During a check-up back in October of 2020, I was found to be in afib. I was immediately put on Eliquis. Since October of 2020, I have never experienced another afib event. I was non-symptomatic when it was discovered and continue to be nonsymptomatic. I bought a Kardia device and check for afib 3x a day. Always a normal sinus rhythm. When afib was discovered, I worked on my weight and lost 28 pounds. I was not a drinker then and I don't drink alcohol now. My caffeine intake is generally one cup of tea in the morning. My blood pressure has been 128/69 fairly steady since the weight loss and sensible eating. My calcium score was moderate and my cholesterol is 137. So, is it possible to have one event of afib, and it was caught totally by coincidence the day of my check-up and never have been able to detect another occurrence since October of 2020? I am a 72-year-old male that has great difficulty with Eliquis (many side effects) and with no further evidence of afib in over 14 months, is it possible to have afib once and then change your lifestyle such as weight loss, exercising, etc., ? It almost seems freaky that afib was detected once and never again. Maybe I'm in denial but it seems like I'm treating for something I no longer have. Anyone ever heard of a one-time afib event and never again.?
Thanks for your help. I'm new here and enjoy this sight with such informative, current information.
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MrGC314
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I think the point is that you were and are still asymptomatic so you wouldn't know if you were in A F or not. Regular testing even may miss it especialliy if it comes on whilst you are sleeping as it does for many people.
How much of a gambler are you? Your chadsvasc score sounds like it should be 2 (treating any of the co morbidities does not remove their score) so your stroke risk is quite high. You are not treating your AF you are helping prevent a stroke which regardless of how difficult life may be now would be a whole new ball game.
You can always stop anticoagulatnts if you want to but you can never undo a stroke.
Hoping you have heard of this. I’m taking Flecainide since December 10. Have been on metoprolol 25 mg in am and 12.5 evening with Eliquis 5 mg twice a day.All was perfect until last night. Was woken up with a different beat. It wasn’t the flip flop irregularity. This time it was a run of palps that would stop for a minute or so and then start again as a run of palps and then stop. I got up and took another 12.5 metoprolol and waited it out. This new kind of beat lasted about an hour to hour and a half. I’m exhausted this morning from the extra 1/2 and losing sleep.
I did exercise on the elliptical before dinner for 1/2 hour but have done that before with no issue.
This was my first strange episode since starting Flecainide.
If exercise causes this, why does it wait 7 hours later to hit?
I understand the flip flops with irregularity are gone, but this run of palps is different. I took slow, deep breaths to get through them. Scary, of course. But I thought Flecainide was my answer.
You really need to define palps. The term palpitations merely means that a person is aware of their heart beating.
If you mean that you felt your heart beating fast then this may well be a side effect of flecainide. This drug must normally be taken with a beta blocker (which you are) as it can induce flutter. Realistically you need to discuss with your cardiologist so that you can be monitored to see what actually is happening.
Palpitations can also mean an irregular heartbeat. That's the term we use in the USA. I think in the UK and other countries. there is a different word used.
Yes B arrhythmia describes an irregular heart beat, Palpitations just means a person is aware of their heart and has no other medical meaning. The problem is people think it is a medical term.
Hey. Mr...you sound like ‘a healthy specimen’ to me and maybe the weight loss has done some good. Can I ask what the Apixaban side effects are. I’ve recently (couple of months) changed from Warfarin to Apixaban.
Hi Tickerprobs - Eliquis affects my body temperature. I'm always cold. My legs, ankles, and feet hurt along with ice-cold hands. It totally changed how I feel. In other words, it made me feel not too bad to really bad. I use CPAP and another monitor at night while sleeping and no afib events have been picked up since October of 20. A member asked how big of a gambler I was? I guess the question is, do I take Eliquis and feel totally miserable the rest of my life and have had afib detected one time, or do I roll the dice thinking my 30-pound weight loss, better eating habits, and walking two miles a day, kicked ass and I should live the remaining years of my life feeling pretty good. At 73 in a few months, I would think more years are in the back of me than in front of me. Certainly, there's no cardio doc that's going to say, go ahead, stop the Eliquis. At least my cardio doc said in 6 months we will re-evaluate. Trust me, I just lost my 61-year-old brother to a freaky heart problem. He was in good shape and his issue came out of nowhere. 5 1/2 months in ICU and two mitral valve replacements, he passed with a brain bleed after leaving recovery. One thing I have learned in all my years. There are some doctors that do believe they are really GOD and should be in a totally different business. We the patients, we the customers, should be able to ask questions and lots of them. That's what we are paying for them. Doctors today for the most part want to spend 5 minutes with a patient and not listen to their concerns. I call them the new breed of doctors. Marcus Welby, Ben Casey, Dr Kildare, all gone by the wayside. We all know our bodies and I may sound a bit bitter with the medical professionals but it's a new ball game with patient care. Especially since Covid entered the playing field. Have a good day all!
