hi I was diagnosed with pyroxismal a fib around 4yrs ago and advised to take Bisoloropol. 1.25. It worked but I sometimes feel tired . I have since had a message to maybe consider taking a blood thinner as there is a greater risk of a stroke. I really don’t want to take meds for the rest of my life and did ask for a ecocardiagram to see what is happening inside my heart and if any problems there at the moment but was told by a doctor who I only spoke to on the phone as couldn’t get to see one that it would only show what is happening now snd not in the future what may happen. So I feel, if there is no problem now with the inside of my heart and no pooling seen , then all is good for now as no one can see into the future. No one can tell for instance if you have a smear test as what will happen next year or in six months ? I’m not sure what to do next as I’ve no idea as haven’t been able to have an echocardiogram for the reason stated by the doctor. Any advice please would be great .
Kathryn
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Do you like Russian Roulette? Your long term stroke risk is governed by your Cads2Vasc2 score which uses various co morbidities including high blood pressure, diebetes, age. gender etc to work out if you need anticoagulants but in general having AF makes us five times more likely to have a stroke. Also because the clots form in the heart not an artery they are larger and do more damage meaning an AF related stroke is usually less survivable.
I think for many of us here anticoagulants are our best friends.
All of us are influenced by our individual research, our subjective opinions and personal experiences. However, relevant to us all is that we should not be censored or coerced into mandated action, respect everyone's personal choice and keep an open mind.
So I put forward a different opinion to most here and think there is a need to consider going onto a 'blood thinner' very carefully, rather than automatically. I postponed taking them for 10yrs post AF diagnosis as 200mgs Fleacinide put my AF into remission bar two v short episodes. However, into my 70's, with varying arrhythmias and being less active, I have started taking them.
I would do your own homework, I understand there is limited research (one small old study??) that backs up the x5 bigger risk of a stroke and even if you decide that study outcome is sufficiently substantive, whether it is then applicable to you should you have no comorbidities and make above average lifestyle choices.
eg. The stroke risk may indeed be x5 greater but if a person is otherwise active daily and healthy the risk may still be be just 1 in a 1000 or smaller, which may be accepted by you in preference to taking an anti-coag daily with extra bleed risk and potentially other unforeseen complications.
Moving on.... I would push for an echocardiogram as trends are important and in 5 yrs time another echo may give early warning or reassurance of no worsening trend.
Lastly, I would also book a private appointment with a trusted cardiologist (around £200 if funds allow) for a full and frank half hour discussion before making up your mind.
hi to me what your saying makes sense as one size doesn’t fit all and just because we have a fib doesn’t necessarily mean we will hundred percent have a stroke , no one knows? But what I do know is that most meds also have side affects and I don’t want to take anything unless I have to . Sun echocardiogram will show up if anything wrong at the moment but I have been refused on the nhs ! Unbelievable! As this would affect my decision going forward. Obviously as usual trying to save money. Can’t even see a bloody doctor and they at first tried to palm me off with talking to a parmacist ! But obviously I told him I wanted to have an echocardiogram to then make my decision. Thanks for your advice , as I will push for an echo , even if I do have to pay !
Echocardiagram only looks at the structure and efficiency of the heart. It checks for abnormalities of the valves etcI have one yearly as I have a bicuspid aortic valve.
Echocardiagram is not a diagnostic tool used in AF treatment other than a pre check for sound structure prior to going on Flecanide as this is necessary.
They can also have you wear a heart monitor for a few weeks to see what your heart is doing..when and for how long you are in atrial fib. The Chads score is what they use to decide if you need a blood thinner. It used to not include being female but now if you're female, over 65, hypertensive and obese..you win! You get a blood thinner. At that point, they'll probably start you on eliquis or one like it...not without controversy. I agree with you...not taking any meds would be the best. They all have side effects. Another option is to have an ablation done where they deaden the parts of the heart that are causing the arrythmia. Hoping you get a good doctor.
