lose faith in one's consultant is enough to propel you in to a nasty attack.
Physios and even an acupuncturist are reluctant to treat me, they think something is going on but can't establish what it is. It seems hospital departments do not interact.
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Luludean
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Sorry I've been on losartan now for about five years with no impact on my already pretty bad arthritic knees. Never take digoxin and use warfarin as anti coagulant but not come across a link here amongst our members with either. See your GP and get some action .
What very unhelpful GP and cardiologist I wonder if you have spoken to your pharmacist about possible side effects of the medications you take? They often seem to know more about these things.
I am not familiar with any of your medications I'm afraid but I do know that statins are linked with muscle and joint pain.
Did your cardiologist listen to you? I find now that they do not like to be challenged. I just said( nicely) "could you think of me as a whole person. Not just a heart ? " " because these drugs affect the whole body ".
It was not a good question to ask .
I know the cardiologists saved my life and I am eternally grateful.
Try having a good stretch in bed first thing in morning, i do a full body stretch then get up and walk dog.
I'm very fortunate, my EP has been there for me all the way and does listen to what I'm saying. That's why I ended up on Edoxaban after feeling so ill on rivaoxaban and dabigitran nearly killed me
Orthopaedic consultant told me that "any" medication can cause joint pains and most packet inserts warn of it. My GP and cardiologist were reluctant to admit that Warfarin caused mine.
Stand up to them they usually back down. I wrote to the head of cardiology with a long list of genuine complains about his department. We had a meeting and he put his hands up to them all. He put changes into force for them.
I wrote to the head of urology and he phoned me and started shouting down the phone. I could shout louder than him, Oh yes I can....
Others here on NOAC's have had acupuncture and physio should not be a problem. I had an osteopath turn me down because of a 3.6cm aortic aneurysm. I asked the next one to write to the vascular consultant who told him it was not a problem.
As others here recommend perhaps you should see an EP privately and then get switched to his NHS list.
Your replies have given me hope. Are you based in UK?
It seems in GB we have an inbred grovelling response to,cardiologists.
Next week I have a review with Addenbrookes cardio, he will question why I ever go to Papworth? You have big surgery in one , but if necessary get A a and E in Addenbrookes. It is not a calming situation..
Hi, I have had AFib for several years now. My GP put me on baby aspirin, one a day. I had extreme shortness of breath back in beginning of May, thought I was having a heart attack, so went to the ER. After an enzyme test, EKG, they gave me a nebulizer treatment and said I did not have a heart attack, I do have AFib, but my problem was, they think my asthma had come back. (I had it badly when a child). I was in hospital for 3 days. By the time I left, they had put me on Digoxin and Warfarin, neither did I want, but they insisted I would have a stroke if I didn't take them. They said no more aspirin, as aspirin doesn't work now for people with AFib. After 6 weeks on Digoxin and Warfarin, I was a zombie. Sat in my wheelchair all day trying to stay awake, didn't want to talk to anyone, had terrific joint pain and muscles hurt all over. I told the doctor I was no longer going to take the Digoxin as I couldn't live another day feeling so horrible. So he said, okay, stop the digoxin and upped my Atenolol from 50mg to 100mg, which I did. After a couple of days, I was like a new person! The severe aches and joint pain went away. I still had minor aches and pains and blamed it on the Warfarin, but eventually they went away. I still don't like being on Warfarin, as I have had one nose bleed (never had before), trouble swallowing (never had before), purple toe syndrome (never had before), now red rash on my back (never had before), and these are all possible side effects of Warfarin. My doctor said they might eventually all go away, I could go back to the aspirin, but he didn't advise it. He said I could take other blood thinners, but they all have side effects. So am still on Warfarin and hoping for the best. Long story short, I research everything they give me. Listen to your body. Tell them to take you off the Digoxin and maybe try something else. I know it definitely worked for me! God bless!
Good grief , you have been through it . Sounds like you are being really positive now, well done. Interesting about the joint pains you had, that gave me hope. I am told it's either in my head or........ " at your age....." Or even worse.." It's your posture"... Or it's cos you trained as a dancer.....That is infuriating! Cos the joint pain has come on in past 9 months. Any way glad they listened to you! Will relate what they say to me this Wednesday after I have hospital trip.😀
Well, I'm glad he was nicer this time and listened. Could you ask him to just try coming off of the digoxin for a week or 2 and try taking something else. I bet if you googled people with joint pain while on digoxin, you would find some. Okay, I just googled it, and a website came up and said "68,396 people reported to have side effects when taking Digoxin.
Among them, 1,380 people (2.02%) have Joint pain." Maybe you can find some info online and bring it in to show him. Hopefully he won't get offended. Keep in touch and let us know how it goes. I wish you the very best!
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I wonder if you have spoken to your pharmacist about possible side effects of the medications you take? They often seem to know more about these things.
Hi I am new to the forum 
New medication that I am afraid to take
Hi I am new here just been told I have Afib 
Am I really an 'enigma'?
