hi, wondered if any one could help. A month ago I ended up in a and e because of very intense pain in right hip, nausea, vomiting and generally feeling very, very poorly. I was given intravenous morphine and my heart went crazy. I told the nurse immediately and for the next four hours my heart just didn’t settle down. Later on a ward I had heart monitoring which showed my heart was still beating in abnormal rythmn. My question is about Apaxiban. I have been prescribed it and haven’t taken it. My discharge notes to my gp says it’s prescribed to decogagulate me in case my heart needs resetting and to take it for a month prior to my appointment which was originally booked for May. My appointment has been moved and is in two weeks. To be honest I’m not that keen on taking medication that has been prescribed remotely. I have no idea really what’s going on with my heart and I have no idea about the side effects if this medication . I have always bruised very very easily and I’m quite wary of what effects Apaxiban may have, Does anyone take it and could give me their experiences rather than me Google it and frighten myself to death?
advice appreciated Apaxiban. - Atrial Fibrillati...
advice appreciated Apaxiban.
If you have atrial fibrillation then you are five times more at risk of having a serious stroke. The apixaban (an anticoagulant) reduces this risk by approx 70% which is why it has been prescribed.
If you are due to have a cardioversion to re-set your heart rhythm then it is vital that you have been taking this drug to ensure that you are adequately anticoagulated. If you have not ben taking it there is a very real risk that a clot may have formed in your heart which may be ejected by the procedure and at best cause a serious stroke. Please do as you have been told or at at least cancel any ideas of cardioversion until you have taken the anticoagulants for the prescribed period.
Oh and stop looking at google. If you want to be fightened then come here and have it done properly by people who understand the problem. lol 😁
thanks BobD, I only read about the possibility of stroke yesterday. I haven’t yet seen anyone who specialises in hearts or been able to talk to my gp, although I have tried lots of times so completely in the dark. Also, I will admit, completely resistant to the idea that there may be something wrong with my heart which has been doing it’s job in a satisfactory fashion for 57 years
And you heart is still doing it’s job and will continue to do so for very many years yet. A bit like a clock, it’s just not keeping rhythm and time very well so may need to be reset.
AF is NOT immediately life threatening such as Cardio Vascular Disease can be, although it most certainly is life changing and often for the better. Stick around this forum long enough and you will hear about people who had to clean up their lifestyle and have actually THANKED their AF for helping them to realise that clean living improves health and ageing.
But the one thing we are all agreed about (well most of us) is that Apixaban or any other prescribed anticoagulant is important to take if you want to lower your stroke risk - stroke is rarely reversible and AF strokes, if you survive, tend to be serious and incapacitating.
It comes down to which you are more frightened of - occasional bleeds and bruises, all of which can be stopped and heal quickly or a devastating stroke?
This is an incredibly supportive forum and there is always someone around to help, support and inform. I’ve had AF for over 15 years now and taken Apixaban for the last 8 years. I’ve knocked myself and bruised, cut myself, broken 5 bones and not bled out once and apart from the broken bones, not even had to visit a doctor.
There is just too much nonsense and misinformation and scare stories about anticoagulants on the internet but every one of us has been where you are now and most of us come to the conclusion that we are probably safer WITH than without.
Obviously only you can chose what you put into your body.
Best wishes and welcome by the way 😄
Hi, have you continued to drive with AF might I ask?
I’m curious as to why you would even ask?
AF has never stopped me from driving. I had my license revoked for another more disabling condition for 6 months but having AF and driving never worried me. I’m now on an 3 year medical license which is a bit of a bore to renew as I have to have medical and full eye test - other than that not a problem. Unless your doctor tells you not to drive because of black outs AF is a self reporting condition to the DVLA.
Thanks for your quick reply. I was diagnosed with AF last year and was never advised not to drive. I was reading your post and thought you might know as you've been diagnosed alot longer.
healthline.com/health-news/... ? Says 43% here
Hi Fermino,
Apixaban is a widely used modern anti-coagulant and well tolerated by lots of people on this forum. I've taken it for years without any issue. It does slow the rate at which clots form which is why it has been prescribed for you. It won't make you bleed spontaneously although if you get a cut it will take longer to stop.
Take Bob's advice and follow your doctor's advice!