As others have said, with a score of 2 it is advisable to take anticoagulants. I have been taking them for ablations, but my score is currently 0 but they really are not anything to be frightened of and I was very hesitant. I will have no hesitation in going back on them again, when I need to and I think I might even ask to stay in them, for piece of mind, though I think they won’t agree with that.
You could ask though, what your score of 2 is actually for, just to check they are right? They can get it wrong. My surgery did. Females used to get a 1 for being a female, but this is no longer the case and was removed in November last year by the European Cardiology Society, I was advised by my cardiothorac centre, so do query that, if this is the case for you, then they have it wrong. Females get a 1 when 65 or over though and for any comorbidities.
From what you’ve said though, you do have another issue and that is you do need to get referred to a cardiologist, or Electrophysiologist at your local hospital for them to investigate your diagnosed AF and they should do an echocardiogram. Though this won’t tell them whether you need to be on anticoagulants or not, but it will show them the structure of your heart and show any abnormalities. They can also advise on medication, or may even offer ablation, if that’s the way you want to go. I would push for a referral. GPs are not specialists in AF.
As others have said, they may want you to wear a heart monitor for a few days to see what might be happening.
I agree. People are put on way prematurely and I bet many people don’t know that when you go off there’s a rebound effect and you can have clots up to six months. To me that’s criminal and putting people on anticoagulant should be thought through very carefully because the risk of a serious bleed is 3% a year and someone who is a Chad vasc two has a 2.2 to 4% risk of a stroke.
if someone has no comorbidities, but has some a fib episodes Dr. Sanjay Gupta says that a fib isn’t even the cause it’s comorbidities that. So everyone has to be looked at individually not just because they have a fib immediately put on blood thinners, which is what many doctors do.
we don’t know this age or anything like that so to just say to go on them is not the correct answer.
thanks so much it’s nice to hear that everyone isn’t in the oooh you have a fib , blood thinners immediately , as all the rest of your medical history should be taken into account first , then a more rounded snd in-depth decision taken thank you
Also after 19 years of a fib, I now take a non alcoholic organic herbal tincture instead of my pill in pocket beta blocker. It converts me within a half hour to NSR. I am on a 1/2 dose of Eliquis but have to get off because I have severe osteoporosis and we follow a bone marker. Since the 18 months on Eliquis my number is getting very bad. All anticoagulants can cause bone loss but especially if one already has osteoporosis. The research says the new one less so than warfarin but still not good. All the best. It’s a journey having a fibs. Everyone does what works for their health with their doctors.
Hi Kathryn, I don't understand your reticence to take an anticoagulant, erroneously called blood thinners by many medics. No anticoagulant thins the blood. You can decide you're not going to follow medical advice and not take an anticoagulant, but you can't decide that you're not going to have a debilitating stroke. The chances of getting such a stroke are higher because you have AF. That's why I'm very happy to take an anticoagulant daily and fit life.
Warfarin is tried and tested over 7 decades. It doesn't restrict diet, and can be monitored at home with a portable INR meter. It is my anticoagulant of choice. Others use DOACs without problems.
A wee bit of a different perspective. I have been affected by AF for close on 15 years. I have adjusted my lifestyle to give me the best(as I see it) QOL. I am currently being treated with Flecainide and Metropolol as a PIP. I was originally (at start of treatment) taking aspirin. This was ceased after 2 years. Until recently my CHADVASC being 0, I was not taking an anti coagulant. About 3-4 months ago my episodes were taking longer to revert to NSR with my PIP. In consultation with my GP and cardiologist I commenced taking Apixaban(Eliquis). My choice as the longer bouts were a bit scarey and my decision was to commence the anti coagulant. I had initial side effects but all good now and don't regret my choice. As stated by many on forum it's mostly a personal choice guided by medical advice. All the best moving forward.
