Hi,
I have recently been diagnosed with A FIB and was prescribed metoprolol and Eliquis...I had to stop the metoprolol as it was lowering my B.P. and heart rate too low,,, I haven't started the Eliquis yet and am not sure if I want to.
My question is...Is there anyone out there that has A FIB but does not take blood thinners? If so did your Dr. say it was o.k. or did you make the choice?
I am 71 with no other health problems except thyroid.
Thank you so much in advance.
Hi I was diagnosed with AFIB in August 20, was quite breathless i was put on bisoprolol which is a beta blocker that slows down your heart rate like metoprolol. It got my heart rate down from over 100bpm to 56bpm which GP said was low, but if I had no side effects it was okay, I also take Eliquis which thins your blood which is less likely to cause a blood clot. With my condition I need to take blood thinners or I will have a stroke,I do have mild LVSD E/F 45%
So I need to be on Beta blockers and Blood Thinners, I'm also on Furomeside for fluid retention.
Hope this helps
Take Care
Thank you so much for your reply...I appreciate it.
Well my husband had previously undiagnosed AFib and suffered a stroke on 1 March Last year and then another one ion 5 April during our severe Lockdown here in New Zealand. Not great - especially as he had a pre-existing brain injury from a series of 5 cardiac arrests in 2015 (but that's another story...) anyway - he has been on dabigatran 2 times a day @ 150 mg since and has been doing really well. Best of luck!
Thank you so much ...this had helped...I am glad your hubby is doing well. ♥
I'm on blood thinner as had AFib after my ohs last June. 180bpm. Was on armidrone and my heart rate went down to 17 bpm and was pausing. On bisoprolol 10mg, Edoxaban blood thinner, Furomeside for water retention and blood pressure. My norms resting heart rate is 48 to 60. Have a pacemaker now due to pausing. Go onto AFib every day about 4 or 5 times. Start from that feel good and don't have to worry about aortic dissection.
Thank You for your reply...it means a lot.
This is a situation which has been the subject of raging debate several times . If you put AF and anti coagulation into the search box above you should find loads of information comes up
Oh thank you so much I will.
Oh dear...I put what your said but other things came up...😏
There’s a thread called Putting off the anticoagulants
Thanks so much... 👍
Absolutely must take. I have Afib for 40 years and recently had 2 ablations at 73 . I am now 77. Blood thinners such as eliquis or apixiban take your risk of a stroke back down to a very low risk. Afib is not nice and annoying but is seldom life threatening. The biggest risk is blood pooling in the atriam especially the left atrial appendage which can cause a stroke. Do research but I believe I was told the risk was a factor of 15 higher without anticoagulants. However you may be lucky. I still take even after 2 ablations as I am still prone to unexpected bouts of paroxsysmal atrial fibrillation. My view and I hope helpful.
40 years, wow,.. how has life Ben ? I was diagnosed 1 year ago and I’ve been very scared I’m going to die from it. I’m only 44 and female and have no family so it’s made me very scared. My mom had a stroke and died 1 year ago from undiagnosed af, which is when I realised I had it cos her doctors said ‘ did you know she had an irregular heart beat’. Well I didn’t know it was possible for the heart to be irregular and then listened to mine, and the shock that mine was too was just surreal.
Hi again. Yes started with Paroxismal Atrial Tachycardia, progressed with other arrhythmia, to parox aAfib then perm Afib which I learned to live with. Sometimes regular at 120-150 bpm and sometimes irregular. Felt at 73 I would take the advice of my long term Cardiologist (Must be an Electrophysiologist) and had a cardiac ablation which was only partially successful and left me with Atrial Flutter. However Atrial Flutter is easier to ablate hence had a second ablation about 6 months later which was not fully successful but 85 pct so. I still get unexpected palps but cannot always be sure if SVTs or Afib but at 77 I am much better regarding arrhythmia. Fyg I have taken Amiodarone ( a rhythm drug for 12 years along with an anticoagulant which in my opinion is vital with Afib. As an add on, my mother has afib for decades and takes medicines similar to me. She is 101 in July. I wish I could sit wit you and answer all your obvious questions but unfortunately that is not possible. There are evolving treatments which will vastly assist in helping Afib patients. However Ablations work 1st time for some, however some may need 3 or 4 and it may not work at all for a minority. Have you looked at arrhythmia alliance website and the brilliant Professor Camm who is a world expert on Afib. Hope I have been of some help.
Wow! That's reassuring that your mum has lived so long....thank you...I hope you have a long life like her.
AF increases your risk of having a stroke. If you want to take that risk, don't take anti-coagulants (not blood thinners, please!) but be aware that AF-related strokes are often serious or fatal. Anti-coagulants reduce that risk by a factor of 3 or more.