Good Luck
if you’re still in AFib please tell me you’ve started apaxaban. They won’t cardiovert you if you’ve not been taking it as the risk of a stroke is too high.
hello and thank you for very kindly taking the time to respond to my post. My heart was crazy for about 12 hours after I was given IV morphine but has settled down a lot now. However every so often I do get flutters. My appointment in a couple of weeks is to see the consultant and have an echocardiogram, so I guess I will know more then. I sound like I’m resistant towards taking Apaxiban. I’m not particularly, I suppose what I’m thinking about is was a one off, caused by the morphine or not. So far I have been unable to actually see or talk to any medical professionals, rung hospital, no one answers, can’t get gp appointment.
Did they tell you why the morphine? I had morphine once - orally after suspected MI and it sent my heart crazy too for a while and made me seriously ill.
It could have been a one off episode but it is not unusual for one off AF episodes to become Paroxysmal AF.
My first AF episode was in the middle of the Atlantic on a small yacht, no access to medical advice so I had no options but to cope. I had nothing then for a year, then another then nothing, then 6 months later then every month, then every week, then every day. If you have a had one episode, albeit triggered by morphine, there is a good chance you may have another so in your shoes, I would take the Apixaban for at least a few months, see a specialist and take advice and if no more episodes reconsider the need - but only after proper assessment from a specialist.
Best wishes
Hi,
You really need to take the anticoagulant I was resistant too but took it and was glad I did - my heart had been working very well for over 70 years and I was a semi professional athlete and Physical Education Instructor for 37 years and Parachute Jumping Instructor for 30 years - possibly why I got AF working at such a high rate. I have now been taking apixaban for 6 years with no issues at all. I have not noticed that I actually take longer to stop bleeding when I cut myself but then have always stopped bleeding and healed quickly and this hasn't changed even as I have got older - it may have changed by about a second but really not noticeable so stop worrying and take the medication as you should. It could be that as you seem to have an appointment which will likely include a cardioversion that your heart will be cardioverted back into Normal Sinus Rhythm (NSR) quickly and the quicker this is done the better and longer this will last but they will not do it unless you have taken apixaban for at least a month before the procedure. If you want to see a cardiologist or better still an Electrophysiologist (EP) sooner then look up your nearest private hospital and make an appointment to see one privately - you should be able to see one within a month. Cost will be anything from £150 to £300 but they may want to do tests and scans when they see you and these can be expensive so ask if those can be done on NHS these will cost anything between £400 and £800 and a cardioversion more - I can't remember now how much I was quoted 6 years ago. However it looks to me like you NHS has you on their radar and you will get treated soon.
I have been taking Apixapan about four years for PAF. No problems at all.
As someone who had a stroke nearly two and a half years ago, and I was active and healthy despite AF before that, take it from me that apixaban might make all the difference to your being permanently disabled or prematurely dead if you just ignore the advice. While reading the notes about any anticoagulant can itself be quite scary, the chances of serious bleeding or other incidents are minimal compared to the risk of stroke you are under at the present. Just take care not to do things that could cause physical injury. From what you say it is unlikely that you will need to take it permanently anyway. You will find most of the people on this forum are taking Apixaban or something like it, and very few of us have had any serious consequences from this safer-than-all-the-rest anticoagulant drugs.
I see apixaban as my friend…..reducing as Bob says the risk of stroke by 70 percent to me is another box ticked in this maze of illnesses we could get . I’ve taken it five years and had no side effects, I have blood taken and I don’t see any extra bleeding than I did before this….you really must take it, and dont give it a second thought it’s our little helper!
Sue.
AF puts you at high risks of blood clots. I have just gone on to apixaban after taking rivaroxaban for a year. I seem to not have any side effects on this one so far. When I had a cardioversion a year ago I was told that if I had even missed one blood thinner leading up to this that I would be at a very high risk of stroke while having this procedure carried out. Unfortunately we have to risks some side affects to keep ourselves safer from the effects of AF. It's a life-changing condition and can be very worrying but looking on Google will confuse you even more
Hi Fermino
I’ve been on Apixaban for about three years; much better than Warfarin as I don’t seem to bruise so easily. No obvious side effects except bad chilblains on my fingers and toes - but I had bad circulation before taking it.
