Feel rubbish taking rivaroxaban

[Elli86]

Hi guys.

Just wondering if anyone else has noticed they feel rubbish when taking riveroxaban. I’ve got my ablation on 16th august so have to take them again and am struggling to have any energy at all. Wondering if anyone knows of anything I can do to give myself some energy? Maybe a different brand or different type of anti coagulant. I’m currently taking xarelto and everyday that goes by I seem to feel worse.

Any and all advice welcome 👍

Edit : also if anyone knows how long I’ll have to take these bloody things post ablation I’d love to know. Bisop I can live with for a while after but these things are making life rather difficult

[bantam12]

I chose to take Apixaban rather than Rivaroxaban as side effects are less likely but as your ablation is so close maybe not worth changing. I've had no side effects at all with Apixaban.

[Elli86 in reply to bantam12]

Thanks for response bantam. I guess I’ll have to wait and see how long I need to take them post ablation and hope that it’s not very long. If it’s more than a few weeks then maybe I can look at changing. Just got another week and a half to get through at work and then I’ll be off for a while recovering I expect.

[Hidden]

Hi Elli, sorry to hear that you are experiencing some problems. This may not help much but we rarely get posts from folk suggesting that their anticoagulant is causing them to feel unwell but the same cannot be said about Bisoprolol. Are you taking your Rivaroxaban with a proper fat containing meal. Whilst this is important as it ensures the medication functions correctly, some say Rivaroxaban can cause stomach problems as well. Of course an alternative may be better for you, I have taken Apixaban for over 5 years without any obvious problems. Regarding how long will you be taking them, that really depends on your CHADS2VASC score and even (as we hope) your ablation is successful, if your score is 1 or above, your Doctor is likely to recommend you continue to take an anticoagulant. Probably not what you want to hear and I’m not medically trained but it’s what those who are tend to say………

[Elli86 in reply to Hidden]

Hi flapjack.

Thanks for response.

I have heard this before on this forum. My only answer to this would be most people probably don’t notice as the majority will have to take an anti coag alongside all medication due to their age?

I’m only 35 so I don’t need to take one usually. Only reason I’ve noticed the change now is because I was put on an anti coag when first diagnosed, alongside bisop. I felt terrible and blamed it on the bisop and was changed over to flec. Once on flec I was taken off the anti coag, but unfortunately flec was 10x worse for me so I then went back on bisop and noticed I felt a lot better. I put this down to my body already having gotten used to it from before but now I’ve been put back on anti coags I can catergorically say that it was these, or the combination of both that was causing my symptoms.

Regarding my chadvasc score as I mentioned before it’s zero due to my age and no other complications. So I’m hoping that I will not need to be on these too much longer after my op 🤞🤞🤞🤞🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[Hidden in reply to Elli86]

At that tender young age you are likely to be right, let’s hope so. Hope everything goes well on the 16th, I’m sure you will have seen the 2 AFA factsheets. Please let us know how you get on……

Just as an aside, I only take Apixaban and Diltiazem (a calcium channel blocker) which I could probably stop but choose not to at the moment and at 74, I’m very old😉😂🤔

[Elli86 in reply to Hidden]

😂😂 you’ve still got at least my current lifetime left in you yet flapjack.

I was offered diltiazem after going back on bisop myself but I felt much better the second time around and didn’t want to risk going through a whole new set of side effects so stuck with the bisop. Hoping against all hope that I won’t need to be on anything after a while post op 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞 if not then I don’t really see the point in the op if I’m totally honest. Maybe if I could reduce dose to virtually nothing but even then I don’t think I would see it as a success for me personally.

Thanks for the well wishes and I’m sure I’ll be on here worrying about this that and the other after the op so you’ll definitely hear from me 🤣

[Buffafly]

I have never, as far as I can remember, read of anyone suffering from tiredness as a direct side effect of rivaroxaban although there have been other problems. I would see your GP in case there is something else going on.

[Elli86 in reply to Buffafly]

Hi buffafly. Thanks for reply.

Do you not think my reply to flapjack is a possibility though?

As I said to flap most people will be on anti coags continually so won’t get the opportunity to notice a change? It’s definitely the rivaroxaban causing it as I’ve been absolutely fine for months while just taking bisop. Still had slight fatigue but it’s taken a HUGE nosedive since starting these again and I feel exactly how I did when they first put me on bisop and rivoroxaban together. Can’t see it being a coincidence.

