Changing anticoagulant?

[Bb53]

Want to get off apixiban and on to warfarin? But nobody wants me to stop and change i case of a further stroke? Any advice 🤗

[Hidden]

Why do you want change to Warfarin and, what are the reasons you've been given for remaining on Apixaban?

[Bb53 in reply to Hidden]

Hi I chose apixiban and need life long anticoagulant I have had a cardiac loop recorder implanted as they think my infarcts due to AF?? Not sure.being a nurse I know a lot about warfarin I don't drink alcohol and the reqular INR checks didn't bother me but I was told by friends and colleagues it's a drug of the past and the new anticoagulants are the future.im 16months post stroke so need to get myself sorted.im terrified it will happen again? Want answers to why it happened but doctors told me it was probably AF thank you for reply

[Hidden in reply to Bb53]

As stroke survivors we know it can happen again and, AF is usually identified as the culprit. I wonder what the EP and Neurologist said to Andrew Marr after his stroke. He was a warning, and I avoid trying for an impressive time on my Concept 2 rowing machine since then. NOACs were not reversable if there is a severe bleed whereas Warfarin requires a shot of vitamin K. Pradaxa (dabigatran) now has Praxbind as a reversing agent (I hope that hospital pharmacies hold a stock). My diet can be a mound of green vegetables one day and either carbs or protein the next, so trying to keep a stable INR would be difficult. Your CCG and primary care provider would see a reduction of several hundred pounds each year if you changed from a NOAC to Warfarin, but that's hardly the point. One EP that I spoke to prefered Warfarin as it'd been used for a long time. Now that the NHS Choices web sites no longer carries contraindications for medication, it's harder to find reliable reporting, so I use the Mayo Clinic web site and similar. Abixaban and a UTI may have been implicated in one of my admissions to hospital, I can't take Rivaroxaban after COP, so that left Pradaxa which I tolerate well.

[moo196]

What's the reason for the change? I must say I prefer the warfarin...

[Bb53 in reply to moo196]

Hi🙂I chose apixiban silly really as know I want off it'I overthink everything and worry so much it is spoiling my recovery.big hugs to you moo!!🤡

[Juanicia]

My husband was on Warfarin for fifteen years and has recently changed to another anticoagulant. He is very pleased to have done so, no more six weekly blood checks which he found a nuisance plus the bore of having to change the dosage at times. Also he now has far fewer dietary and supplement restrictions, so altogether he is delighted to,have said goodbye to Warfarin!

[Bb53 in reply to Juanicia]

Thanks for your reply x

[courtley]

I prefer Apixaban - the warfarin gave me terrible nose bleeds and it was a pain with the weekly checks. Been on apixban since my two strokes in August 2015 -

no problems and - hopefully - no more strokes !!!

[Bb53]

Hi. Courtley I have struggled with apixiban as my legs heavy and have such fatigue and low mood was on tinzapain injections for a month and felt ok i chose apixiban as being a nurse had advice from doctors and nursing staff and they all said it's the best even my stroke consultant said the same!!but when I take it I feel so awful and tired about 90 minutes later??? Need to pull myself together it's got to be taken 😳Thanks for your reply x

[courtley]

Hi Bb53. I am a widow living alone and every day I have to push myself to get going. Strokes are peculiar things, every one is different and every stroke survivor has problems. Thank God I survived mine so I consider myself lucky. Anyway, all you can do is press on regardless and say SOD THE STROKE. Apologies for the swear word.

[Bb53 in reply to courtley]

Thanks for reply you are right need to push on I'm very lucky things have changed but still independent abit slower.embrace life we have to 🙂Keep smiling xx

[Tucson]

I take Warfarin and Aspirin and need an Inr of 4-4.5 never had any problems with Warfarin and as I self test and self manage no problems maintaining a stable Inr. I don't have AF so can't comment on that, my strokes have been caused by an auto immune blood clotting disorder.

[Bb53 in reply to Tucson]

Thanks for reply 🙂Hope you are well.

[Tucson in reply to Bb53]

I am well and given time you will be too x

[moo196]

Apixaban and the like are non reversible in the event of an accident (even cutting your finger badly or falling off your bike), let alone anything worse.

You stand a chance of getting vitamin k to help you.

Dietary restrictions?? Dose the diet, don't diet the dose. I'm vegetarian and regularly eat all of the things on the so called "restricted"list in one day eg blue cheese, avocado and spinach sandwich for lunch and some chickpea with broccoli dish later . We simply agreed that I would try to keep the levels of those foods constant and increase my dose of warfarin. Took a few weeks to get it at right level, but I never thought once again to restrict anything diet wise

As for regular warfarin tests, I got to every two months . And consider that to be much less of an inconvenience than potentially bleeding out if I had any mishap.

I'd personally query the use of the newer drugs as to their safety.

[anniker]

why on earth would you want to be on Warfarin? Once on it, you will be on for life.

[moo196 in reply to anniker]

Not necessarily true Anniker - I'm not taking it any longer. I had to take it for two years. Depends on why you are taking it

[Tucson]

I'm on it for life, I think that's better than no life.

[Bb53 in reply to Tucson]

I'm on it for life as well .