Side effects?

[Bb53]

Been on apixiban 5mg BD got 14 months had stroke! AF ?? Had dad had AF and stroke? Connection .over the months mood terrible inability to walk far and shortness of breath.always tired no doctors will make decision to change it contacted the drug firm awaiting feed back or reply anybody else had a problem? Thank you 😊

[BobD Volunteer]

Do you have AF? If so this is likely cause not the drug you mention.

[Beancounter Volunteer]

Hi Bb53

It's unlikely to be the Apixiban, that's an anti-coagulant to try and prevent a further stroke in someone with AF.

But the AF itself often causes the symptoms you are describing, you or is it your Dad? needs to get medical advice and preferably from an Electrophysiologist (EP) your GP can refer you to one.

Be well

Ian

[Bb53 in reply to Beancounter]

Hi lan my dad died a few years ago 😔 I'm a cardiac nurse I've had loads of tests and investigations and I have a reavel recording device in my chest and all the cardiologist can decect is pulse was 42 when I was asleep and I've had bouts of fast heart rate? They feel my stroke caused by AF or pfo I have to never get answers so ill at the minute thanks bev x

[Beancounter Volunteer in reply to Bb53]

Hi Bev

That sounds awful, so let me get this straight, you are under a cardiologist, they have implanted a reveal and only found low heart rate at night and some unspecified "fast bouts"

And you are a cardiac nurse so you do know (probably more than me) about all this stuff.

Why would they think the stroke was AF related if they are not seeing any indication of that on the monitor?

Are you on any other drugs, it still doesn't sound like the Apixiban (and please remember I am not medically qualifed in any way)

You need a diagnosis, so you can work with your medical team to improve your QOL, that's the most important thing

Be well

Ian

[Bb53 in reply to Beancounter]

Thanks you know a lot and give great advice and support ive read your posts🤗I've a echo and cardiology review in Nov just want a few answers I have felt a run or 2 of irregular heart rate I've nursed loads of people over 27 years with AF and I know how awful it is .thank you bev ♥️

[Beancounter Volunteer in reply to Bb53]

November? if you are feeling rubbish now can you not bring it forward? The echo will help, but are you still wearing the monitor?

If not have you thought about buying a Kardia, if you are trying to get a diagnosis, then it's a great tool for that, and next time you feel an irregular heartbeat just grab your phone and the Kardia and measure and see what it says.

You can save the ECGs and even email them to the Cardiologist to show him what is happening.

You didn't say if you were on any other drugs, but you sound like you potentially should be.

Be well

Ian

[Bb53 in reply to Beancounter]

The monitor is implanted in my chest bit like a pacemaker it records on aloop device.on atrovastin as well no other heart meds.

[Hidden]

The Royal College of Physicians Stroke Guidelines 2016 state at 5.7:

"In about a quarter of people with stroke, and more commonly in younger age groups, no cause is evident on initial investigation. Other causes that should be considered include paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF), intracranial arterial disease, cervical artery dissection, antiphospholipid syndrome and other prothrombotic conditions, and patent foramen ovale (PFO)."

May be AF is being identified as a best guess. From my experience, if a Consultant has diagnosed condition X, then the rest of the clinical team will continue providing a treatment for X even when the expected results are not achieved and, other people I know have had a similar experience. I've been discharged with a mass in one lung and no follow up or medication, to be readmitted later with a mass in each lung because I had been misdiagnosed and treated for the wrong condition.

After the stroke I was prescribed Apixaban, and within two weeka it wasn't clear whether I'd had a TIA or a combination of not tolerating Apixaban and a UTI. The Consultant Neurologist then prescribed dabigatran and I haven't had any problems.

[Hertbeat321 in reply to Hidden]

What happened on the apixaban? What where your symptoms? Please

[Bb53 in reply to Hertbeat321]

Very dizzy depressed inability to walk far headaches just feel terrible still on it and palpitations x

[Hidden in reply to Hertbeat321]

The symptoms were a rigid neck that was so painful to the touch that I would automatically guard. It seemed to me that it could be symptomatic of a bleed on the surface of my brain, but two GPs put it down to a UTI that I had after a cystoscopy, but they stopped the Apixaban. They didn't call an ambulance. My Consultant Neurologist was on holiday at the time and she called me in for an emergency CT scan when she returned eight days later. I had had a haemoragic transformation but it was too late to do anything and, it wasn't clear whether that was the issue, or the Apixaban and the UTI, or all three. From experience, clinicians have difficulty in diagnosing a poor reaction to medication, or a stroke without FAST indicators. Last week a GP on Radio Bristol queried whether clinicians were being adequately taught diagnosis; I would say no.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I forgot to add that the rigid neck was accompanied by mental confusion and my wife had difficulty keeping me in bed because I was so agitated and restless.