[pusillanimous in reply to Elli86]

Are you absolutely sure it's not the Bisoprolol? I stand to be corrected but I think that and an anticoagulant is the 'default' medication, although when I was first diagnosed 4 years ago the Cardiologist said if I did not get on with it, I could change to Verapamil. which I was already on a small dose of(120mg) with 10mg of Lisonopril. However, whilst I was in hospital for observation after the initial diagnosis of PAF and without any medication, he thought my PB was low enough to manage with just the 250mg Bisoprolol. This proved untrue and the original BP meds. were reinstated. To cut a long story short, over the past year , I found myself wanting to go to sleep at Midday after a good night's sleep (I took the Verapamil at night and the Bisoprolol in the morning.) First of all I stopped the Verapamil, no difference, then I halved the Biso tablet, remarkable difference. I needed a new prescription and wanted to discuss changing entirely to Verapamil with my doctor, but she was on holiday and I saw another partner who of course remonstrated with me for messing with my meds without a doctor's permission! I'm going to make an appointment to see my usual doc this week, to discuss the whole thing . My feeling is that some people can become intolerant to Bisoprolol over time.

[Buffafly in reply to Elli86]

Yes, I accept your point but I always remind people that there are other causes of symptoms besides AF/meds and it can be dangerous to make assumptions. I didn’t like Rivaroxaban for other reasons so I changed to Apixaban and I’m very happy with it. It is easy to change so that is what I would do.

[Elli86 in reply to Buffafly]

Yeah I totally get that buff. Anything could be the cause and that’s the same with everything but I just think this would have to be one hell of a coincidence in order for it too be anything else due to the fact that I feel exactly how I did when they first put me on bisop and riveroxaban. Gonna try and get changed over to apixaban today as can’t function at all on these

[Buffafly in reply to Elli86]

Hope that helps, please let us know as info is helpful to all!

[Elli86 in reply to Buffafly]

Will do 👍

[July30]

Don't worry you will get used to them I've been on them for 5 years following a polomary emberism no problems at all apart from when I cut myself takes forever to stop it.

[Elli86 in reply to July30]

Hi July. I’m not getting used to these. Was same with flec. Although flec I toughed out for a couple of months. It’s only been a couple of weeks back on these and I can’t function. Going to change over to apixaban hopefully today 🤞

[Ducky2003]

I was in my 40s when the AF kicked off 5 years ago and was put onto Rivaroxaban and Bisoprolol. The Bisoprolol made me feel worse than the AF so I was taken off that. I too do not tolerate Flec. I had no issues with Rivaroxaban but was switched over to Apixaban when I had issues with my monthlies (Apixaban is 2xsmaller dose each day) and have had no issues with that either. I think it's worth mentioning to your GP/EP/cardiologist or if an arrhythmia nurse does your pre-op check as it may be coincidental and something else may be your fatigue culprit. As the blanking period after the ablation is 3 months, you may have to continue taking them for at least that time. My ablation was in April and I'm still on Apixaban now. I'm still getting bouts of AF so am happy to be on them fir the moment. Hope all goes well for you.

[Elli86 in reply to Ducky2003]

Thanks for info ducky. I’m going to try and get moved over to apixaban today. 🤞🤞🤞 hopefully it does the job as I can’t function with this fatigue.

[Flyer2820]

Hi Elli86I had an ablation on 5th November 2019 which was highly successful. I will have to take riveroxaban for the rest of my life but no other medication. I have no side effects whatsoever but as all people are different you may be better trying a different anticoagulant. However are you sure it is the riveroxaban that is making you tired and not your other meds. Bisoprolol makes my younger brother very lethargic as may flechanide. Just saying don't discount the fact that other meds could be the cause.

Good luck.

Flyer.

[Elli86 in reply to Flyer2820]

Hi flyer. Good news on the ablation 👍 hope mine is as successful.

In regards to the anti coags I’m fairly sure it’s these if not it’s a very big coincidence. I’m phoning the nurse today to try and get them changed as I got through work yesterday by the skin of my teeth and have had to have today off due to the fatigue. I feel exactly like I did when they first put me on these and bisop so I don’t see it being anything else.

Thanks

[Jimmy37]

Felt the same with apixaban, now take the morning one immediately after breakfast, this helps. Good luck!

[Elli86 in reply to Jimmy37]

Thanks Jimmy 👍

[Ashburton51]

Hello Elli I couldn't take Rivaroxaban it just made me too tired and I couldn't do anything. My GP prescribed Apixaban and I have been absolutely fine on that. I take it every day but that is the only medication I take so I am quite happy with that. Sending you very good wishes for your ablation. Gloria

[Elli86 in reply to Ashburton51]

Hi Gloria. Thanks for the response. Have you had an ablation yourself?

[Ashburton51 in reply to Elli86]

Hi Elli yes I've had two but as my AF has returned and my appointment with the consultant is not until mid September I think I may have to have another one.