Iam an 87 year old male and have always been relatively fit and healthy. Although I had no symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation, I was diagnosed with A F last Summer and was prescribed Apixaban 2.5mg twice a day. Since then I have felt generally light headed with the feeling of being on the cusp of fainting most of the time. I have seen my GP and had various tests and the result has been negative but I notice they never mention that it could be Blood Thinners.
I see that others on this forum have felt the same way and I am trying to find out if Blood Thinners is the cause, although this aspect is not mentioned as one of the side effects. Therefore, any input from from members would be most welcome.
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Bernie9927
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Being lightheaded is listed as a common side effect, maybe you could try a different anticoagulant.
Hi Bernie, are you taking any other medication. AF itself can also make you feel faint and sometimes dizzy. It may be worth changing to another anticoagulant to see if it makes a difference but please don’t be tempted to taking it as the consequences could be serious........
Many thanks for replying. I only take metformin each day for Type 2 diabetes but have taken it for years, so am sure they are not the problem. I certainly will not be tempted to withdraw the Anti-coagulants yet and hope to see my GP (with luck) when I see what other members have to say.
First thing to say is Apixaban is not a blood thinner but an anti-coagulant.
Some times it takes a while for the body to adjust to a new drug.
Lower blood pressure is listed as a common side effect which can make you feel faint. I suggest contacting your doctor and getting him to check it is not going too low. Although low blood pressure is a form of protection from strokes it can go too low.
I don't personally suffer from any side effects that I'm aware of. I take the 5 mg dose now since I had a major stroke. (trust me you do not want to risk one) I'm 77 and exercise every day even during an SVT event. My heart rate always increases during exercise so presumably my blood pressure rises at the same time.
Many thanks Roy. I started taking Apixaban 8 months ago and would have thought the effects of it would have adjusted by now. I have never experienced this feeling before and can only assume it is the blood thinners/ anti-coagulants I take now. As far as B P is concerned, I check it regularly with my own machine and that appears quite normal for my age, so I am hoping to see my GP (if I am lucky enough) once I have gathered enough information.
I ask because I was originally put on a statin and bisoprolol as well as Apixaban even though I have the lowest level of cholesterol the doctors have ever seen. I did suffer from excessively low blood pressure ever so often and felt dreadful so with my Doctors consent I came of both those drugs and my blood pressure has been normal ever since.
Hi Bernie. Well done on getting to 87 and being fit and healthy. I note that you were not getting any symptoms of AF prior to being diagnosed so your light headedness is possibly (but not definitely) something to do with the medication rather than the AF itself. I notice you are on the lower dose of Apixaban of 2.5mg twice daily rather than the full dose of 5mg twice daily ( probably due to being over 80?). I take Apixaban also but haven't noticed light headedness. I was diagnosed with asymptomatic AF in June last year and was also given 5mg Bisoprolol (beta blocker) which lowered my heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) and this did make me feel very faint especially when standing up. Both HR and BP were much too low so the dose was reduced to 2.5mg Bisoprolol. This still keeps my BP quite low (eg110/75) and resting HR low (eg 60) but I don't now feel faint.
I was wondering if you are taking any other medication for AF for rate control (such as beta blockers) which might be causing the problem. Do you know your BP and resting HR? Do you have a blood pressure monitor at home to check your BP and resting HR ( you can get an Omron BP monitor for less than £40 on Amazon. Omron are the best known manufacturer).
As others have said do not stop taking your anticoagulent as the risk of a stroke is not worth it. Steve
Thanks for replying Steve. The only other medication I take is Metformin for Type 2 diabetes which I have had for years, so I do not think they are the problem. My BP is also normal for my age, so I can only put this down to Anticoagulants. Once I have gathered all the information from this forum, I will see my GP,assuming I am lucky enough to get an appointment.
Hi, I started on Riveroxaban which appeared to cause a bleed in my stomach 9 months ago so the Dr put me onto Apixaban 2.5 twice a day, the bleeding stopped and I've had no problems since, certainly no light headed problems. I expect there will be comments that blood anticoagulants do not cause bleeding which I can accept, but I appear to bleed easily, many a nose bleed when I was on aspirin and the stomach bleed for whatever reason, who knows. Good luck.
I am unable to take any of the new anticoagulants owing to horrible side effects. Apixaban was the worst of all, and affected my nervouse system and gave me terrible anxiety when I dicontinued it. I would think with you, as with myself, it will be trial and error. Perhaps one of the others may suit you better. With myself, it was a long process of being ill, before I was eventually put on Warfarin. Although I still have some side effects, it is tolerable. I think you need to speak to your doctor about your concerns. Don't put up with being fobbed off! It is important that you take an anticoagulant.
Lightheadedness is not a side effect of Apixaban as far as I know. However it can be a consequence, if you become anaemic from taking the Apixaban (due to blood loss). The same would be true of any anticoagulant (AC). From what you say, your GP has ruled this out.
Medications for high blood pressure and angina, as well as diuretics are common causes of feeling faint when you stand up, at your age.
If you feel faint when sitting as well as standing, this might be due to your heart going too slowly for short periods. There is a condition called Sick Sinus Syndrome, when the heart can have a normal rhythm and then beat irregularly, or too fast, or both, as in AFib, and another time go too slow due to what is called heart block. Sometimes this is treated with a cardiac pacemaker, particularly if it causes blackouts.
I think you should talk again to your GP in the near future. In your position, I would definitely not be stopping the Apixaban before then.
Unfortunately, the patients leaflet that comes with my brand (Elequis) does not mention dizzyness and feeling faint as a possible side effect for AF but I note that the NHS website does - hence my post.
I see what you mean but I have never had a Low blood pressure and therefore I assumed that section does not apply to me. I have my own machine and check myself regularly and it is always normal for my age whereas this awful lighthead feeling is with me all the time. However, I will take on board what you have to say when I get to my G P and will check my B P with him then.
I should think it would be a good idea for your doctor to refer you to an Electrophysiologist who can begin a holter monitor for at least a week or more. I have Sick Sinus Syndrome and my heart rate would drop suddenly and I would feel faint. I now have a pacemaker. Seems more investigation is warranted. I too am on Eliquis. Best Regards. Sarah from San Diego
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