Hey Mr...just read you article there. I can’t say that I suffer with the cold, in regards to using Eliquis and in fact, I need to sleep with my lower legs uncovered, otherwise they become too warm, uncomfortable and itchy. In recent months I changed from Warfarin to Eliquis/Apixaban, to hopefully help with the hyper pigmentation of my lower legs. I’m not sure but I think it is having a positive effect on the discolouration. CHEERS.
Hello. You may want to ask your doctor about the advisability of trying a lower dose regimen for Eliquis.
My husband is on the half-dose, 2.5 mg twice daily, due to being over age 80 with chronic kidney disease.
His Afib was found to occur only 7% of the time monitored, so doctor feels that his risk of bleeding from standard full dose of Eliquis would be greater than the present risk of stroke.
Doctors can use this lower dosage protocol for other reasons also.
You are wise to consider your own knowledge of your health and body, as well as your quality of life, as you advocate for deeper consideration from your doctors.
Wow! I have more questions than any meaningful info to share. What side effects are you having with Eliquis? I take Eliquis & Metoprolol & I have agonizing side effects, but they are all documented with the beta-blocker. I am curious if some of the side effects are from Eliquis. Also is 137 your total cholesterol quantified in mg as in the US because that's a freaky low number. As far as your decision, no one can advise you but a medical professional. However, I had no idea I had AF & I guess I could be called someone with Lone AF. They don't go into specifics as much in the US. I had absolutely no reason to get AF. However, this is the sad part - AF can't be cured. It can be treated & the earlier you treat it, the better the treatment works. Finally, I found out I had AF because I had a TIA. It was horrible, as we were just getting locked down for Covid & I was alone. My AF journey has been really bumpy. But the one thing I never question is to take Eliquis twice a day. I would discuss your side effects with your doctor. Also, post what they are, I would like to know. Lastly, good fortune to you on your journey.
Hi Camille, please read my response above to Tickerprobs. Eliquis makes my life miserable in so many ways. Expensive to say the least and makes my entire body a block of ice.
I am also asymptomatic and my AF (familial - my sisters all have it too) was discovered by chance. At first the Cardio put me on Biso as he wanted to try and avoid the anticoagulant as I have very think skin (had it all my life but advancing years have made it worse), but he warned me any sign of repeat AF, I must go straight to my GP for a ECG, I carefully watched my HR and a couple of months after the first detection, I found it was over 100bm so I immediately went to my GP and had the ECG which found me to be in AF - she phoned him, he immediately prescribed Warfarin and I saw him a week later, I was, unbeknown to me, in AF when I saw him, He did a cardioversion that afternoon and I was back in NSR. None the less I still take the anticoagulant (Xarelto now) and a HR controller, even though I am without any symptoms, I also take a low dose statin even though my cholesterol is not that high. I will take anything to prevent a stroke !
You went for a regular office visit & they performed cardioversion?! They present cardioversion here as a big **** deal. It takes weeks to be scheduled for one. It's ridiculous considering how long it takes & for me in particular, since it lasted 4 days & afterward my Dr. said he knew it wouldn't work. I want a Dr. like yours. lol Happy that yours worked!
Yes, I'm in South Africa and only certain people qualify for public health- those of us that don't, pay to schemes called Medical Aid Societies, it is not the same as Insurance. There are various plans, most involving private care. Most specialists have their offices in private hospitals so it is easy for them to admit you to a ward(the procedure is carried out in a cardiac ward) the specialist has complete control over who is admitted to his ward. So he consults in the morning and does the minor procedures cardios can do, in the afternoon. I'm English, and the most noticeable thing to me, apart from quicker treatment is the attitude of the specialist towards you - because you are paying via your medical aid, you are treated with respect and friendliness, not with the superior manner I have noted in some NHS specialists in the UK. I can assure you it's a simple process !