Have you been prescribed Omeprazole for the stomach problems, I am on apixaban x2 per day plus 75 mg asprin and the Omeprazole, I have been having a few problems, pain in joints only in the last couple of days but sickness and dizzy spells for some time, been for checks, all ok, maybe related to Apixaban or Asprin maybe not
I've had persistent AF for over 3 years now, and have always taken daily anticoagulants during this time. I was started off on warfarin, which did have noticeable effects. For instance, a couple of times I accidentally knocked a hand - not too hard, but this then resulted in bruising , with the bleed spreading to cover most of the back of the hand. Quite alarming, particularly because it was unexpected. However, since being switched to apixaban (I'd guess for the last 2 years) I have not noticed anything abnormal at all. No increased tendency to bruise or protracted bleeding from cuts. I take 2 x 5mg tablets daily.
I am personally persuaded that the reduced risk of stroke significantly outweighs any risky side effects from the apixaban. Of course, I can only speak of my own experience - different people have different responses to medication.
Hi Fermino, I’ve been taking Apaxiban since April ‘22 and it’s all been good. If I cut myself I do bleed much more easily but the benefits for me are worth the extra thin blood and bruising, although for me the bruising isn’t an issue and I really have to wallow myself to see an difference from pre Apaxiban days. Hope this helps. Stay healthy and ask all the questions you need!!
Why go to the Dr. A and E or Emergency room;? For help, then when their training and experience brings them to the conclusion (for our well being) to take this or do that and we don't follow their advice it's a wasted trip. If you're a Dr. with a lifetime of schooling and experience than do what you think best, but if not why play "Russian Roulette", you only get one life!
thank you for replying. Just to clarify I didnt go to a and e with my heart. It was something completely different. As I said originally I haven’t seen a cardiologist or had any information other than two packets of tablets.
I have been on Apixaban for 5 years and no problems. Warfarin was not so good for me, but Apixaban I honestly have not noticed extra bruising. Maybe cuts take longer to stop - like a minute longer- not hours.
I am 10 times more worried about having to stop it. The idea of a stroke is my nightmare. I had to stop Apixaban for 4 days before a procedure a while back and couldn't wait to start again. (That's the Afib anxiety personality for you!)
Best wishes.
I have taken Apixaban for 18 months since diagnosed with Afib.
No side effects at all for me, my main concert was bleeding if I cut myself but that had happened twice no issue at all.
The anti coagulant helps prevent a clot forming in the heart and moving to the brain which could cause a stroke and that would be far more devastating!
Fermino,
Apixaban (and the other "new" anticoagulants prescribed for stoke prevention when you have AF) appear to have no adverse side effects for me and many other users on this forum. Even if you are later not found to have any significant AF, taking Apixaban now is very unlikely to affect you and you should be reassured that it is a sensible protective move.
My GP explained that Apixaban will not make much or any difference to bleeding from cuts in your skin, because the clotting mechanism in the presence of air is completely different to what happens inside the body.
Best wishes,
Paul
This is my first posting as I am new to the forum.
I was prescribed Apixaban in May 2022 after 2 attacks of AFib. I was very reluctant to take it thinking that I might bleed to death had there been any falls or other bleed making events. The GP and Pharmacist stated in no uncertain terms that I was at risk of a stroke. My Afib has now become semi permanent so I started the Apixaban in December. Thanks goodness. I now have peace of mind. I have tolerated it very well despite reading the whole leaflet that scared me to death. I was prescribed Eliquis at first then put onto a generic which caused horrendous indigestion type pain in my chest. As a result I have been on omeprazole for a month. I persuaded the GP to change me back to Eliquis (the brand), and these pains have disappeared. Good luck.
Due to the abnormal heart rhythm The Apixaban is to help prevent a stroke, I have AF and while I was in normal sinus rhythm when my stroke occurred, were I on an anticoagulent, I may not have had it. Due to my age, I was put into a low-risk group for dispensing AC, it nearly cost me my life.
Fortunately, I have made a full recovery from the stroke but I am religious about taking my AC medication, 12 hours apart, without fail. It's not my place to offer you advice, you have to weigh and balance any risks yourself, any medication effects people in different ways but for me, I haven't as yet had any issues from the Apixaban and no reoccurrences of another stroke (touches wood).
Best of luck whatever you decide.
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