Warfarin

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bolimasa
I chose warfarin over the other anti-coagulants because it is fairly tried and true, and can be reversed.

There are now reversal agents for Pradaxa, Eliquis and Xarelto. The only NOACs that don't have a reversal agent are Savaysa and Bevyxxa, but they will soon.

Two things that people need to keep in mind with reversing anticoagulants are that 1) it has a much longer half life than the NOACs and 2) reversing warfarin takes upwards of 24 hours. That means that the NOACs can now be reversed faster than warfarin so that advantage has been erased.

Quote
Carey

I chose warfarin over the other anti-coagulants because it is fairly tried and true, and can be reversed.

There are now reversal agents for Pradaxa, Eliquis and Xarelto. The only NOACs that don't have a reversal agent are Savaysa and Bevyxxa, but they will soon.

Two things that people need to keep in mind with reversing anticoagulants are that 1) it has a much longer half life than the NOACs and 2) reversing warfarin takes upwards of 24 hours. That means that the NOACs can now be reversed faster than warfarin so that advantage has been erased.

Down side being that the reversal agents for the NOACs are something like $23,000 a dose... If they actually have them available... They were approved in, I think it was April, but being approved didn't guarantee availability. Maybe that's changed since I spoke to my thrombosis pharmacist this summer but a few months ago I was told they were not widely available.

Jun 18, 2018 · The supply of Andexxa is expected to be limited until early 2019; according to the drug's website (andexxa.com), it is currently available at only ten institutions. Treatment with the high dose would cost $49,500 for the drug alone.12 The low-dose regimen would cost half as much.

Yep, they're ridiculously expensive, but that cost will come down quickly, and if you need it, you need it. Given warfarin's long half-life, you could usually just wait out the effects of a NOAC in less time than warfarin could be reversed with vitamin K. My point was that people put too much stock in reversal agents. None of them are fast. If you're bleeding heavily, you need a surgeon, not a drug.

Just a side question. I've read that taking nsaids is not advised when taking anti coags. What do you do if you need Ibuprofen etc?

I was told no ibuprofen with my warfarin. They told me Tylenol was ok.

Bolimasa;

I have read that you can get a device like what diabetics use to test their blood sugar, it comes with strips, you put a drop of blood on the strip and it tests your INR.

L

Short-term use of NSAIDs is okay according to two of my EPs. By short-term they meant a few days, not weeks.

Quote
Carey
Short-term use of NSAIDs is okay according to two of my EPs. By short-term they meant a few days, not weeks.

Thanks.

Just spoke with a guy currently teaching at Yale who was former head of Oncology. I got interested when he mentioned that he was taking warfarin. He said that he was very familiar with the NOAC's, but didn't trust them. He noted that you can micromanage warfarin with your diet, and noted the advantage of knowing everything about a medication because it's been around for decades. Also, he felt NOAC's were convenient for physicians.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/18/2018 01:06AM by jpeters.

I have AFIB about once a month, and can usually convert myself within a few minutes. The one time I couldn't, I was in the hospital for two nights before I converted. The doctor put me on Eliquis, which I hated right from the start. It made me feel horrible, so I stopped taking it. I am now taking only natural blood thinners, i.e. fish oils, herbs, etc.

I was wondering how much Magnesium and Taurine do people take per day to help prevent AFIB attacks? I've been taking 1/4 tsp of both twice daily. Not sure of the mg's. I live in Colorado, and I'm deathly afraid of having an AFIB attack skiing on the top of the mountain, so I'm trying to do whatever I need to prevent this from happening.

I do not take any other meds, besides 5 mg of Lisiniprol. Has anyone had any luck with Calcium Channel blockers to prevent AFIB? Beta blockers? I have a bottle of Rhythmol (Propafenol) that my doctor gave me to take as a "pill in a pocket" but after reading about how it can cause sudden cardiac arrest, I am afraid to even try it.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I've looked into the comments of people who are taking Eliquis. What I found was that most don't like it and there have been deaths of people on it. In fact, the lawyers are circling already setting up class action suits against Eliquis. Also, since the drug has been into the public there are side effects that aren't listed.

[ethicalnag.org]