I do have one procedure question. To me, the most important part of getting cardioversion is the TEE. Do they give people anesthesia & a TEE on a full stomach? Because that part of cardioversion I understand takes planning.
It's a very light anaesthetic, you are brought out of it as soon as the procedure is done. I hadn't eaten anything for 6 hours- I had seen the specialist in the morning, and taken to the ward and a very comfortable bed after the consultation, so did not have a meal before the procedure in the afternoon, I was given chicken sandwiches afterwards ! But as soon as I felt I was ready, which was very soon after the event, I got dressed and went down to the waiting area lounge for my son to collect me. It really was nothing to worry about. So I can say I was without food from 9am to 3pm - I had breakfast before I saw the Cardio.
Transesophageal Echocardiogram. They use another acronym in the UK. In order to have cardioversion, a TEE is done to make sure everything is okay & a person doesn't have clots. It's even done with people who are taking blood thinners. It's very rare, but cardioversion can cause blood clots to move.
I went to the ward straight from the consultation with the specialist. He has every variety of equipment in his rooms, - he does Echocardiograms, 12 lead ECGs, stress tests if needed, ultra sounds - he's got a room full of machines, so I guess he did everything needed. Although not an EP, he is a very experienced mature Cardio who had known Chris Barnard when he was a student at Groote Schuur after the first heart transplant, so he had moved in esteemed circles, so I think he did what was necessary. I was referred to him when my GP first diagnosed Afib a few months before- it was diagnosed because I had cut my leg on an Aloe plant in my garden, and it had got infected, so I went along to the practice and one of the doctors prescribed an anti- biotic which did not agree with me, and I could not stop vomiting, until I was vomiting flecks of blood, I phoned my GP's surgery and was told to go in at once. They did an ECG and I was in Afib with a HR of 140.The GP was worried I might have damaged an artery, so I was immediately sent to the specialist. He had me in hospital for a weekend doing tests and monitoring, to make sure there was no damage, so I think he did all that was required before the Cardioversion!
Wow! Just one more question. Are you in the UK or the US or some other country? Also, one last comment. I don't trust any medical professional 100%. I question everything & from what I've read about cardioversion here in the US, a TEE is done every time. I've been on Eliquis for a year and they still did a TEE. It's actually the worst part of cardioversion. It's part of the reason you need to have an empty stomach. But glad things are good for you!
I'm in South Africa - I have only ever had one cardioversion - I see the Specialist once a year and he does all the tests, In between times I see my GP every six months and she does an ECG if she feels like it ! I am virtually symptomless, occasionally I have this strange hollow feeling in my stomach, and my primitive equipment shows an irregular heartbeat, but it's largely anxiety which is a trigger for me, and one Alzam tablet sorts it out in a couple of hours. Fortunately both my GP and Cardio are easy to talk to and are happy to listen to what I have to say, so I feel I am in good hands even if they are not perfect. So all the best for your procedure. it will go well, let us know how you felt about it. I'm sure an empty stomach is not essential, as people have this procedure in emergency situations and I don't think they're too concerned about their digestive systems !
Congrats on the weight loss etc, great effort indeed. I have wondered a very similar thing about only one Afib episode, and have posted a question on this site about it - my experience is that I had one episode in January 2020 and have not had another since (big lifestyle changes in the meantime), but mine was VERY symptomatic and I was in A&E and had to be electrically cardio-verted. I saw my cardiologist recently for a check-in, and asked him the same question, and he assured me that despite what it says on the internet, it is perfectly possible to get one episode of afib and one only, and it never occurring again. I live in hope every day that this is the case. Take care and keep up your healthy living.
Tomgunn - thanks for your reply and the honestly of your doctor. Not too many doctors will go on the record to say, one and done. I think in my case and yours, it is totally possible to have one and done. I'm in total tune with my body at every level.
Similar ncase here. One big long episode a year ago, no idea why...chalked up to a big meal too close to bed time. Nothing before or since. Been on slow release calcium channel blockers, and Xeralto since. No side effects whatsoever. I maintain a very active lifestyle, have cut and gashed myself a few times as well with no excessive bleeding. Since I have no issues, I'll not be rocking the boat. If I had side effects, I'd be all over my doc to investigate/switch meds.
