Blood Thinner questions

[mousefan73]

My mom age 72, went to the Dr. and is now put on blood thinners and she is freaking out..Like " should I really take them or not".
She already been taking blood pressure and beta blockers. Has never had stroke/heart issues. Her BP was a bit high lately and her EKG a bit off, but the heart scan was good. She wants " more proof" and wants to now go to a Cariodologist. it wil take her a while before she gets an appointment.

I know I shouldnt take any medical advise here for her,but she is freaking out about blood thinners for some reason..What does she generally need to know about them .. She is like "can I still go on vacation" etc.. I know you have to be careful about injuries etc.... she was prescribed xarelto

she is freaked out mainly as she thinks once you start thinners you cant stop, life long.. she thinks only smokers or risk for thrombose... she is freaked out about now going to denists risks, gum bleeding. etc and that she is marked for life.

They also said she has atrialfibrilation.. when I google that.. I get freaked out as that is serious, as she has really none of those symtoms... she actually feels good cardiovasclularly.

I am just freaking out should I convince her to get those thinners or wait until she gets another appoitment.. maybe she can pop a few aspirin in the meantime??

 

[C&Jx2]

If she has Afib she needs the anticoagulants to prevent her from forming a clot in the atria of her heart that can travel to other places. She is at increased risk for stroke etc because of the Afib. I would take them as prescribed for now and try to get in as soon as possible for her peace of mind.

 

[Notreallyaustralian]

I was on Xarelto for a few months because of a DVT. It was expensive, and I wasn't sure if I needed to continue or not (Whether or not the clot was a one shot deal or something I needed to continue to worry about). So I switched to aspirin.

I was lucky and didn't have any bleeding issues while on Xarelto. But as they say...each person is different. I can understand your mom being nervous. I'm like that too about medications. It's hard to say yes to them, knowing all the possible side effects. And it's hard to say no when knowing the possible risks of NOT taking a medication.

No advice...just wishing and hoping for good medical results and good health overall to your mom.

 

[china mom]

My mother was on Plavix for years and never had any issues. She travelled, worked etc.

I ws on injectable blood thinners for a month due to being in a non-weight bearing cast. I lived my life (work full time) and if it wasn't for the other hassles with the cast, I would not have hesitated to travel.

 

[easyas123]

My mom age 72, went to the Dr. and is now put on blood thinners and she is freaking out..Like " should I really take them or not".

I should think that all of these questions your mother has could be answered by the Dr. who prescribed the RX. I know you said she was going to be waiting a while to get into the Cardiologist - perhaps she could write down her questions and then ask her current Dr. to go over everything again?

 

[luv2cheer92]

The afib is why she was prescribed the blood thinners.

 

[Christine]

Yep, she needs the blood thinners for the afib diagnosis. I was put on Xarelto for 8 weeks because I have extensive foot surgery and there was a risk for clots. I was really nervous about it because I seem to get side effects from everything and I feel like I already bleed and bruise easily.

Honestly, I never had one adverse event from the Xarelto and during the 8 weeks I was on it, I never even bruised more easily. I can't say I cut myself though so not sure what would have happened. Most of my elderly relatives are on blood thinners and the do hurt themselves and it does take awhile to get the bleeding to stop, but none have had to go the ER. I would imagine if it was a serious injury that would be a problem. But I was on the lowest dose.

 

[jo-jo]

My DH takes blood thinners and have been to disney twice.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I know I shouldnt take any medical advise here for her,but she is freaking out about blood thinners for some reason..What does she generally need to know about them .. She is like "can I still go on vacation" etc.. I know you have to be careful about injuries etc....

... she is freaked out about now going to denists risks, gum bleeding. etc and that she is marked for life.

I have ITP, so my blood is "thin" on it's own, and I have no restrictions on travel or regular dental work. (When I had a wisdom tooth out, they asked me get a platelet count, but it came back high enough to not be a worry. For cleanings, fillings, etc., they don't have me do anything special at all.)

By all means, have her talk with her doc when she can! - But for now, offer her reassurance that lots of us here are going about our normal lives (and vacations ) with thin blood.

 

[seshat0120]

I was placed on anti-coagulants 16 years ago after a stroke. At that time, there weren't as many to choose from and I was taking Warfarin (generic of Coumadin). The doseage had to constantly be tweaked based on diet, exercise, etc. For the first couple of weeks, I had daily blood tests to adjust the dose. By the time I finished taking it, the blood tests were every 7-10 days. Despite that, I did go on vacation during that time. I had to have my blood tested once during the time I went away. I went to the local hospital and they were able to do the blood draw and send the results to my doctor who called later that evening with changes to the dose I took. After six months, the neurologist stopped the Warfarin and I've taken lose-dose aspirin since.

Your mother should address the questions and concerns with her doctor. If she's been diagnosed with A-Fib, that would be why she's been prescribed an anti-coagulant.

 

[sheilafri]

If she has Afib she needs the anticoagulants to prevent her from forming a clot in the atria of her heart that can travel to other places. She is at increased risk for stroke etc because of the Afib. I would take them as prescribed for now and try to get in as soon as possible for her peace of mind.

My mother did the same thing for the same reason—Afib. She fought it and still doesn’t like it. It really is necessary to reduce her risk of stroke, though.

 

[tazdev3225]

I agree with the others, if she has AFib she needs the blood thinners. My husband had foot surgery and was a stroke risk due to high blood pressure. He had 2 strokes in the hospital before they finally figured out he had a severe form of AFib, at least that what was explained to me. Had he been on blood thinners he may not have had the strokes.

