Shingles and apixaban

[Joyn]

Can apixaban cause shingles and should I stop taking it?

[doodle68]

Hi Joy you should talk to your doctor if you have concerns.

Shingles is caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus.

I think it unlikely that Apixaban an anticoagulant which affects the clotting factor in blood would be responsible for causing shingles.

I have had shingles once and don't want it again. I also take Apixaban, I fear a stroke more than shingles so would be reluctant to stop taking Apixaban unless it was absolutely necessary.

[BobD Volunteer]

No and No. What doodle says.

[Kaz747]

Interesting question. I would say it is coincidental but a few days after I was discharged from hospital in April after a cardioversion for atrial flutter and being put on Apixaban, I developed Shingles. About 10 days later my BP skyrocketed and I was diagnosed with nerve pain from the Shingles (I had a CT scan to rule out pulmonary embolism). I was only on Apixaban for 4 weeks as I was low stroke risk and didn’t warrant ongoing anticoagulation at that time. A few weeks later after I was diagnosed with AFib my EP decided to put me on Rivaroxiban which was fine but when they performed a TOE before an ablation in August and found a blood clot in my left atrial appendage, the EP switched me back to Apixiban. Three days later I was admitted to hospital again with unstable blood pressure and the same pain in my chest and back as I’d had in April. EP then switched me to Pradaxa. My GP said she’s seen a number of patients who have issues with Apixaban but it works well for others.

[jennydog in reply to Kaz747]

Interesting that you are on Pradaxa, as I am. Dr Gupta recommends it and I am surprised that relatively few others are given it.

[Kaz747 in reply to jennydog]

I think after my Apixaban experience and the fact that I’d developed a clot when I’d been on Rivaroxiban (although it could have been in the 48 hours that I was off it pre-procedure) the doctor was running out of options 😉

[Bubblybo]

No shingles is a virus from the chicken pox or or varicella infection, nothing to do with Apixaban.

[Jumper]

The chicken pox virus can lie dormant for many years until something triggers it to give you shingles. Some research work has been done that suggests stress may be a catalyst. In my case I had shingles during a period of extreme personal stress. So there may be something in it.

[Vanna-C]

I also developed shingles a couple of weeks after starting anticoagulants, although in my case I was prescribed Rivaroxaban. My GP said that he believed that it was the shock of being admitted to hospital for the first time with AF that could have started the process.