I was diagnosed in 2010 with Paroxymal AF and had just a few attacks of palpitations..was told to take no meds by GP ( he did ring a week later and say it might be worth taking a child aspirin daily which i did (bought over the counter) and took this right up to last October when he said stop taking it they probably do no good!!!!
Earlier this year I had a couple of weeks where I had a few more palpitations than normal and was put on Bisoprolol 2.5 mgs by GP who then informed me that as i was 65 in August 2016..i would be going on warfarin!!
I have had at least 3 kgs weight gain from this Bisoprolol since March and I feel tired so I asked the GP last week if i could reduce the dose to 1.25 mgs and he said yes and if i get palpitations anywhen then take the other half of the pill!
I cannot see that why as a 64 year old and taking no blood thinners/Meds since October..why this has to change and go on them just because I am 65..I do NOT want to take warfarin at all because of the side effects..and worrying about getting cut etc/scratched by my pets..they do this all the time... is going toi make my AF WORSE!Any suggestions..I have been told that I have to see GP re this Warfarin thing in 3 weeks!
I forgot to add the Bisoprolol also has given me achy legs and it is a struggle to walk any distance..but if I have to take it I will monitor it at the lower dose.
Hi Shelley, I also have PAF and have a few attacks (nothing too worrying)
I saw a Cardiologist about 2 years ago and have had scans and 24 hour monitors.
I was also given Bisoprolol 1.25mg twice a day. plus Felcainide, and blood thinners , I take the new type blood thinner Eliquis with ths you don't have to have regular checks and I have been fine on this. The reason for the blood thinners is that we could have a stroke!!!!! along with all he other medication he has now added perindopril which makes me feel very poorly so I have decided to take it on alternative days to see if that works....
Thanks ..I will read up about that blood thinner..I am sure aspirin is ok tho and I am happy taking that... many people in the USA take it...fortunately GP has given me no more pills other than the Bisoprolol..I will try and keep the dose at the low one as I do not want any more weight gain!
I think what your doctor is getting at is that your risk of stroke because of AF goes up with age. 65 yrs is the point at which the doc's guidelines kick in. He would be doing you a disservice if he did not suggest the addition of an anticoagulant!
I did not want to take AC's for a long time. But as the episodes became more frequent I liked the idea of a stroke even less. I'm now on one of the new ACs Dabigatran. Warfarin is real pain. I agree.. keeping it level meant I felt I was attached to the GPs surgery with a giant elastic band, very disruptive to a working life. Eventually they took pity on me - maybe themselves too as I seemed to be a constant visitor taking up time and put me on the new stuff. I dont think you really need to worry about scratches and the like unless the levels are wrong.
And if Bisoprolol does not agree ask to try another beta blocker and if this route does not work then ask whether there is an alternative. Rather think there is. I came off a beta blocker as it has been known to exercabate Psoriatic arthritis...I used Flecainide alone with a PIP for episodes along with other hypertension drugs.
You don't say which hypertension drugs but I found that ACE inhibitors (Ramipril and Candesartan) had a very bad effect on my afib. I've posted before that I didn't have afib until I started these drugs. I'm now on 2.5 Bisoprolol and Warfarin.
Shelly, as I've mentioned many times, although eliquis is good, Pradaxa is the ONLY one of the newer blood thinners that has a reversal factor (like coumadin does) but needs no monitoring and has no dietary requirements. I was on elequis but switched because of the reveral availability on Pradaxa.
Yes I have just been reading about that one..still worry about the side effects of blood thinners..i was not worried about the baby size aspirin in any way and would much rather just take aspirin again to thin blood and the beta blockers if I have to still take them.
Shelley, I was on asprin but due to "New Guidlnes" I was changed to Eliquis
because they now say asprin would not protect me from a stroke. As much as I hate taking medication the thought of a stroke is more worrying. I have had no side effects from Eliquis.
Hi, Thank you for checking but I only take 1mg as my blood pressure is normal, Cardiologist presribed it to support the heart I checked this out and it helps the blood flow thru the heart.
I believe thats why I felt so poorly because it was lowery my blood pressure , the pharmacist said its ok for me to take alternate days.
Any more problems and I will contact my Cardiologist.
What in particular is your worry about anticoagulant - you say above you worry about scratches from animals and so on. Why? You wont bleed out from a scratch
Old age...Man you gotta hate it. Your doctor is right. Risk factors for stroke include age, hypertension, atrial fibrillation and a bunch more. The actual risk is tricky to figure out. I went at it this way, probably wrong: a 65 year old guy is in a cohort of people who are at risk for embolic stroke at the rate of about 6 strokes per 1,000 patient/years. Out of a thousand people age 65 about 6 will have strokes in any one year. Atrial fibrillation just about doubles the risk of stroke to 11+ strokes per 1000 patient/years. Oral anticoagulation, properly monitored cuts the afib part of the stroke risk about in half for a net stroke risk of about 9 per 1000 patient years. Scary people will say that even properly anticoagulated you (and I) will have a stroke risk which is 150% of normal risk. Optimistic people will say the excess stroke risk in that group is 3 strokes per 1000 people per year. No anticoagulation people will have 6 excess strokes over the normals. Doesn't sould like much, but here is what decided me to take the warfarin, monitor it myself at home (I'm in the U.S. where that can be done, don't know about UK). That way I can keep watch and make sure I stay in the guidelines, and thereby, if and when I have a disabling stroke, I will not have to put up with my wife, suddenly demoted to invalid caregiver, barking at me for failing to do everything possible to keep her out of that stinky job. So I say do what your doctor says, wear a MedAlert bracelet about the blood thinner so that the emergency responders will know why you are bleeding so much when you fall off your bike, and get on with life. This rotten ailment can consume your thoughts if you let it. Don't let it.
In NHS guide for Warfarin it said cover arms up if gardening..dont get bitten if outside.watch scratches....i dont like all the testing with that either back and forth to Drs ..hate the places..so would if I have to go on ACs use one of the newer ones so I can eat and drink what I want!