Extreme bone pain.

[Luludean]

I know I am clutching at straws but is there any concrete evidence that Xarelto can case sudden bone degeneration, not muscle ? I am not on statins which we know cause muscle problems.

[Asdfvv]

I know it has caused me joint pain

[Luludean in reply to Asdfvv]

What did you do about it? Did your AF specialist listen to you? Mine ridiculed me,

[Polski]

Your bones need calcium, but this doesn't mean taking calcium supplements. In order to use the calcium in your food and get it into the bones, you need Vitamin D3, Vitamin K2 and magnesium. Search on here (box top right of screen) for full details of the best ways of increasing your magnesium intake. Check your doctor sees no reason for your not trying this, eg if you have kidney problems. (The normal assumption is that any excess vitamins or minerals will be lost via the kidneys)

Processing the medication we take uses up our vitamins and minerals, and then we develop other problems eg side-effects because of a lack of these nutrients. So if you do nothing else, I suggest you get a good multi-vitamin-and-mineral tablet and take it daily for three months (eg from a health food shop). The suggestions above will work better if you do this as well, as all these nutrients work together. It takes three months to replenish the body, although magnesium will take longer (Avoid magnesium oxide and make sure you don't get diarrhea frequently, as that will cause you to lose electrolytes such as calcium, chloride, magnesium, sodium and potassium and that will make the AF worse)

Hope this helps.

Polski

[Sunny-fl]

I have been trying to pinpoint the source of my back pain (as I sit here with a warm cloth on my neck) and wondering if it might be a side effect of the xarelto. I also take diltiazem. I try to get the vitamins and minerals from the food I eat and getting a few minutes of sun most days. Also bought a new mattress and do yoga. I will check out the search box for magnesium.

[youngchucks]

I also take xarolto and diltazam and have been experiencing many different bone pains but the doctors just don't listen and put it down to age arthritis do you think viataming etc may work

[Silver40]

Wish I knew the answer to this Luludean. I firstly started experiencing weak leg muscles shortly after taking Apixaban and after 3 months changed to rivaroxaban (xarelto). Within two weeks I had painful legs, arms and lower back. I do have osteoarthritis and am older but all my aches have intensified to real pain and my leg muscles are still very weak. I don't think enough is known about side effects of these new anticoagulants, and GPs and cardiologists too easily dismiss our complaints and blame other age related possibilities. I have been referred to a rheumatologist although recent blood tests have proved my inflammation markers to be normal. I'm also seeing an EP in June and hoping he has more knowledge. I'm seriously considering going back to warfarin.

Hopefully through the excellent input on this forum we can gather anecdotal evidence at least.

Keep well

Val (silver40)

[Luludean in reply to Silver40]

It seems that so many people on Xarelto are experiencing bad joint pain that it is more than a mere chance connection.

Surely some forum should listen to us.

[angiek in reply to Silver40]

Hi Val, just to say that having 'normal' inflammation markers doesn't necessarily mean you don't have an inflammatory disease! I am recently diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica and my markers were towards the high end of normal.

[Silver40 in reply to angiek]

Thanks for that angiek!

Strangely ( or perhaps not so strange!) it was my cardiologist that referred me to rheumatology. My GP did not think it was worth following up despite my symptoms.

The problem is , as I'm sure most of us have experienced, with ageing and possible medication side effects, it requires detective work to disentangle the possibilities.

Thanks once again. Val

[angiek in reply to Silver40]

Good luck!

[angiek in reply to angiek]

Oh and on the PMR support group here it seems that as many as 20% of sufferers do not have raised markers.

[angiek]

I developed severe pain in different places in my legs about a month after starting Xarelto. Had to follow the usual path in UK and see physio for weeks, then wait for Xrays, then scans. By the time I saw GP for results of these I had had an ablation and stopped the Xarelto - AND the pain had gone too!

Four years on and I have now been diagnosed with Polymyalgia - most of the pain being in my arms and shoulders/neck, but feeling very like the pain I had in my legs. So the PMR may have been the cause of that all along too BUT on the MRI scan it showed 'bruising' on my femur which was where much of the pain was...bruising is caused by bleeding...so was it the anticoagulant after all? Who knows?!

[Silver40 in reply to angiek]

"Curiouser and Curiouser!" I hope you are now getting the correct treatment and relief from the pain. I have to stop xarelto for a couple of days at the weekend before surgery for a hernia, but I doubt that will be long enough to see any change. Ironically I have been in normal sinus rhythm for over a year now.

Apologies Luludean for hijacking your original query! Think we have all benefited from the info.

Keep posting folks!

[Luludean in reply to Silver40]

Sadly the pain is worse. I do not know what to do. So far prescribed, amiltriptiline, codeine, diazepam.baclofen.

One of these is increasing the AF that I usually cope with.

No follow up appointments .

[Polski]

There are other NOACs besides Xarelto, and also warfarin - so see your doctor about trying an alternative.

[Luludean in reply to Polski]

I hope you get some understanding!! I do not know what to do with myself. Have been mainly stuck in house for 3 weeks now with this low back pain . It is very demoralising! Luckily a few friends have done shopping.

I do not know why I have not been referred to a Muscular, skeletal guru or a pain clinic.. With AF and on Xarelto the pain relieving drugs are very limited . One of them made my AF worse, another made me sick . I don't want one that befuddles me, I am terrified of leaving a tap or cooker on .

Good luck with your visit.

[Sunny-fl]

Luludean, my back pain has also gotten worse in the last couple days and I have an appointment with my Primary Care Doctor today. I am doing everything I know to ease the pain. Hope we can find out what is causing this.

[Tako2009]

Luludean I sympathise as I also have concerns about effect of this drug on bone degeneration. I have an appointment to discuss with my GP but am not expecting much help as when I asked before I was just fobbed off with the “age / wear and tear” diagnosis and told to take paracetamol. Here’s why I am concerned - I have been taking Xarelto for about 2 years since diagnosed with AF. At the same time I was struggling with recurrent chest infections (now resolved) and this led to me having 2 chest X-rays - one a couple of months after the AF diagnosis and one in January this year. The first one showed only that I had an infection no other issues raised. The more recent one showed deterioration in the spine, an entirely new problem never raised before. I take all the recommended supplements recommended in the posts above and ensure my diet includes calcium so I don’t think this is down to lack of calcium. Like you I have constant pain in my back plus muscle and joint pain - if I do find out any more information I will be sure to let you know. Liz

[Luludean]

Tako , I wait to hear more. It is really a horrible situation. Been given shed loads of different pills but I double check each and it's compatibility with Xarelto. Getting no where but each day I am in more pain, and yes I think they too often just fob us off with the age thing.