Hia thanks for your advice /comments. I have been taking Bisoloropol for around four yes and it seems to work at the moment so am reluctant to take blood thinners for the rest of my life hence why I’ve asked for a echocardiogram to see what is going on now inside my heart as pooling would show up if any there ? As I’ve been refused one I don’t know what’s going on and it would sway my decision . I may just pay for one myself and this annoys me . I’ve never had high blood pressure don’t have any other underlying health conditions, try to eat healthy and walk a lot so I’m not really sure what that cahd score is all about , not sure . I will find out but it can’t be that high , I think it was 2 ? Thanks for your help
At a score of 2 it would be recommended to take an anticoagulant. I have had AF since 2020 and at that time my score was only 1 as a female under 65. I was still prescribed an anticoagulant by my trusted EP as he warned me of the stroke risk. I will be on it for life even though I had a successful ablation last March. My EP explained that I could have an episode of AF and not be aware of it so the stroke risk remains.My farther had AF and had a stroke, so does my mother (who had a mild stroke) and is now on an anticoagulant. My brother has had an awful experience, he has AF and wasn't aware until he drove into a stationary car through losing his left periferal vision due to a stroke. This has destroyed him and taken away his independence. He is now on an anticoagulant but too late and the stroke impact is devastating.
Please think carefully. As BobD says "Would you like to play russian roulette?"
If you have a Chadsvac score of 2 ,you need really do need an AC. 2 is high risk on the scale.
I scored 1. GP thought it was not needed for me when I queried ,but I then had a TIA( mini stroke) Swiftly on aC abd very glad to be.If you had my experience you'd not hesitate.
My father had a stroke, unrelated to AF,and visiting the stroke ward was a very sobering sight.
I think you are misunderstanding the role of echocardiagram as I mentioned . Pooling of blood isn't always visible or present all the time.
Chadsvac takes into account all the risk factors for stroke,not just AF.
If having an echo is so important to you, why don't you just pay for one and get it over with?- the stress the uncertainty is putting you through is not helping matters. I don't live in the UK, so my medical health is private, but my cardiologist does one annually as part of the check-up and there is something very reassuring when he says' No change' and his written report says in a nutshell 'all normal'.
hi thanks for your comment, we hss as ve something called the NHS in uk and are supposed to be looked after but it’s just impossible here now to even speak to a bloody doctor never mind get referral to a cardiologist ! When I did finally have hissy fit snd got to speak to a doctor who I don’t even know, I was told that a echocardiogram wouldn’t show up a clot going forward which is obvious! But it would give me the peace of mind that for now there was no clots there , and no other problems with my heart and all clear . So basically I was told NO . Not bloody good enough, and why should we have to pay ? I have paid into the system that we have here for fifty years called the NHS .
I know about the NHS - I'm British, I just don't live in Egland anymore - it just does not seem to be working very well at the moment - sometimes we have to bite the bullet and take things into our own hands, when I left the UK I had to give up all my contributions. Sadly, what is supposed to happen and what actually happens, are two different things. I know it must make you feel bitter, but your health is more important, and you are just making things worse by getting upset and cross about a service that is not up to scratch.
I’m not bitter , I’m let down frustrated, angry , annoyed at what’s happening to our health . You are told constantly to get checked , ring the doctors, at the first signs . Then we do , but there it stops , and nothing happens, patients , wait months for referrals and get worse in condition then they were to start off with . Or wait months or years for ops . Just angry
Well if you have been advised to take anticoagulants ( wrongly called blood thinners) and decide not to,.you are likely to find the 'rest of your life' may be shorter or more unpleasant than you'd like!No one wants to take lifelong meds but some are necessary for life to continue .
What are your reasons to hesitate? An echocardiagram will, as stated ,only show the structure and function of your heart. AF can result in a blood clot forming in as little as 30 minutes.
There has been some discussion on the idea of taking AC only when an AF attack is occurring. Downside is some people are not aware of every attack,and also can occur when asleep.
Perhaps another conversation with your consultant might help?
Only you can sensibly balance your personal stroke risk against your bleeding risk. Remember that the stats are calculated at population level and all women get a CHADs-VASc score of 1 because they are more susceptible to stroke.
