Hi everyone, found your discussions yesterday when looking up how to live with Apixaban due to atrial fibrillation. I'm an Eliquis newbie, on it for just 5 days. I've been freaking about bleeding, and what you all share is so reassuring and realistically informative - big appreciation to you all.
Apixaban newbie: Hi everyone, found... - Atrial Fibrillati...
Apixaban newbie
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diannetrussell
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Hi Diane I have been on apixaban for 3 weeks now Watching everything I do specially with knives lol I think we all worry when we know a med is altering things that's not in our control Always good to talk to others in same boat
Yes it's a concern, we need to find a balance and not live in fear, but live in conscious presence, very connected with our bodies and aware of our movements and surroundings. And self-responsible. I suppose on the bright side it's a great education!
The condition is a education in its self I think
I agree. Like every challenge in life - asking us to step up, stop being victims and take responsibility for how we got ourselves into situations.... I feel that we emerge better people when we take up the responsibility...
BobDVolunteer
For a long time I have believed that half the reason that people fear anticoagulants is the misnomer "blood thinners". Anticoagulants do not thin blood they merely slow down the clotting process and as such you are not likely to suddenly bleed for no reason. Yes if you have an injury then it may take a little longer to stop bleeding . In fifteen years on warfarin working as I do with race car engines and tools I can honestly say that I have never had any kind of bleed which needed other than normal first aid treatment , (Pressure for a few minutes and then a suitable dressing. ) It is said that the DOACS or NOACS of which apixaban is one are actually safer that warfarin in most instances.
Thanks Bob, your experience is reassuring. And yes from all the research I've read, the DOACs/NOACs are safer and more effective than Warfarin. For many years doctors and other people have suggested I go on Warfarin, but some intuition told me it wasn't right for me and I wouldn't do it. When I read about the increased risk of haemorrhagic stroke, that was the clincher. Since I suffered from migraines for 25 years and have recently had brain inflammation from tropical parasites, plus 2 venomous snake bites, I reckon perhaps the blood vessels in my head are not as well held together as they should be = more risk? Also it bothered me that when on Warfarin the very foods we need to eat lots of for the heart and all other health: dark leafy greens, garlic, omega 3s etc, are the very things you have to keep to a minimum and constantly monitor for! No way! I'm into nourishing my body properly, and not putting poisons into it. So it's been a challenge to have to take drugs. At least with the DOACs/NOACs I can keep eating a healthy diet and not sweat-it if I have a big garlicy spinach frittata on top of the usual!
Hello Dianne 
welcome.
I have been on Apixaban for a year now and was initially very scared. I have had one bad fall in that time and was bruised down one side. I tried to keep my head from hitting the ground and succeeded but got a stiff neck in the process it was worth it though. I put ice on the bruise and don't think it was any worse than other bruising I have had following a fall.
I also cut my hand when down the field while freeing a neighbours sheep from some brambles, I didn't have anything with me to press on the wound only my other hand which I used and held my arms up high . I was scared to look at the wound when I reached home, it was quite deep and had to be washed and a clean dressing applied. I was surprised, it stopped bleeding quite quickly.
I also had a blood test at the Doctors and was worried that might bleed but it didn't at all.
It is possible to buy special dressings , I just use normal ones but can recommend the extra long finger plasters which wrap around twice so allow a bit of pressure to be applied and they don't fall off as easily as many...
landyschemist.com/elastopla...
Thanks doodle68, good to know! I do quite a bit of gardening and usually come out of it with a few nicks and scratches. I will buy elbow length gloves, but sometimes you just can't feel delicate plant roots and so on, so I take them off. Plus there's getting scratched by branches when you stack them, etc, hard to avoid when they can suddenly swing around, and clothes are not sufficient protection. So from what you've said I can dial down my fear meter and live normally, but just stay very aware what I'm doing.
Dianne I am a keen gardener too and grow some of my own vegetables and fruit . I get lots of little cuts though I do wear gloves for the prickly stuff like trimming the pyracantha.
AF is like many health conditions, once you get used to the fact it is there you stop thinking about it so much. I do take more care with cuts that I used to .
Very reassuring ,
Welcome dianne. I have been taking Apixaban for four and a half years and have become quite used to the idea! I am still very careful with sharp instruments, especially when chopping vegetables.
I’ve had a large tooth taken out, had several bad nosebleeds from an allergy and I didn’t bleed out or have any health issues - just my own fear.
When I consider the alternative is to risk a life changing stroke or worse, Apixaban is a welcome addition to my health arsenal!
Best wishes with it.
