Hi all just a quick question. Does anyone else have digestive issues when on Edoxaban? I have more frequent episodes of Afib recently (on Flec 50mg twice daily) and so reluctantly agreed to start on Edoxaban but every time I take it I get issues including gastric pain and an upset stomach.
Before I raise this with my doctor I just wondered if anyone else has the same problem and have to changed to a different anti coagulant which is better for you?
I have been on Edoxaban 60mg since 1st August 2023 and have had minimal digestive problems, sometimes slight nausea but solved that by taking immediately after my breakfast. Everyone reacts differently to medication though but for me it has really been ok on all counts. I was a little anxious at first because of the increased risk of having a bleed somewhere but neither did I want a stroke as AFib is in my family and two members have already had a stroke before they were diagnosed. I feel I am the lucky one. Regards Kathleen
No I haven't had any really bad indigestion issues, just now and again a little bit of pain but nothing to worry me.I feel I'm doing ok on Edoxoban apart from going through some menopause issues again 🥵, we are all different!
Lily
I developed gastric pain within a couple of weeks of starting Edoxaban so you are certainly not alone. GP changed prescription to Apixaban. Sadly that didn’t help me either, but you can certainly ask your GP to try a swap.
From what I can recall in recent years since Big Pharma have dynamically launched these NOAC's most GP practices ( at least in UK ) seem to be in an indecent haste to prescribe them for one and all. The fact is the longer this keeps occurring the more we are finding out in real life exactly how these new drugs are affecting people in the real world. From memory ( which may be a bit dodgy ) there were four although some may have other names .... Edoxaban, Apixaban, Dabigatran and Rivaroxaban. They may have other names in different countries, those I just listed are names in Britain. Then there is the old faithful ( with all its test issues ) .... WARFARIN.
If your issues are so dibilitating why not discuss with your GP the wisdom of trying each of these NOAC's and see how you go ......... failing which try Warfarin ( with all its failings.
Also remember most surgeries in Britain are private companies and should be registered at Companies House. Therefore they are subjected to the same profit inducement that any private company is ... they are also subject to the same financial kicks backs ( marketing inducements) that any company gets from a supplier. My GP has had the damn nerve to try to get me off Warfarin onto one of these NOAC's -I have point blank refused telling her that as far as I am concerned these NOAC's are not yet fully proven or understood by GP's in the market place. Besides which, why would I ditch an anticoagulant that works perfectly for me in favour of something that is developing a doubtful reputation. She just replied ... okay !
If you have the time for research NHS website ( somewhere ) has facsimile prints/texts online of most of the paper that you'll find inside the packets of the four drugs I've mentioned. As well as Warfarin. These are the legal bits of paper supposedly fully disclosing the drug you are using. It may be prudent for you to get these bits of paper/leaflets from inside the packet or online and read them all before you speak to your GP.
John
I was a pharmaceutical rep in the UK for 20 years and doctors and GP surgeries get no financial benefit whatsoever from prescribing drugs . They most certainly do not get “ kickbacks” They do not have a free hand in what they prescribe they are expected to stick to the formulary agreed in their area unless they have very good reason as drug budgets have to be managed . It is not helpful to come out with such nonsense .
I was told Edoxaban was cheaper and that is why it was being pushed to the front.
When drugs are equivalent the cheaper one is always recommended because the NHS is strapped for cash . People on here seem to assume if a drug is cheaper it is inferior this is not the case. When the first drug in a new class comes to market it can basically charge what it likes within reason as there is no competition. When other drugs in the same class come to market they have to show a benefit to the health service to prescribe it and gain market share. If the efficacy is the same they may bring it in at a lower price because the NHS will switch to it to save money . It may also have the advantage of single dosing over some other drugs . There is very little difference in efficacy between the four anticoagulants. Edoxaban is the one that crosses the blood brain barrier the least and for someone like me who is sensitive to drugs that is an advantage which is why my cardiologist went for that one
... this is exactly my point. Delete kick backs and replace by marketing strategies ... same difference ! It certainly isn't nonsense when my GP tries to get me to move over to a NOAC when the anticoagulant I am already on (Warfarin) and is working perfectly and always has done for nearly 14 years and, at my last reading, is also much cheaper for the NHS than NOAC's. If it ain't broke don't fix it .... and all my GP has to do to check my performance with Warfarin is to take a 2 minute walk down her corridor and speak to my INR clininc. Sorry, I need much more convincing about managing drug budgets.
How does The Quality and Outcomes Framework fit into GP surgery payments Peony? Do opting-in GP surgeries not get paid against performance factors such as managing and prescribing for certain conditions? Genuinely interested.
Thanks for taking the trouble to reply. However my Edoxaban was prescribed by my cardiologist who I see privately so on this occasion my GP and the NHS are not ‘to blame’ and I just wanted to hear fist hand from users of the drug if they had issues too.
I always read the drug info leaflets and research online for side effects etc but as I said there is no better alternative than listening to first hand experiences.
My mother took Warfarin for years but it caused her to bruise badly and bleed copiously from even small cuts. Thankfully Edoxaban doesn’t do that to me (I am very active and somewhat accident prone 😂)
Hi I have not had any problems to date with Edoxaban . I take mine first thing with a drink of water then have breakfast
Professor Schilling discusses ACs clearly here youtube.com/watch?v=JWS29oR...
Thanks for that I will watch with interest.
Once I started taking mine with breakfast stomach problems disappeared.
Thanks I will try that as at the moment I take it on an empty stomach.
The DOACs do cause digestive issues for some people. The worst seems to be Dabigatran. If Edoxaban is once a day dosing I would try taking it with your biggest meal of the day. Obviously if this is not consistent it would not work as you must have 24 hours between doses. I get digestive issues with Apixaban. I find if I take my evening dose with my dinner it helps rather than sticking closely to 12 hours after the breakfast dose. If we go out to lunch and only have a snack dinner I notice the digestive issues more.
Thank you I will try taking mine with food and see if that helps.
Thanks I will definitely try taking with food and see if that helps before speaking to my doc!
Anticoagulants can upset the stomach and is a very common side effect but not everyone gets it. I take mine mid breakfast. You need some medication to protect your stomach lining , so don’t suffer, go see your GP.
I already take Lanzoprazole for acid reflux but maybe I need a stronger dose - or maybe the two drugs don’t work well together.
As you say I will see the GP and also I need to go back to my cardiologist as my Afib episodes are getting much more frequent so I will see what he says….
Thanks for replying 😊
Been on Edoxaban for 6 years.It was prescribed to me as I already had gastric issues.No probs.
Hi, I've only recently started Edoxaban and i have noticed an increase on digestive issues but it's difficult to tell if they are related as i also suffer from GERD but it does make me wonder
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