I stopped Bisoprolol once I had an echocardiogram demonstrating that my heart was in good condition because medication had no impact on the frequency or duration of PAF but induced bradycardia and made me feel bad. I replaced it with an ACE-inhibitor to keep my blood pressure down without heart rate control. My personal view is that the risk of clot formation in the atrium as a result of blood pooling depends on the frequency and duration of AF episodes (but ‘silent’ AF may make that uncertain). Because my PAF episodes are only very occasional (and I know the triggers) and of short duration (10-30 mins at 200bpm before reversion to NSR under 100), I have thus far decided that my bleed risk outweighs my stroke risk, despite my age. I may start anticoagulants later in my 70s.
Thanks. I don’t want to slow my normal resting bpm of 60, which is what happens if I take a rate control drug. I might take a PIP if it acted fast enough, but I prefer to wait to revert to NSR if AF occurs. Thus far it always does, sometimes within minutes.
It’s been a feature of my life since my 40s, only recently diagnosed. My heart’s fortunately in good physical shape and the medics are unconcerned by the fast beat given the short duration of the arrhythmia. I have chosen to accept the occasional racing heart rather than the permanent slow down with daily meds. In any event, Bisoprolol only succeeded in reducing the peak rate during PAF to 180! So I’ve chosen not to medicate for rate control.
Getting a 1 purely for being a female is actually no longer the case and was removed by the European Cardiology Society in November last year, I was informed by my Arrythmia Nurse. The news about this hasn’t really filtered through and I had to inform my GP, who checked it out and then removed the 1 from my score.
Hi Kathryn, The ECG will show you whether your AF has gotten worse since the last one. However as you don't have AF all the time unless you have an ECG when you're having an AF session it won't show anything. The ECG won't show that you have blood pooling in your heart. You may have moved on to permanent, asymptomatic AF where you can't tell if you're in AF, but if so that can be detected by taking and timing your pulse. If that is the case then the Drs will , probably give you an ECG as that would be a change in circumstances. The Chads2vasc score has been shown multiple times to be a good predictor of stroke risk, imagine if they were ignoring it! We'd be taking to the streets in protest.
Your smear test comparison doesn't work because even if cancer starts the day after your test it will still be treatable by the next time you have one. With pooling blood, you'll just get a stroke without any warning.
A private consultant will do what you ask them to, even if they don't think it's necessary, but for confidence you can fall back on that.
From your post I might look at bisoprolol dosage as it sometimes makes you tired, can you get by with less?
What would I do? Well my score indicates I'm ok at the moment but I can see medical things happening where they will suggest AC in a few months, and I'll take it.
I don't understand why you haven't had at least one echocardiogram. I thought that automatically followed the diagnosis of AF. 🤔
Re anticoagulation, I am a patient who has not yet started because of my fears around a repeat of a previous brain bleed. My understanding is that risk varies with duration and frequency of AF events, along with your individual burden of comorbidities (Cha2Ds2-Vasc score). I am temperamentally drawn to hoping there are positive results from the current REACT-AF trial in USA which is testing whether a PIP approach to anticoagulation can be medically approved. But results of this approach won't be available until mid 2029.
You might be interested in the details of this trial in the article below. In fact, there is a small cohort of AF patients around the world who currently already employ this PIP approach with individual medical support ...
“Pill‐in‐Pocket” anticoagulation for stroke prevention in atrialfibrillation
Thank you so much for the link. I had heard of the trial but was having difficulty finding the exact details. Your link has supplied everything I wanted.
I have paroxysmal AF, two episodes since Sept 24 (one 7 hour triggered by dehydration (I think) and one by flu early in the new year (or the electrolyte imbalance precipitated by the constant vomiting) which lasted for 5 days. I can be precise because a) I feel dreadful, and b) I use the ECG app on my Apple Watch.