Finvola, I've read quite a few of your posts, and I have to say you've been one of my saving angels in this first week on Apixaban! In winter when the air is cold and dry here, my nasal mucosa get tight and dry and I easily have nosebleeds from one small vein that's too close to the surface. I was very concerned about what would happen on the drug if my nose bleeds. Also I may have to have a big tooth out, or some kind of dental surgery soon, and was sweating it about that. Not because of bleeds, but because they say stop taking Apixaban 24 - 48 hrs before surgery. I've read that when you stop Apixaban the risk of stroke increases sharply to more than what it was before you went on it, and that's what worries me. So I'm going to research through the clinical science papers and see what's behind that story, whether the increased stroke risk effect is reversible after a while or whether you can phase out the drug slowly. Not sure yet if that's possible.
I am sure you will share your findings when you do, so I for one would like to thank you in advance.
I initially had reassurance from Finvola too, & was most greatful ...
As I find the fear of the medication & it’s side effects more frightening than the AF & associated risks, as stupid as that sounds!
I have been taking the Apixiban since March, & still every time I take out one of those little pills 😳 !
Having said that I am finding as the days go by that 😳 is getting less ..
Hi I too have a fear of taking tablets From taking none I'm on 3 now It's a big sign and mind over matter Never will get use to taking them but it gets easier
It is comforting to know I am not on my own but at the same time not wanting anyone to feel as I do, if that makes sense😕
Yer it makes sense It's a horrible feeling
We're 'quite a crew' aren't we? Facing up to living with the risks of our past choices versus the risks of the treatments for them! I've been very grateful to everyone on this thread, as I'm starting to settle down and not be afraid of every dire possibility. I was getting so caught up in my own thoughts it was awful. As a close friend of mine (a great counsellor) says: "Don't believe everything you think!"
The mind is a massive part of our every day life Sometimes it gives us too much negativity.I find it hard to ignore that's negativity Makes things harder
There is a post just put up here today about NOACs and dental work,study found no but difference or major problems having procedures such as simple tooth extracti on,scaling etc.
Thanks Wilsond, good to know, and I'll send it to my dentist ahead of our next session.
When I had my ablation I didn’t have to stop my anti-coagulation and I m due for a double molar tooth extraction soon and on the form it says that I don’t need to stop it even though apparently they might have to do something with the bone. I do hope that is correct??????????
Hi Dianne - I have been on Rivaroxaban for 4 years and had no problems - as BobD says it does not thin the blood, just takes a little longer to clot. I do wear a simply red wrist band with MEDICAL ALERT - ANTICOAGULANTS - TAKING ANTICOAGULANTS printed on it - so that if emergency medical attention is given they would be aware of it. They are available on the internet cheaply or you can get more fancy ones.
Cassie
Hi Cassie I returned to mention that...
These people are great .....I have my name and Apixaban printed inside mine.
theidbandco.com/?gclid=EAIa...
They are the ones I ordered mine from - they seemed like the best. But it could take up to 3 weeks for it to get to Australia from England... So I tried to make a temp out of another wristband, but the silicone repels ink! So there I was with a pin trying to etch the letters deep to hold the ink.... kind of half successful. If someone really wants to read it they can in the right light. Might get a red keytag and just wear that around my neck like a military dogtag until my wristband comes!
I've got one on order, Cassie, one of the first things I did!
Hello Diane
I can understand your fear it is only natural.
I have on Warfarin for many years and live my life normally.
I even severed an artery in my hand, not to be recommended, and with good management prior to arriving at A&E and some good work bu the doctors all was well in the end.
By all means be careful but please don’t let the fear rule your life.
Pete
Thanks Pete, very comforting... I am still concerned that it will limit my outdoor activities like snorkelling and bush walking... will have to ease back into those, wear a wetsuit and wetsuit gloves, hood, and always long sleeves and pants bushwalking... cross fingers!
Been on Apixiban for over two years with no issues at all....and I am a clumsy individual.
Well I hope your clumsy doesn't ever get you into trouble... I suppose on the bright side any incident could be a great cure for clumsiness! Mum used to say I was like 'a bull at a gate' always ahead of myself and everything just had to get out of the way or break! But I've learned to be more present in my body and thus a more 'graceful' passage through life....
I swopped to Apixaban from warfarin earlier this year. Have had no issues with either thus far.
I fall about every 6 months as innately clumsy. Cracked head before Xmas on way to Nurse clinic so got patched up promptly and GP said risk of cerebral bleed so OH got 6 page print out of head injury obs. I was fine apart from mild concussion!
It is scary and yes love the phrase conscious presence. Can be a mixed blessing as I am much more aware of my bodily niggles now as well as being mindful!
It does get easier.
Thanks Bagrat, I've come to realize our bodies tell the absolute truth of where we are at. If we've been living in a way that's not consciously present, not deeply tender and regarding our ourselves, then whammo! We get the message very clearly - it's a call to change.....
