change from Edoxaban from Apixaban

[pwoody]

Like many others I have been changed from Apixaban to Edoxaban. Has anyone experienced a lot of wind in the stomach? I have taken it for three weeks and think the problem is getting worse, very uncomfortable . I am going to ask the GP to change me back to Apixaban which I was really happy on. I would appreciate your thoughts.

[wilsond]

I have prewarned my surgery that ,if I am asked,I will not change. Also if I am switched without my consent,I will put in a complaint. Not a medical need,purely a cost saving,and the GPs get a financial reward for swopping.

I hope you get it switched back asap,speak to the practice manager if need be,MP,Health Watch,etc.

Not good enough!grr

[pwoody in reply to wilsond]

Thank you for responding. I will ring the surgery tomorrow and do my upmost to go back to Apixaban.

[CDreamer]

I would also refuse to change if Apixaban suits you, which it does me. I changed from Dabigatran because of gastric.

[Hidden]

If you get desperate you could always try Warfarin (Coumadin) ...... unless you have already done so and have found issues with it. Mind you your surgery will not exactly throw their arms around you. 🙂

John

[pusillanimous in reply to Hidden]

Surely the NHS would be happy for people to be on Warfarin as it is very cheap and would save a lot of money, even the blood tests are cheap?

[CDreamer in reply to pusillanimous]

I wouldn’t even think of trying thank you, very happy on Apixaban. I have refused Wafarin from the very start. I think we all have our prejudices and preferences and staying on whatever suits us without very good clinical reason to change should be our right, otherwise we are getting into autocracy.

There are good reasons for NHS clinical preference toward DOACs and that is studies indicate that something like 50% of Wafarin users had either problems staying within range or discontinued or interrupted the treatment resulting in overall higher risk of heart attacks, stroke and bleeds.

I defend your right to continue with Wafarin, if that is your preference but, I won’t be joining you.

[pusillanimous in reply to CDreamer]

I don't take Warfarin, you have misunderstood my comment. I was just asking Carneuny why the NHS was so against it as he states in his comment the surgery would not 'throw their arms around you'. I initially took Xarelto and have just changed to Eliquis. I live in South Africa, so have private medical care and can choose. My pharmacist describes Warfarin as 'Rat Poison', apparently that was its original use.

[CDreamer in reply to pusillanimous]

I apologise, I did misunderstood your comment. I believe Wafarin does have a place so NHS is not ‘against’ it, just for none valvular AF stroke protection there are now I believe better options. The NHS is out to ‘save’ money as it is the largest single consumer of pharmaceuticals in the world but efficacy and patient satisfaction is also important. Some of us here in the UK do have to fight for our preferences unfortunately.

I liked the S African system when I had limited cause to use it, which was about 20 years ago.

[pusillanimous in reply to CDreamer]

I thought you must have misunderstood me, so no apology necessary. People tend to think the South African medical Aid system is the same as insurance, it is not, and it works very well. There is still a public health system for those who cannot afford the Med. Aid subs.

[SJB1234 in reply to pusillanimous]

I have been taking warfarin for 12 years they stopped it for 9 months and put me on Apixaban luckily I was scheduled for a ablation which I didn’t have as they found a clot in the bottom of my heart, they took me straight off Apixaban and back on warfarin. So it proves different ones suit different people.

[pwoody in reply to SJB1234]

Quite right, pleased your are okay.

[pusillanimous in reply to SJB1234]

Yes of course , different drugs suit different people, but with AF the clots form in the left atrial appendage (that's why they cause strokes), so possibly there was another reason you had a clot in the bottom of your heart and Warfarin is a better to drug to treat that reason, I am not a medical person, I'm just going on what I have been told by my Cardiologist about AF and the danger of clots. Thank goodness for annual scans and dopplers !

[BP547]

The change from apixaban to edoxiban is a supposibly a cost cutting exercise, however, I had access to the costs charged to the NHS and the saving is no where near what was being suggested. THE BAD NEWS ABOUT EDOXIBAN. the outcome from a stroke or heart attack is more severe with the outcome of death increased. WHY WOULD YOU WANT THAT! I told my GP I wasn't changing and my prescription was changed back.

[phillyox in reply to BP547]

Hi - I've been on Edoxaban for a few months now and it's been good. The evidence I can find - -a NICE analysis - is that Edoxaban is as clinically effective as Apixaban and has a similar safety profile. There was also this recent report from Germany - pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/347... - showing some evidence that Edoxaban might be a bit better than Apixaban. I was interested in your comment that the outcome from stroke or heart attack being more severe with a higher chance of death with Edoxaban. I haven't seen anything to indicate this.

[Fastbeat1 in reply to BP547]

I have NO problems with Edoxaban . A very good NICE report also .

[Sleepyzz]

I was switched during lockdowns having previously taken warfarin. Best thing for me as no more blood tests or worrying about what I was eating. I think the first couple of weeks I felt a bit different but I put that down to being able to eat more green veg without worrying, since that no issues at all.

[spinningjenny]

I’ve just been changed to Edoxiban from Dabigatran with no real explanation other than it is now NHS policy. I let the surgery know I wasn’t happy about the lack of warning and did actually speak to a doctor who was apologetic but wasn’t for changing me back.

I’ll see how it goes.

[Hidden]

been on Edoxaban for about a year. No problems

[TheGrinch2]

Yeah I did for quite a while then it settled down,I wasn't really sure which medication was the culprit, but think it was Exoban

[javo123j]

I changed with no effects but we're all different. I will say though that I can see why the NHS want the change because apixaban cost them £388m in 2021. I believe the patent has finished in the UK so Teva UK have launched a generic so costs should come down

[MikeyF]

Be careful. Unlike Apixaban, there is no reversal agent for Edoxaban.

[pwoody in reply to MikeyF]

I am pleased to say the gp has agreed I can go back on Apixaban. Thank you for replying to my post.

[phillyox]

I looked into this, and I hope it changes soon. It’s more correct to say that a reversal agent hasn’t been approved for use in the UK yet. Edoxaban is from Japan and the same reversal agent that is used for Apixaban is used for a Edoxaban in Japan as far as I can tell.