I’m considering taking Apixaban as in the trial. The GP is not keen, but….. I started taking it as soon as the AF started early January, and I’m stopping 30 days later as I have cataract surgery booked, and been advised to stop a couple of days before. I’ll decide what to do after that.
I would and am taking Apixaban. You cannot afford to risk AF with the blood hanging around "clotting" in your Atrium.As an Echocardiographer, the Echo can't tell your future, it will show your LA size as a bench mark but you just never know.
Thanks, I didn't know that about the general increased stroke risks associated with larger LAs. Plus the stroke risks of AF, and shape of atrial appendage, on top of that.
Can you indicate what is the size of LA you would consider "large" and worthy of being evaluated as an increased stroke risk? As a 78 year old patient currently not taking anticoagulation, this is an important consideration for me, so please give some guidance if you can.
It's measured Lt - Rt on a 4 Chamber View, or short Axis. Normal: Less than 4.1 cm in men and less than 3.9 cm in womenMild enlargement: 4.1–4.6 cm in men and 3.9–4.2 cm in women
Moderate enlargement: 4.7–5.1 cm in men and 4.3–4.6 cm in women
Severe enlargement: Greater than or equal to 5.2 cm in men and greater than or equal to 4.7 cm in women.
However if they have a "fancy pants Echo machine" you can measure by tracker ball and draw around it.
The these measurements tend to be the first indicator, but the Echocardiographer will "eyeball" it, they will know instantly from experience.
Think, you need to discuss with your Doctor as the full Echo needs to come into the results.I can't really comment on an individual area, you need full picture.
Yes, I understand your reply, but I have no Cardiologist and GP knows nothing. Sadly, all too common it seems, and forcing some of us to take help wherever we can. Bob.
That’s odd as I had an echocardiogram shortly after my PAF was finally diagnosed. Fortunately, I was told there was nothing structurally wrong so the problem was just the intermittent electrical fault. 1.25mg of Bisoprolol proved too much for me to take daily after only three days as I have written here before. We are all so very different and hope you find what works for you as I have with Flecainide and as I haven’t had an episode for ages I no longer take anticoagulants with the nasty side effects they had for me!
first of all 1.25 is a very very low dose of bisoprolol so although some people are very sensitive to any medication I hope that this isn’t the case with you.
Now regarding what you call blood thinners, they are not and do not thin the blood, what they are are anticoagulants and help to stop the blood from clotting behind the heart.
Although you say you have paroxysmal afib sometimes when having this you’re not always aware of symptoms so your heart unbeknown to you may build up a clot
I’m not trying to frighten you but without anticoagulants we afibbers are more likely to have a stroke. I personally feel they are a safety net
Then you hear that people are more prone to bleeds. Yes if, like I did, you fall and crash your head badly on paving stones you need to go to A&E to check if a bleed, but in all other ways no problem. Also these days all the anticoagulants especially apixaban have reversal drugs and they only have a 12 hour lifespan hence taking them twice a day
I think you're misunderstanding how these blood clots form. You could have an echocardiagram and be told you have no problem, then have an AF episode that night which causes the formation of a clot. The problem with AF is its unpredictability. Any episode could potentially lead to a stroke. That's why anticoagulants are recommended. I understand your concerns. I really didn't want to take them either, but now I realise that they are an important protection against the possibility of having a devastating stroke.
I am 60 with Paroxysmal AF, no other health issues and deemed was very low risk score for anticoagulants and wasn't taking them. Then had a TIA (mini stroke) in Sept recovered fully but a frightening experience. MRI scan showed I'd had a TIA before so was actually high risk!. Very very happy to now be on ACs! and have absolutely no side effects whatsoever except peace of mind.
Aged 70 within 4 days of STROKE (embolic), rapid and persistent AF and diagnosed with Thyroid Papillary Cancer.
I was not on any prescribed meds.
So my incident happened due to the AF caused by my thyroid cancer. On Day 4 in hospitalI was given a carotid arteries scan. A shadow on my thyroid.