Been in it since September cuts take longer to stop but do stop and bruises about twice as long to go but do go ! It's the safest of the noac drugs and reducesstroke risk by about 75% ! I have had no problems from it !
Andy
diannetrussell• in reply to
Way to go, Andy!
Just to say that over the weekend I cracked my head open needed 6 stitches in a 10cm cut BUT needed a CT scan to ensure that there was no brain bleed - had to wait for the stitches until after the CT scan. Yes there was a lot of blood but there always is with scalp wounds but I have no reservations about the Apixaban
Wow, big cut! My sister cracked her head open similarly in the bath when she was little. Me and my brother could hardly believe the amount of blood. So I guess your story confirms that it may not be that much worse with Apixaban....
I've been on it over a year now for A-Fib. Changed after I had another TIA on the old one. No problems since.
While there is an antidote for Warferin, ambulance do not carry it, so you have to get to A&E anyway for treatment. The worst bleeding I have had was actually at A&E when they took their needle out and discharged me, 10 minutes later it was soaked through and I had to go back in, but n=by the time a nurse got around to me, it had stopped anyway.
I have been on it for 6 months and find the relief that my risk of having another stroke is reduced outweighs the fear of bleeding although I have had a few cuts and scrapes as I am a full on gardenerer and do it yourselfer with not a great deal of blood loss so far . Touchwood ! (The not very sharp wood) It is hard to be taking drugs when you are not a fan of taking them but sometimes we have to trust them to keep us safe and alive.
Too right, Maclan. I'd rather not be on drugs either. But just have to accept that if I want to be a vibrant, contributing member of society and work till I'm 90, I just have to do what it takes!
Hi I was put on Apixaban as I have glucose intolerance. My body just cannot process glucose quickly. Which means I will become Type 2 at some point. I am being careful with my diet. I was on Aspirin but with the high risk of a stroke my consultant put me on Apixaban after doing all the calculations. It's fantastic in that i don't need to watch watch I eat as you do with warfarin
In response to stopping Apixaban and your theory 're increased stroke risk, I recently stopped Apixaban and replaced it with aspirin, and am doing fine. I was experiencing headaches while taking Apixaban and since stopping it haven't had a headache since.
Thanks for responding. I checked out about the increased stroke risk going off NOACs/DOACs, because my question was: when you stop the drug, do you just go back to the same stroke risk you had before you were taking any anticoagulants? In the case of people with Atrial Fibrillation like me, the stroke risk is 5 times normal when you take no drugs. The only answer I could find in the medical literature was not for Apixaban but for Rivaroxaban - stopping that led to a 20 times greater stroke risk. Something called 'rebound hypercoagulability' - I'm checking to see if there's any of that with Apixaban. If so, I'd be inclined to limit any off-time for surgical procedures to just a couple of days, or not go off it at all. I used to be on aspirin daily for the first 2 years of AF, but I got bad stomach erosions and had to stop taking it. So far 7 days into Apixaban and no headaches from it.
This might seems a bit late in asking you this, but in view of your note stopping rivaroxaban leading to 20 times greater stroke risk, you said you were looking into apixaban. Did you find out which was best of all please?
I was on Rivaroxaban initially 20mgs for 3 days then reduced to 15mgs for about for 6months then I began to experience painful joints whereby some days I couldn't stand and extremely tired I complained and was switched to Apixaban 5mgs be I am very tired sleeping all the time lethargic and my joints are a aching reduced now to 2.5mgs BD however no difference I am thinking of going back to aspirins 75mgs
At the end of the day I would like to have back my quality of life
Please enlighten me where I go from here
I was on warfarin but as I travel a lot couldn't handle the testing plus insurance company's are funny about warfarin.
Went on apixaban, it's been great. No testing just take the tabs twice a day. No side effects at all
I often cut myself shaving or when doing DIY. Bleeding stops every time, just might take 5 mins instead of 2.
Don't worry. Good luck.
Think we are walking time bombs when we go on something we don't want to Even though our head and hearts tell us we know we must .I'm dreading my first cut or bang to head .
When does a bang to head warrant a visit to A and E by the way
I bruise and bleed easily and also I seem to bite my tongue a couple of times a year. Whilst on warfarin I did once have to attend A&E as it wouldn't stop but if anything I've found that on apixaban it stops quicker. If you are worried about bleeding get some algaenate dressings (e.g. Savlon ones at Boots) which mop up the blood and seal the wound pretty effectively.
Thanks Mike, that's good to know. I'll look those up in the chemist here. My teeth sometimes take a chunk out of the inside of my mouth - dentist is working on it but it will be a long, expensive job. So those dressings might help meanwhile. I wonder how they go stuck up your nose in a nosebleed?!