It's all about the various risks: a minor inconvenience of taking anti-coagulants v the risk of a serious or fatal stroke. Personally, I like living with a functioning brain so I take the drugs.
A minor inconvenience for you maybe but some of us are not as fortunate.I have tried all the anticoagulants and suffered many months of misery due to severe side effects some of which are still ongoing although I am no longer taking an anticoagulant.
I'm sorry to hear that. I'm not a medic but I understand it is very unusual to be unable to take any of the various anticoagulants.
Have you investigated the "Watchman Procedure" to reduce your risk of having a stroke? It might just be an alternative for you.
Watchman not available on NHS.
Thank you ....I have decided to start taking them thanks to reading these comments.
I had an episode of atrial flutter (a sort of less severe and more ‘regular’ form of afib) about a year ago. Before doing a cardioversion, the cardiologist put me on bisoprolol (just 5mg/day, a diuretic and eliquis (which is apixaban). That was for 4 weeks, then he did the cardioversion which was successful. At the checkup after another 4 weeks I was still in sinus rhythm which was great and he took me off the bisoprolol and the diuretic (I I think it was called Ridaq) but left the apixaban. I asked about stopping that and he told me that on balance they prefer to maintain the apixaban ‘long term’ as the benefits (stroke protection if the flutter returns) outweigh the risks (bleeding). So I have been on it for over a year now. Yes, I bleed (a bit) more when I injure myself (like a shaving cut) and when I tripped during a walk the bruise was quite severe. The main drawback is that I can’t take ibuprofen based painkillers and no anti inflammatories (risk of stomach bleeds). Paracetamol is fine, but often not that effective. Fortunately I don’t need painkillers that often.I had a small bit of skin cancer (BCC) removed a few months ago. The cardiologist said it was ok to go off the apixaban for a week or so and the doctor who removed the BCC was happy to do it even when I was on apixaban, he said he would just put in a few more stitches. All went well. I’m 69 years old (and also have a repaired tetralogy of Fallot, hence my username).
Thank you for your reply....I really do need to start taking them...you have helped me make my decision.
My hubby takes Edoxaban, another of the modern anti coagulants, following a stroke caused by AFib.He took Clopidogrel for many years as aspirin upset his stomach. He was then changed to aspirin and continued taking it for a number of years until he had a second HA and needed a CABGX4. He had AFib when recovering from surgery and left hospital taking Amiodarone to control his heart rhythm, Rivaroxaban, another modern anticoagulant, for clotting and aspirin along with other meds.
At his 8 week post surgery checkup everything was fine, the Amiodarone was discontinued, along with the Rivaroxaban. Just 10 days later he suffered a ‘small but significant’ stroke that affected his speech, visual field and memory - his heart had gone slightly out of rhythm and a tiny clot had traveled to his brain. He has recovered to an extent but is still affected nearly 3 years on.
He is now on Edoxaban for life as he doesn’t want another stroke!
Thank you so much for sharing this it has helped me make my decision to take them...I hope your hubby is doing fine now.
Hi Nannyamerica I too have Afib I take Bisoprol BP medication
Thyroxin and Furosemide water retention
I am 76 .
Like you I am very hesitant about taking anticoagulant, mainly because I have diverticular
Which in the past have had two big bleeds
In the process on waiting for reply from my cardiologist as I have questions, also need to ask my Doctor about gastroenterologist.
All Doctors will tell you to take it because of the risk of a stroke
Being as you have no other health problems I would be inclined to take it.
At the end of the day the choice is yours .
Hope all goes well for you.
Thank you so much for your reply....After reading all these posts I am def. going to start taking it.
I had a stroke in 2019 as a result of AF (which I didn't know I had). I've been taking Apixaban (Eliquis) since and wish I'd been on them before to avoid the stroke. Never had any problems with them so my advice is better to be safe than sorry.
Yes you are right...Thank you.
Hello, you absolutely must take the blood thinners, you are in the age bracket for increased risk of stroke from Afib. I’m sure everyone on here will say the same. I take them and have had no problems at all. Please follow your doctor’s advice.
After reading all these posts I have def. decided to start taking them....Thank you for your input.
My mother is on metoprolol and eliquis also. It's a great combo for her. She has a-fib too and has had 2 strokes, 2 years apart. Maybe a smaller dose or less often would help you handle the metoprolol better. My mother's meds had to be adjusted for the same reason as yours. Her pressure and pulse have been excellent since. What really made the difference was moving her meds from the morning to night. Her morning readings used to be dangerously high, now she's at 132ish over 75ish, pulse mainly in the 60's range. Her pulse used to be in the 40's. Too low! Not enough oxygen. I hope you find what works best for you. Based solely on what I've seen my mother go through, I'd take meds vs not. Good Luck!