There is a CHADS scale and mine is high from the day of stroke at 2am.
Female 1
Over 65 years 1
Stroke. 2
Hypertension 1
So I've taken PRADAXA since. 6 years in September.
It is important that you have a ECG, ECHO and 24hr Heart Monitor.
Ask to be under a Cardiologist Special.
Drs prescribe ACE or Beta Blockers only for hypertension.
AFers should be under a Cardiologist. NHS or private. Tiredness is AF related but could be the Bisoprolol.
In December I stopped my Bisoprolol, My BP went low. I depend now on Diltiazem 120 CD mg only. It controls my rapid H/R Day - it was 156 on Bisoprolol - not controlling down to 100 or under. It also brings down BP a little.
Diltiazem acts like an anti-co.agulant too. Safe.
As my heart is structurally abnormal as I have a severely dilated left atrium probably because of the 2 years 3 months with rapid uncontrolled H.R. 186 on Metoprolol with breathless and pauses at night. Bisoprolol above.
Have a search on Youtube for a video done by Dr Sanjay Gupta, a cardiologist in York, on the stroke risks associated with AF. He asserts that the real risks arise from the overall risk factors and not just from AF.
Search Youtube for LERfUhYIXZM Others on the same subject, too
I watched that I while ago and my reaction was that he totally misunderstands what the Chads score is. He seems to think it applies to anyone when in fact it applies only to people with AF.
Maybe so, only he knows, but I think the point he makes is right that co-morbidities are what swings the balance. There's nothing in Chads scores about duration of time in Fib, which if AF is a main cause seems illogical. Surely there has to be a difference between permanent AF and once-a-year short paroxysmal AF event?
Fwiw, it took my consultant a long time (years) to let me stop anticoag after my successful first ablation, which if fib was the governing matter again seems odd.
A bit of a search found a paper (PMID 31564126 on PubMed) that does have some interesting insights. Stratification of AF duration was crude, but shows both longer AF and higher Chads scores increased risk.
Hi Kathryn for what it's worth I had a stroke in 2023 and was informed it was probably af. My af is asymptomatic so I didn't realise it. Looked up my history on my fitbit and saw that I had af for about 3 years. On anticoagulants now and it's OK. I've lost a lot of weight and take magnesium supplements so my af seems to be easing ... excuse none medical term... but even if it becomes less of a load I would still take anticoagulants because a stroke is no fun. Week in hospital and 6 weeks in rehab. Wishing you good health
hi polarbear. I reckon nobody wants to take meds, including myself. But unfortunately for us afibbers we are at a greater risk of strokes and they can be life changing and even fatal. Taking anticoagulants isn’t the worse thing in the world. Take care, 👍
Your options are take a blood thinner or risk a devastating stroke. That choice is up to you and the blood thinner is for life. Paroxysmal AFib can cause a stroke in not too long a duration. And you may be in and out of AFib without knowing. An echo, to the best of my knowledge wouldn't show blood pooling only structural function of the heart. Your choice. But I take mine as my Mam had a devastating stroke from undiagnosed AFib. As Bob says it's Russian Roulette
Second comment related to bisopropol. The tired is probably related to this medication. It can have side effects for some people that others don't get. My EP put me on 1.25mg, minimum dose, post ablation and oh boy, brain fog, fatigue, bradycardia, it is awful for me. It slows the heart rate. It does does affect the rhythm. So for you to say it's working, I don't understand, because all it does is slow the heart not keep it in rhythm Anyone want to educate me on bisopropol, feel free. But that's my understanding of it.
Thank you for your post. It is completely understandable to have worries around taking new medication.
If you have any concerns about taking Anti-Coagulants, please speak with your Doctor as they have full access to your medical records and will be able to advise you personally.