So many here know much more than I about this condition, and are adamant it is for life, and only hides in remission, so I'm going with that.
I've been told by EPs that it's completely impossible to predict the future trajectory of AF. I had an episode aged 39 (which wasn't then recognised as AF) and then had very little for over 20 years. You could be lucky and not be bothered by it again. The key issues to address are alcohol (which you've already addressed), weight (if you are overweight) and stress.
I have symptomatic AF though not many episodes (maybe three a year) but I was shocked to find that one of my episodes had started at 1.00am whilst I was asleep - tracked by my Apple watch. I continued to sleep through it until about 4am when I woke to go to the loo and immediately realised. That in itself told me I would never be safe being without anticoagulants.
I have woken up in afib a couple of times with no idea how long I had been in it before waking up. My first couple of afib episodes were very symtomatic ( fighting frogs in chest ) but since then the onset is far more subtle . I hate taking Apixaban but would not stop .
A coincidence, me too. First one I was on my own and thought I had indigestion, the chest and back pain was quite bad. The second one I also had the same symptoms, but I walked over to my daughter's and she took one look at me and took me to my doctor's who diagnosed me there and then. Oddly I wasn't aware of my heart racing, I just felt (and looked) very unwell. In subsequent episodes I have been aware of my heart but I have never had pain again.
Hi. I was wondering the same as you. First episode 26 December 2019 - lasted 3 days but I was very systematic, I felt every thumping heartbeat. Managed to see GP whilst still in AF to confirm (my Apple Watch picked the AF up - that’s how I knew what it was). Paid private for diagnosis, had an echocardiogram which confirmed left atria enlargement. The pandemic then hit us so unable to discuss anything with GP since. Exactly 2 years later, on 23 December this year it struck me again (I was only thinking, like you, maybe it was a one off). Hospitalised overnight with HR 120 and over - a cardiac consultant came to see me and he advised in time they will become more frequent, and more than likely permanent. I take Edoxaban anticoagulant and am not aware of any side effects .
You probably have what is called Lone AF. The risk of the stroke is very well explained here. Your risk seems to be 3,5%, same as mine. It is not zero even if you take anticoagulants.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CHA2D...
I believe in most circumstances Quality of Life should determine your actions. Keep up the lifestyle changes as you are clearly near the AF threshold. If Eliquis is causing significant side effects, personally I would look at doing multiple tests over a month or more using a halter monitor or other gadget to record your pulse - the cost will be well worth it to help make the right decision for you.
I went back and forth to my GP a good number of times over a good number of years due to being self aware that I had AF and, quite often, swollen ankles. He sent me away many times after examination, telling me that there was nothing wrong. I felt like a time waster.
Then, one day when he was listening to my chest for an unrelated problem, he picked up the AF for himeself. Wow! Suddenly it was all systems go. Referral to cardiology and meds prescribed straight away. I told him I had had it for years but it had never been confirmed. He gave me the look that says, 'Oh yeah! Well, you would say that now.'
Anyway, once all the cardio tests were done the consultant sat me down and pulled up his chair so close that his knees were actually touching mine. He took hold of my hands and frightened me half to death by telling me in a very sad voice that I had paroxysmal AF and a high risk of stroke so I must take the meds and never miss them.
Then he discharged me!
Now, many years later, my AF has gone into overdrive and I have been put on the waiting list for catheter ablation.
I think, as others have said, AF can be difficult to detect or confirm, but it doesn't actually go away. Mine has been manageable for years, but now it's woken up and gives me problems.
If I were you, I would seek further medical advice and ask the question again of someone who is a specialist in AF. It seems to me that all our stories are very different. You could be the lucky one! xx Moy
Hey there Moy...I can definitely relate to the swollen ankles (not so bad at the moment). You describe your many visits to your GP over the years and the mentionings of your irregular heart beats, which was never picked up by him. Then his sudden eureka moment when he cottoned on. Quite unbelievable really, isn’t it. Take care of yourself.
My GP was still quite a young man then but is now retired. He mellowed over time (and probably, so did I!) and eventually, we had a really good relationship. He was locum for our surgery a few weeks back and when he phoned me, he greeted me like a long lost friend! It's funny how things can turn around. xx Moy
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