They work fine, although a large cotton ball would be cheaper.
Well I just got through my first nosebleed, day 8 of Apixaban. But the Apixaban didn't cause it. I never had a nosebleed till after 1985 when I had surgery up inside my nose to remove overgrown tissues. The surgeon took too much and left a gap that scarred and has never fully closed over. Since then, a period of dry air, especially cold dry air, my tissues get tight and a little vein in that scarred area breaks open. It doesn't bleed much or for very long, and a couple of minutes of pressure and it's done. But that was before Apixaban....
Yesterday morning I woke up with a sore throat and a runny nose.... uh oh! Coming down with a head cold, which means lots of sneezing and blowing nose. Barely slept last night, just trying to breathe and be gentle with my nose.
But this morning I blew it, ever so gently, and gush! Nosebleed. I looked up what's the proper method to deal with nosebleeds when you're on anticoags, but ironically before I could read all of it, I felt like I was going to pass out and had to sit down, held by my flatmate, while I held pressure and a cold gel pack on my nose. Fortunately I had read down to the bit about holding it for 15 minutes. So by the end of 15 minutes (with working my foot and leg muscles to get my blood back up to my faint head) the faintness passed and I dared to slowly release the pressure and cold pack from my nose. A big long clot came out - yay! My blood is still capable of clotting! (Amazing the things you can get delighted about when you're in this situation...) So no more blood came out. But I've been walking around today 'on eggshells' not bending over or blowing my nose, to give that little vein the space to heal itself. At least now I know I can get through a nosebleed on Apixaban! The haemorrhoids will be the next learning curve...
For anyone who needs to know the proper procedure for nosebleeds, here's what I found:
medscape.com/viewarticle/53...
1. Remain calm.
2. Sit in a chair with head forward, keeping mouth open so that blood or clots will not obstruct airway and to avoid choking.
3. Squeeze sides of nose together at the bridge, below the bone, for about 15 minutes.
4. If possible, place a cold cloth or ice against your nose and face to decrease bleeding. Do not plug or block nostrils.
5. After 15 minutes, release pressure. Avoid irritation to nose. If bleeding continues, seek medical attention.
I have been on apixaban for 1 year and 6 months I uster have a two wheel bike but was scared of falling of as I had befor I went on Apixaban so I sold that bike and got a three wheeler bike so i can still go for a ride with my husband and feel safer I got plasters and some other things for if I cut my self that you put in the cut and says it sets and stops the bleed and when I cut things up I stick a fork in to it so I can cut with out my fingers near it but not cut myself since been on Apixiban and I have a med chain on telling anyone I am on it I must say I did worry but not now
I have been on Apixaban for almost 4 years. I have cut myself, fallen, had a bleed in the eye (which is something I have had occasionally over the last 20 years) , had an operation and I wouldn’t have known I was on anti coagulants at all. So I wouldn’t worry. I was concerned at the beginning but no more. Just relax as worrying never solved anything.
Thanks Vron1 and everyone, it's great to hear how the bleed story is not as terrible as the medical articles say. And I appreciate all the little tips and tricks you share for living on Apixaban. I did a whole lot more research reading yesterday, and it keeps confirming that it was the right decision to go on it. I have a science/medical research background, so I can kind of make sense out of the very heady journal articles about the drugs....
From my experience absolute fuss about nothing. Just watch yourself when you shave!
Long-time PAF sufferer here. I had an ischemic stroke in March 2016 and was prescribed apixaban not long after, immediately following an approximate 2 week period of taking dabigatran (Pradaxa), which caused significant upset of my GI system.
No issues for me taking apixaban for 2+ years, however over the last 6 months or so I've developed quite severe joint and muscle pain in my left leg/hip/buttock areas. Several forum members here have talked about experiencing joint & muscle pain while on apixaban.
Ahead of my upcoming PV cryo-ablation my EP Cardiologist very recently switched my NOAC medication from apixaban to dabigatran, in case of any serious bleed during the procedure. (Note there is a readily available reversal agent for dabigatran, but not for apixaban). So far I've experienced no GI issues (thank goodness!) on dabigatran, and as a bonus I've noticed my joint & muscle pain has decreased by at least 50 percent since the switch. Whether coincidence, placebo effect or directly attributable to the apixaban cessation, I don't know, but this is my present situation.
From all reports apixaban does its job very well (I never experienced any bleeding problems), however watch out for progressive joint & muscle pain and weakness after long-term use, which is an unlisted side effect experienced by some patients.
Thanks Breezera, that's useful information to keep at hand just in case.
Diane I got my bracelet of eBay it's like a charm bracelet in silver colour
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