Hi All,
I've suffered with AF since the age of 50, i'm now 57. I only use to get 2 or 3 episodes of AF a year until now. I'm now getting them 3 or more times a week and i'm worried I may be heading towards permanent AF, I'm due to have my 1st ablation next year . My doctor has now put me on Edoxaban 60 mg blood thinners to reduce the risk of a stroke.
My question is - Has anyone had bleeding issues using blood thinners? I'm concerned if I cut myself in anyway I will have excessive bleeding.
In simple terms, no & no. I have been taking Apixaban which is a similar anticoagulant for around 6 yrs and during that time I have not changed the way I do things. A major cause for people’s understandable concern is consistent use of the term “blood thinners” and it’s an uphill battle to encourage folk to use the correct term.
Anticoagulants do not thin blood, they contain an anti-clotting agent which means that it does take a little longer to stem accidental cuts, nose bleeds etc but they do NOT cause spontaneous bleeding. Obviously it’s better to take normal precautions to minimise the risk of having an accident such as wearing gloves when working or a helmet when cycling but people shouldn’t change their activities. Body contact sports and extreme activity can obviously be more dangerous but most of us carry on as normal without any problems….
Thanks for the reply. I just visited my dentist for an hygiene appointment and my mouth filled with blood which as never happened before. I've noticed my blood is more like water 
worries me a bit.
The visocisity is not different, it just takes longer to clot. Flapjack's post contained a bad typo in that (para 2line 2 "they do NOT cause etc "
I've been on anticoagulation (warfarin) for over 16 years and never had a problem but give me aspsirin and my nose bleeds for England. The old dental hygidiene (or lack of it) is always a give away when you start anticoagulants. Just get that gum disease sorted and you will have no more problems.
Corrected…..thanks ☺️
Yes it does take a bit of time to adjust but hopefully after a couple of mouth rinses, the bleeding soon subsided. The important thing to always remember is that it helps to prevent you from having a life changing stroke and that’s a place no one wants to be……remember also that a lot of saliva is generated by the hygienist so any blood would be very diluted so maybe you didn’t bleed so much after all….😉
I have been taking anticoagulants for nearly 6 years now - Eliquis or apixaban as it is sometimes called and no they do not cause bleeding. To be honest I have seen no difference in the way I bleed and stop bleeding at all. I do find I bruise more easily but that might be because of my age.
I am on this one and tolerate it well. Yes you bleed for longer if you cut yourself but it does stop
Hi , I've been on Edoxaban for 2 years now for PAF .Absolutely no issues , I have cut myself now and again as a DIYer and it does bleed for a little longer but put pressure on and it soon stops I've had 2 operations using Canulla's and again it takes a little longer for the bleeding to stop .
Obviously be a more careful generally that's all , the benefit is the reduction in stroke risk which is much higher
Hi, I have been on Edoxaban since 2018, and never had any issues with bleeding or bruising. I had to have a tooth extracted and was terrified of bleeding out, but even then, no problem. Hope this helps.
I’m on Apixaban - similar anticoagulant - had loads of bangs and falls, cuts and bruises, had a pacemaker inserted and then revised, dental work done - not a bother. Cut on leg took a while to staunch the bleed but that’s more because it was on my leg and my age rather than Apixaban.
Agree with BobD - get that gum disease sorted ASAP as there is evidence that it can affect your heart. I go see the hygienist every 3-4 months. When I have a pocket in the gum my gums also bleed for a short time. Trick is make sure you don’t get pockets around the teeth for gums to bleed in the first place.
I have been on edoxiban for nearly a year and had no trouble at all. Has Bob D says they are not blood thinners they simply slow the clotting process. A bleed might take slightly longer to stop but it will.
I'm on Xarelto and if I get scratched by, for instance, rose thorns while gardening, I'll bleed more than normal and have to bandage it. It's no big deal. However, when I have dental procedures, I stop taking Xarelto for a couple days before to prevent excess bleeding. I also tell my dental hygienist when having my teeth cleaned that I'm on the medication so she'll be more careful when picking at the gumline.
As a lady, the main issues I've had are at that time of the month so I was given permission to stop my Apixaban for one week each month. Other than that, blood tests can be a bit tricksy if you get some blood thirsty phlebotomist but just make sure you tell them beforehand and don't leave until its stopped bleeding. Cuts can take a little longer to stop but nothing drastic.
I have been on Edoxaban for over 18 months now. As I am over 65 and only weigh 8 and half stone, I take 30 mg per day. ILike you, I was scared of taking it and thought I’d get excessive bleeding, but I’ve had blood tests, catheters put in my arm and jabs and dental treatment and cut myself and I don’t find it’s much different, from pre-edoxaban, perhaps it might take longer to stop, but it’s no problem. I’m sure you’ll be fine.
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