Eliquis and iron

[hike4u2]

I am have been on Eliquis for a few years and recently my hematocrit and my iron dropped dramatically. Could Eliquis cause this? My doctor told me to take Iron supplements, but could there be unwanted interactions with the iron and the Eliquis? I have not had any A-Fib for the last couple of years, but doc wanted me to stay on Eliquis. I am thinking that maybe I should take less. Will be talking to her on Thursday about this, too. Thanks for your replies.

[ShGrace]

so why are you on the Eliquis? Did you have a stroke ?

I took Eliquis because of my stroke but now I have a Watchman so I don’t need the blood thinner anymore.

[hike4u2 in reply to ShGrace]

I did have a TIA. Before that I was using Nattokinase.

[Thomas45 in reply to ShGrace]

It is common medical practice to give anticoagulants to people who have AF, as blood which is not flowing smoothly through the heart can pool and clot. Anticoagulants reduce the potential of blood to clot. They do not thin the blood. One area where clots can form is the left atrial appendage, so The Watchman closes off that appendage. It does not stop blood clotting elsewhere in the body. Anticoagulants do.

[Thomas45]

Having read an earlier post from you, you seem not to want to take your anticoagulant, despite having had in the past a TIA, and having had AF. You talk of being "in remission of AF" but that goes against the experience of everyone who has had AF. There is no cure for AF, ablations do help many. Others, like myself take the medication route, which also helps, but the combined wisdom of AF patients and medics is not to stop taking your anticoagulant which reduces significantly TIAs and strokes. Between my first episode of AF and my second was a period of 8 years. I too have low hemacrit and iron, but my anticoagulant is Warfarin, which works on a different part of the blood than your anticoagulant. I see my anticoagulant as my best friend, that I must keep taking. I had a bad reaction to iron tablets, so put up with my borderline anemia. I eat iron rich foods but my iron levels remain low.

[Desanthony]

I’ve been on Eliquis for 8 years or more and not had a problem with low iron. If you have been taking Eliquis for a few years and you’ve just now had a dramatic fall in iron then has your Doc suggested anything else may be the cause? Have they suggested doing anything to find out the cause? Hope you find out what it is. Eliquis will not cause bleeding but will make any bleeding slower to clot so if you have a bleed it will make it more noticeable and give you an early warning of a problem that needs to be investigated. I wouldn’t suggest stopping Eliquis as you have already had one TIA and you may not be lucky enough to get through another unscathed. So best to keep taking them in my opinion. You should speak with your cardiologist and EP before thinking of stopping your anticoagulant.

All the best.

[Twosumsmum]

I take Apixaban for Atrial arrhythmias and also have difficulty maintaining my ferritin levels , I can’t absorb iron from tablets but it did start years before the Apixsban , I have iron infusions when it goes very low and take vitamin C to help absorb iron from my diet.