We have traveled to Europe, Disney and been on an Alaskan cruise since the strokes and him being on the blood thinners. He takes Eliquis. My dad has been on blood thinners for years, he just turned 87. He is on Coumadin and cannot have green vegetables because it has something to do with Vitamin K. With the Eliquis my husband does not have these restrictions. That is one thing I would definitely ask about. I would see a cardiologist at least as a reference point. We never saw the family doctor but always see the cardiologist.

Good luck.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

It should’ve been crystal clear to her why she was put on it and why it’s important to take it.
From the OP it seems like the AFib is a bit of an afterthought, and not the main reason for her going on it that it should be.
A clot forming and floating around in her atria (top chambers of her heart) from stagnated blood (because they’re not beating right) combined with high blood pressure puts her at higher risk for a stroke or clot elsewhere in her body when the clot breaks loose and travels. This is not something she wants to have happen if it can be avoided. (Often hindsight is 20/20.)
This generation of blood thinners are easier than blood thinners of the past as @seshat0120 has described above.
Lots of people are on these medications for many reasons.
If she has questions I wouldn’t wait to discuss with cardiologist, I would call the doctor‘s office who prescribed it to get any questions or misconceptions cleared up.
Substituting aspirin isn’t ok, it it was they would’ve prescribed aspirin.
She may not need to stay on it forever if they can get her out of AFib and back to a normal heart rhythm, but that’s going to be something she’ll talk to the cardiologist about. If it’s relatively new there’s a better chance of turning it around.

 

[tvguy]

The afib is why she was prescribed the blood thinners.

I'm in the same boat and yes I can see wanting to see a Cardiologist. All my a fib symptoms showed up in tests, I have no symptoms I can detect and the blood thinner made no difference in my day to day life, just cuts stroke risk.
In my case the Cardiologist had me wear a heart monitor for 3 weeks, confirmed my a fib is such that I need treatment. Literally today scheduled a ablation. They will go in and kill the portions of my heart that are misfiring. I know several people who have had this done, and as terrifying as it sounds, they say it was no big deal.

 

[Mommb]

It is not true, in general, that if you start on blood thinners you must stay on them forever. I was on warfarin for a year following a stroke, taken off it for several years, then back on for a few months and taken off again.

Warfarin is a major pain. As seshat0120 described, being on that requires frequent blood draws to monitor the dosage, and there are dietary issues because some foods are high in Vitamin K, which interferes with the medication.

My understanding is that taking Xarelto does not require such frequent monitoring or attention to diet. It does have a risk of increased bleeding, but not enough to prevent traveling. If your mother is engaging in contact sports or skateboarding, she may need to cut back on them, but otherwise, being on Xarelto shouldn't affect her daily activities.

 

[Dan Murphy]

If she has Afib she needs the anticoagulants to prevent her from forming a clot in the atria of her heart that can travel to other places. She is at increased risk for stroke etc because of the Afib. I would take them as prescribed for now and try to get in as soon as possible for her peace of mind.

I should think that all of these questions your mother has could be answered by the Dr. who prescribed the RX. I know you said she was going to be waiting a while to get into the Cardiologist - perhaps she could write down her questions and then ask her current Dr. to go over everything again?

The afib is why she was prescribed the blood thinners.

Yes, yes and yes.

As said several times, the afib is the main concern, possible stroke. I've have had episodes of afib over the past 10-12 years now, have taken warfarin for all those years, no problems or issues. Over the years, I have had 2 ablations, maybe a half dozen cardioversions. The last ablation was done a little over a year ago, last cardioversion, a little less than a year ago. Doing well currently. Modern medicine is amazing.

 

[john7994]

Currently on eliquis and aspirin after suffering a stroke several years ago - while I am not thrilled to be on daily medications - to be somewhat blunt - I prefer staying alive and avoiding another stroke. The reality is what it is. I have been to Disney 8 times since then and travel extensively for work. No incidents of bleeding, issues with dental visits or excessive bruising. My quality of life has not dramatically changed and I really don't think much about it now.

As many posters have mentioned, I would strongly encourage to begin the course of medicines prescribed, follow-up with the prescribing doctor and schedule the Cardiologist visit as soon as possible.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Seems to me the very first thing that should happen is to have a conversation with the Dr who prescribed this about the fact mom is terrified of this medication and needs both more information and counseling over the details. If mom really needs this for some reason she didn't catch she needs to know that, she also needs to understand what is happening because it sounds like she thinks she is in the driver's seat & it can wait meanwhile she could be in danger. Maybe an emergency virtual visit tomorrow or ASAP is the best way to go.

 

[tvguy]

Currently on eliquis and aspirin after suffering a stroke several years ago - while I am not thrilled to be on daily medications - to be somewhat blunt -

Just on Eliquis here. Only issue I have is the cost. Three month supply is $2,000, my insurance covers $1,400 so my out of pocket is $600.

 

[john7994]

Just on Eliquis here. Only issue I have is the cost. Three month supply is $2,000, my insurance covers $1,400 so my out of pocket is $600.

Yes it is - I contacted the manufacturer got a coupon, applied it to my Rx and I pay $30 for a 90 day supply.
https://www.eliquis.bmscustomerconnect.com/afib/savings-and-support

It is a bit of a hassle to setup - but worth the time to go through the process.