Thank you so much...I am going to start taking the meds....These posts have really helped me make my decision.
I wish you the best of luck Nanny! I'll say a prayer for you that everything works out fine.
Aww! Bless you and thank you 🥰
Hello Nannyamerica. I discovered about 6 weeks ago I had an irregular pulse and an electrocardiogram diagnosed left branch bundle block. This is a minor cardiac problem compared to some of the people who post on here. Next I had hip replacement surgery 8 days ago and had to start anti coagulation medication for 32 days. I did not hesitate to take it - no question. Next I have checked my B/p and pulse and today's reading show no pulse irregularity and a nice B/p - it was a bit high before and my G/p wanted me to go on medication for that, which I was very anxious not to go on.So I am wondering if my improved readings are down to the anti coagulation medication I am on
I have had no apparent side effects and am grateful to hopefully avoid post op dvt etc.
My risk of blood clot is higher due to the irregular way my heart is working so I think I would be prepared to stay on it if the medics say I should.
My grandma died of a massive stroke age 68 - I am now 68.....
Why don't you want to take it?
I am scared about the bleeding side effect....I am due to have a colonoscopy in a few weeks....and need to see a gum specialist.....I hate taking new meds as I suffer bad from anxiety over taking anything new....Thanks so much for sharing your advice and story....I am going to start taking them.
You should ask the doctor about stopping the anti coagulation prior to your colonoscopy. I think you have to stop taking it prior to surgery - it might be the same for your procedure - worth checking.Sounds a good idea to get your gums sorted out. You're going to be busy - hope all goes well.
PS. Just looked at the info sheet which came with my anti coag meds and it says -" if you need to have a procedure which may cause bleeding, your doctor might temporarily ask you to stop taking this medicine for a short while. If you are not sure whether a procedure may cause bleeding ask your doctor."
Thank you so much ...👍
Hi there! - I too was recently diagnosed with heart condition, Atrial Flutter. I only have Bisoprolol to take if needed (Pill in the pocket) havn't needed to do so yet. Only ever had one initial bad heart racing episode when I was first diagnosed. Experienced a few PVC's, which were nasty, but seem to have now gone. And yes, I too, was strongly advised to start anti-coagulant so I have been on Rivaroxaban. No problems at all, but I am concerned as I was about to commence dental implants (when diagnosed) as I have several missing teeth, I am 66 years old. Would love to get my gaps closed! Will wait abit longer and then seek advice about this, as apparently, it can be dangerous to stop taking the Rivaroxaban.Incidentally, I'm aware that there are NICE guidelines about to be printed on new updates on the treatment of Atrial Fibrillation, so not sure, maybe interesting to see what they say.
Good luck, don't worry about taking the anti-coagulants, I too felt the same, but I wouldn't want to risk the chance of having a stroke, I am very careful to make sure I take my tablet with food every day at the same time.
Thank you so much for your advice....Reading all the comments I have decided I must start taking them...Everyone has been so helpful.
You're very welcome Nannyamerica (perhaps you ARE a Nanny, I am also, to 3 little ones - Happy Mothers day for tomorrow!)Elly
Yes I am a nan of 5 ....3 grown ones in England and 2 little ones here...I am from England originally but live in America now...my grandchildren gave me the name years ago...loland A VERY HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to you too. x x x Lin.
Well Lin, seems to make good sense, your Grandchildren naming you Nannyamerica - mine used to call their late Great Gran, Nanny Cuckoo, because she had a Cuckoo Clock on the wall! - Kind regards, Elly xxx
How cute... Nanny Cuckoo...😊
I am 61 and in Australia. I had post AF in hospital after surgery for mitral valve repair. It kept me in hospital for longer than it should have. I was on Metropolol but on day of discharge they switched me to Bisoprolol at 10mg starting off. I had immediate reaction to it with my heart rate dropping by 25 causing distressing shortness of breath, dizziness and (sorry), the runs.
I was still discharged with all those symptoms. The next day after consultation with my cardiologist, he stopped the Bisoprolol totally. My symptoms went away. Today 6 weeks later all I’m on is Amiodarone and Warfarin (Coumadin) for approximately 3 months and I’m doing very well.
I am so pleased you are doing well...Thank you for your reply.
I too have AFib and take Eliquis. I had to be careful as cuts bleed profusely. I was told that Afib can cause clots which migrate to heart lungs brain which would be fatal or life changing, and if I didn't take Bisoprolol I should take the Eliquis. I found dehydration was the trigger for my AF. I wish I could get an alternative to the Bisoprolol because I find side effects miserable.
Thank you so much for your reply. . It is very helpful in helping me make me decision to start taking them
Blood thinner or not 
blood thinners 
Blood thinners
stopping blood thinners for medical procedure
