Hi, does anyone suffer with worsening symptoms of acid reflux because of blood thinners?
I took Edoxaban which aggravated my stomach and now am trying apixaban. I have a hiatus hernia and was taking Lansoprazole 15mg. I have had to increase it to 30mg which is not helping. The doctor gave me Esomeprazole 40mg which made me ill where I had bad diarrhoea and dizziness. I feel so unwell and had to take a day off work which caused problems and added stress which I didn’t need. I am a Manager of a shop and if I have to take time off have to find cover. I have no support from Head Office, all they say is the shop has to open. They don’t care about my health. Sorry rant over. Can anyone relate. I don’t know where to go from here. My doctor is saying I don’t need to take blood thinners until I am 65, I am 63 now because statistically I am a level 1. I have Afib and still at risk of having a stroke. I am on beta blockers. Sorry to go on but it feels good to get it off my chest.
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Cat-222
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Are you saying your, CHADS risk score is a 1 and the 1 is from being female? If so, it's understandable why your doctor is saying you do not need to be on thinners.
Not everyone with atrial fibrillation should be on blood thinners . In some cases the risks outweigh the rewards. If you trust your doctor, I would listen to them, as well as doing your own independent research, if you want.
Yes my CHADS risk score is 1. My cardiologist said I am high risk of having a stroke and should be taking blood thinners. I am so confused and don’t know what to do. I am taking 2.5 Bisoprolol. My heart still goes fast mainly at night and is irregular. Should the beta blockers help and lower my risk of a stroke? It’s all very scary. I am new to this. I’ve been taking the blood thinners for nearly 3 months. What would happen if I stopped them? Would by blood go back to normal? Sorry for all the questions, I don’t know what to do for the best.
In your first post, you said, " My doctor is saying I don’t need to take blood thinners until I am 65,"
So apparently one doctor is telling you one thing and another telling you something different?
We are not doctors here, nor do we have your complete medical history, so no one can advise you one way or the other.
But conflicting Medical opinions is not uncommon on many topics. What I personally do in cases like that is ask the doctors to explain their reasoning. If that doesn't help sometimes one more opinion will.
I now take every drug with food as I find this helps, unless of course it says otherwise, I also take a spoonful of yoghurt and a little milk! I find the hard capsule is what gives me indigestion/heart burn and I also have a Hiatus Hernia
I also get more acid these days and perhaps since taking apixaban, even though I take esomeprazole. It's more noticeable on some days and after bending down to do any activity. I suspect, in my case, its nothing to do with the anticoagulant but just a weakening of the sphincter atop the stomach where the small hernia is. In a way, I would rather the PPI not fully suppress all stomach acid, so, in a strange way, I am quite pleased!
I have been having bleeding problems with my anti coagulants so my GP on the advice of the haematology clinic swapped me to Edoxaban. I have never had any acid reflux problems but within 40 minutes of taking the first dose of Edoxaban I had terribly painful reflux then vomited. I thought might just be a one off but I tried 3 more times over the next few days and each time I vomited the Edoxaban within 40 minutes. I’m now back on Apixaban but at 2 x 2.5 mg instead of 2 x 5 mg to see if I can tolerate this. I seem to have developed an intolerance to all anti coagulants after being on them for 6 years. I hope there is a solution out there!
Hi Cat - it’s horrid when you have to start taking these things isn’t it? Like you, I take Bisoprolol and Edoxaban.
I also had a Chad Score of 1 and was not yet 65 and argued like mad with my cardiologist against the Edoxaban. But finally was not willing to play Russian Roulette with the chance of stroke.
You asked if your ‘blood would go back to normal’ if you stopped taking them. I was told that with Edoxaban it leaves your system quickly. As an example, my cardiologist said that you only need to stop it 3 days before major surgery.
Hi, thank you for your response. I am struggling with the side effects. First of Edoxaban which aggravated my acid reflux and now apixaban. I have a hiatus hernia so that doesn’t help.
Yes like you I don’t want to risk getting a stroke.
How long have you had afib? Are you managing it well?
Do you take any supplements? I want to take vitamin D but used to take it with K2 so it goes straight to the bones. I believe we can’t take K2 with blood thinners.
What exercise do you do? I am struggling to walk far like I used to.
I just want to feel well, it’s effecting my work which is very physical. I just wish I could afford to retire.
To answer your question - I was diagnosed in 2014 after months dithering around with a useless GP who kept asking me ‘ Mrs W - does it feel gastric or cardiac?’ I have a hiatus hernia too.
I was being prescribed Omeprazole on repeat for the weird fluttering feelings and indigestion. Pharmacist told me to stop.
Long story short, monitoring showed I was in AF 27% of the time. Had a cryo ablation early 2015 and all was fine until 2019 when I woke in the night with a ridiculously high heart rate and (although imho not needed) was blue lighted to hospital. Cardiologist reckoned it was a one off …. until it happened again about a year later. This was when I went on the Bisoprolol and Edoxaban. Touch wood - all ok since then. The odd heart hop skip and jump now and again, but I’m used to that now. I find deep ‘stomach breathing’ helpful when it happens. Cardiologist said I seem to have an ‘excitable heart’.
To be honest with you, the medication does seem to make me more tired and my hair has thinned a bit. My reflux is a pain in the proverbial but seems to come and go. I am convinced my AF is vagal related and my cardio is inclined to agree. I have found that small amounts of food but more often help. My biggest complaint is being unable to take aspirin as pain relief. Paracetamol does nothing for me,
As I get older it feels as if various bits of me are slowly going wrong. Exercise is infrequent as I have a knee replacement and the other knee is beginning to play up. Arthritis is creeping up on me. I am fortunate that I do not work.
I don’t take supplements but am considering the magnesium taurate that is mentioned on posts here.
To sum up - I find having AF an inconvenience as is having to take the medication. However, I think I’m fortunate that I am not affected by the condition or medication too much. On an off day I remind myself that I could have far worse things wrong with me.
This forum has answered lots of my questions and given me the info and confidence I need to get on with things.
Really hope you can get things sorted and in so doing, get your mojo back!
Wow, you have been through a lot. It’s so good that the medication is working. It is working for me, I just cope with the side effects of the blood thinners. I could stop them but it puts me at risk of a stroke. The doctor said I would have to keep checking my pulse. No way I don’t want to live like that.
Sorry to hear about your knees. I have a bad back so I can sympathise with the stiffness and pain. I know the joys of getting old, it’s no fun. Since I turned 60 things have started to go wrong. We have to keep going and find some enjoyment.
Yes I find the forum very helpful.
I just want to live a normal life and to be able to work but am struggling.
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