Blood Thinner questions

[tvguy]

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.

Yes. I blew it. I applied for the coupon after I got my prescription refilled, so I can't use the coupon until I need to refill.

 

[john7994]

Yes. I blew it. I applied for the coupon after I got my prescription refilled, so I can't use the coupon until I need to refill.

I am sorry - you didn't blow it if its any consolation. It's not like its general information.
I was fortunate that my pharmacy told me about it as they were filling the Rx for the first time.
Otherwise, I would have been in the same boat. But, I am glad you have the coupon now!

 

[Dan Murphy]

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.

On the link, it indicates I am not eligible for cost savings as I have a Medicare Part D Rx plan.

 

[john7994]

On the link, it indicates I am not eligible for cost savings as I have a Medicare Part D Rx plan.

I am not on Medicare - so I don't know how all that works to be honest - it might be worth a phone call to the manufacturer and see if there is a way around it. I ran into a problem last year where the coupon expired and simultaneously the pharmacy was no longer offering eliquis as an option through my insurance - they eventually reversed their decision about a month later - but after working with the pharmacy and the manufacturer - I updated to another coupon and they reinstated the discount.

All of this to stay - especially if you are paying a non-discounted amount - there may be other avenues available.

 

[sasywtch]

My daughter has been on blood thinners for 5 years now. I can't speak to the afib as that is not what she has however, I can speak for the bleeding. She has hurt her toes quite a few times and it bleeds quite a bit but, it does stop. It's more like if you get a cut on your head how that tends to bleed more. We keep some gauze for cleaning and a thick bandage in her bag.

 

[mousefan73]

wow thanks for all the insight.. so my mom is calling her Drs office today to get an appointment with her actual physician. She goes to a shared practice and her appointment this week was done by other staff Drs... she wants him to explain the EKG and everything.. We are in germany so it it very typcical Drs dont explain too much unless you ask.. The mentality here is do as I say and most patients wouldnt think of wasting a Drs time asking "stupid questions" which is IMO totally wrong.. So I pushed and convinced my mom to get an appt next week and have it explained.. She is for some reason so hesitant to take this... I think she is in denial.

 

[mousefan73]

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.

What triggered my mom going in was her BP... it's a hobby of hers to measure at home and she was concerned what it spiked and kept spiking.. she didnt have any other systems.. racing heart, headache etc.. so she went in for blood test and then her BP was up there and they gave her a 24 hr bp and ekg. that lead to her Afib diagnose

 

[mousefan73]

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.

My daughter actually had that done at 14... She had SVT ( her pulse would go to 200 + for no reason).. it was terrifying but really not a big deal.

 

[jo-jo]

Yes. I blew it. I applied for the coupon after I got my prescription refilled, so I can't use the coupon until I need to refill.

So it works with insurance /Medicare? Two quarters DH pays $60, other refills, almost $500.


oops, didnt read all the replies. Sorry.

 

[mousefan73]

My mom has an appointment with her actual Dr on Tuesday.. so that is fast. He'll take more time to explain as she is going in specificvally for the consultation

 

[DisneyHardin]

I've been on blood thinners for a few years and have had no problems. I started with Coumadin, but hated the monthly trips to the lab for blood work, so my doctor switched me to Elliqus, but then after about a year, my insurance said they weren't paying for that anymore, so now I am on Xarelto. Other than bruising really easily and bleeding just a little longer when I get a cut, there are no negative side effects to the medication for me.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

What triggered my mom going in was her BP... it's a hobby of hers to measure at home and she was concerned what it spiked and kept spiking.. she didnt have any other systems.. racing heart, headache etc.. so she went in for blood test and then her BP was up there and they gave her a 24 hr bp and ekg. that lead to her Afib diagnose

With those two things, the AFib and the hypertension, your Mom’s heart is working harder than it should. Over time, that can lead to problems even if she feels fine right now. It beehoves her to get this all straightened out. Good luck!

 

[Stratman50th]

I've been taking Plavix since my heart attack in 2009. (Actually Clopidogrel). I also take a low dose aspirin daily. Never been a problem. The only real side effect is I get bruises under the skin very easily.

 

[tvguy]

So it works with insurance /Medicare? Two quarters DH pays $60, other refills, almost $500.


oops, didnt read all the replies. Sorry.

It works with my Prescription Drug Insurance supplement. Medicare doesn't pay for it nor does my Medicare supplement.

 

[john7994]

wow thanks for all the insight.. so my mom is calling her Drs office today to get an appointment with her actual physician. She goes to a shared practice and her appointment this week was done by other staff Drs... she wants him to explain the EKG and everything.. We are in germany so it it very typcical Drs dont explain too much unless you ask.. The mentality here is do as I say and most patients wouldnt think of wasting a Drs time asking "stupid questions" which is IMO totally wrong.. So I pushed and convinced my mom to get an appt next week and have it explained.. She is for some reason so hesitant to take this... I think she is in denial.

I resonated with that feeling and it was very upsetting at the time.
After better understanding the treatment purpose and getting better acquainted with the drug side-effects and other information available - it was something I eventually just learned to accept it.
It doesn't make the now for you and your mother any easier - but it is something that can be adjusted to over time.

 

[DCLMP]

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??

Yes, if she is in Afib she should take them. My mom was like your mom and had a massive stroke. We suspect she was skipping her meds. She was very anti-medication. Sometimes the benefits of a med outweigh the risks.

 

[antmaril]

I've been taking Plavix since my heart attack in 2009. (Actually Clopidogrel). I also take a low dose aspirin daily. Never been a problem. The only real side effect is I get bruises under the skin very easily.

Exactly the same (word for word) for me.

 

[DisneyTeacher]

I’m sorry your mom didn’t get more information to make her feel more comfortable. I hope she gets all of her questions answered so she can feel secure in taking her prescription.

I’ve been on several blood thinners over the last four years because I have three genetic blood clotting disorders. I started with Xarelto after a major blood clot and had to switch to an injectable (Lovenox) after a second clot. After a couple years clot free I was able to switch to Eliquis.

I bruise a little more and bleed a little longer after a cut but I still do everything exactly the way I did before I started on a blood thinner. I travel, work, workout, and even drink a margarita when I feel like it. I would rather not take one but the risk of another blood clot scares me more than any side effect I might have.

 

[DVC92]

I believe she should have seen a cardiologist previously, and definitely now. If she needed to take beta blockers and her EKG was off, a specialist is far superior to a general practitioner. I know with my very low dose beta blocker, I take a low dose aspirin daily. I believe the beta blocker has always controlled Afib which led me to a cardiologist 30 years ago

 

[figment do the bart123]

Dont be shy about asking your MD for samples. They sometimes have them.