Help!

[Jeans1234]

I live in London UK, I have AF recently diagnosed & I take 20mg Rivaroxyban but last 2 days I am suffering very heavy menstrual bleeding. Normally I would contact my GP but I cannot get through to surgery. Should I reduce the dosage or stop or switch?

[Dawsonmackay]

You can't stop because the risk of stroke is ever-present. You may want to do a word search on the anti-coagulant/or just menstrual bleeding. I can recall about 2 weeks ago, another Afibber was talking about heavy menstrual bleeding.

[Jeans1234 in reply to Dawsonmackay]

Thank you

[Dawsonmackay in reply to Jeans1234]

Here is just one thread when I put "menstrual bleeding" in the search terms:

healthunlocked.com/afassoci...

[Desanthony]

It may be worth speaking to your pharmacist. If you can get through on the telephone that is.

[Jeans1234 in reply to Desanthony]

Thank you, that is a good idea. I just managed to get through to GP surgery and a GP will call me, not my own GP but a different one, so at least that is something. But I am so worried about the constant loss of blood and i do not want to risk going to hospital as I am scared of catching coronavirus through cross infection. It's a difficult situation right now.

[Desanthony in reply to Jeans1234]

Yes it really is difficult at the moment but glad you persevered and got through to a GP. We tried to get to our GP two weeks ago as my husband had a sebacious cyst that had become infected over the weekend and had become very inflamed and painful. We rang one surgery for about half an hour or more and then went there but it was closed. Rang our other surgery for about quarter of an hour and eventually went there and spoke to the receptionist through a crack in the door and got the Doctor to ring us back - which he did in the afternoon and organised some antibiotics directly with the pharmacy trying to get through to the pharmacy to see if they had got the script took half a day - we didn't want to go there and risk infection and not be able to collect them - the pharmacy didn't get them for a day and a half by which time the cyst had burst and no problem! Of course not all problems can self right themselves so easily.

[Jeans1234 in reply to Desanthony]

I poke to GP who called me back and she has advised me to stop Rivaroxyban for 24 hrs, and my husband is now going to collect prescription for 15mg Rivaroxynan & a prescription for a medication to stop my period.

[Desanthony in reply to Jeans1234]

Glad you have that sorted.

[Larrikind]

I understand everything you’re going through with the menstrual bleeding! The first period I had on rivaroxaban was a nightmare, I thought to myself this can’t be safe of normal??

I read a lot of forums and mentioned it to my heaomotologist when I went back and he said he was going to try move me in to apixaban as apparently it’s less harsh on the body.

I’d say for now just keep your iron levels up and try not to worry too much.

[Jeans1234 in reply to Larrikind]

Thanks Larrikind

[FancyPants54 in reply to Jeans1234]

Yes, there's no need to worry particularly. Due to a polyp and HRT I went through most of a year bleeding heavily all the time. I mean night pad changed 4 times a day heavy. What a relief to get that polyp removed. But there's no long term effects provided you keep an eye on your iron levels and GP should be happy to run those tests for you after the crisis in the NHS is over.

I was on Apixaban for part of that time and noticed no difference. I also don't seem to bleed excessively if I cut myself etc. So perhaps ask to be swapped to Apixaban.

[Jeans1234]

Thanks