If you would like further information on Anti-Coagulants and Preventing an AF Related Stroke, please download our Preventing an AF Related Stroke Booklet from our webpage:
Alternatively, if you would like to speak with a member of our Patient Services Team, please fill out our contact form and a member of the team will be in touch:
I was very happy to start anticoagulants back in 2013 when the advice re aspirin was changed, aspirin is not useful in preventing AF type clots. I am now on apixaban.In spite of that I've had an ischaemic stroke which I feel would have been far worse were it not for the anticoagulants. I could be completely wrong of course, it could be wishful thinking. Worth consideration though!
I docent wanttto start anticoagulant bout now wouldn’t be without it. When pacemaker fitted stopped & had a stroke just after. So my advise stay safe don’t stop them 👍
Only my opinion, i have af 30 plus years ,i take bisop and multaq, my chads score is zero, but will rise to 1 when i turn 65 in may,, i never wanted to take any medicine long term, but roll on may , i wish i was on an anticoagulant, NOW,,,, it does not bear thinking about the consequences .
My sister-in-law died of a stroke, so I take stroke risks very seriously. My heart still does a backflip daily and I don't want to put my family through what her family went through, so I diligently take my Eliquis and would not feel comfortable stopping it.
My sister was admitted for a gall bladdder op. AF was diagnosed (it is familial - all 5 of we sisters have asymptomatic AF) - the hospital could not get her HR down so discharged her without the operation, but with a box of Aspirin, she had a stroke, fortunately mild, a couple of months later. I won't relate the rest of this saga again and bore people,
Just because you have afib does not mean you must be on blood thinners, there are lots of criteria involved to determine this. I have had pyroxismal afib for 35 years now, and I have never been on thinners as per my Electrophysiologist at the Cleveland Clinic. Without going into the reasons why, my point is that it is up to you and your cardiologist, or better yet, your electrophysiologist... to determine your particular situation and make a decision on thinners!
sdweller thank you so much for that can you tell me if you know would a echocardiogram that I want to have would show up anything untoward or speaking to a electophysiologist ? Would be better It gives me hope now that because you have had pyroxismal a fib as I do snd never been on blood thinners! I know we are not all the same but it’s surely isn’t just the case that because you have a fib you should be on them no questions asked ? Kathryn
I assume you are going to a cardiologist right? Or an electrophysiologist (EP)? They will tell you what you need, an echocardiogram is normally the FIRST thing they give you in their office, it is no big deal really. If I were you I would not be worrying specifically about that, but making sure I am going to the best cardiologist or better yet electrophyiologist, who specialize in afib by it's nature! Afib is very nuanced, one thing I know for sure is it really pays off to make sure your doc is VERY experienced in afib, and if things get difficult make sure you're going to an EP who has done MANY ablation procedures!
I'm not sure a normal echo will really see the critical areas for blood pooling/clotting. This is why before a cardioversion, or ablation, they give you a TOE, trans-oesophageal echo, probe down the throat to behind the heart.
It's wrong to say blood thinners when you mean anticoagulants. AC does not 'thin' the blood, it slows down the clotting process, so that those of us, (i.e all of us with AF,) who are at risk of blood clot formation,are protected to a degree.
Blood 'thinners ' such as aspirin work on an entirely different aspect of the blood,the platelets. For those people with predilection towards blocked arteries, or with partially blocked,or after Stent work,aspirin keeps the blood less 'sticky'
Some people freak out at the term blood thinners,imagining hemorrhaging after a cut etc!
That's an interesting point, makes sense. Do you know if the outcome is the same as far as harder to stop bleeding after an accident or something like that? Does an AC as opposed to a blood thinner eliminate that risk?
I also had an echocardiogram shortly after my PAF was diagnosed. I would be assertive getting one plus stress test even though there are a long list of patients waiting I received one.
I was one of the unkucky ones.... I didn't know I had AF and had a stroke. If I was told to take 20 tablets a day to avoid a stroke, I'd do it. Strokes damage and affect not only you but all of your family/friends.
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How many days would you forfeit your blood thinner?
AF & Edoxaban 60 mg blood thinner
4 weeks post ablation......
Turmeric instead of a blood thinner?
