HI all - I'm getting to the ripe old age of aches and pains, aka arthritis, and when it kicks up - or I get a headache at times, I would like to be able to take 1-2 Advil (ibuprofen). I don't think it's OK to take it regularly or more than a few/day, but my Orthopedist made it sound like it was a definite NO to take any Advil for pain if I'm on Eliquis - even a low dose.

Just an FYI - Tylenol does nothing for me. Advil does work usually.

Thanks ~ Barb

It's a bit of a crapshoot. I find that Advil works really well for me, but I take one of them a year just for giggles. Okay, once a year to reduce some minor ache that is intruding on my consciousness. My point is, even though I don't take it hardly at all, when I need it it works like a charm. And I do take it. The thing is to take it with a substantial snack or a meal. You want your stomach working its contents, so eat several mouthsful of something. You need lots of mixing that will prevent the tablet or capsule's contents from lingering over or near one area of the stomach lining.

Still, I have to say to follow your physician's advice, because it's the thing to do.

At least 3 of my doctors (2 EPs, 1 PCP) disagree with your ortho guy. They all think a few days -- less than a week -- is acceptable. But does your ortho guy know something about you that wouldn't apply to me? The combination could definitely be a problem if you've undergone recent procedures or are going to anytime soon.

No recent procedures or upcoming ones, other than a colonoscopy in February (no issues, just a routine check).

I wasn't considering taking Advil on an ongoing basis, but only as needed here and there for pain. My Ortho guy made it sound like it was a hard NO, yet that's not what I think Dr. Natale said when I asked him years ago (I've had 2 ablations and a Watchman implanted, with no Afib since 2014 - going on 11 years.)

Just looking for clarity at this point, as I think it's fine to take 1-2 Advils when needed, not including on an ongoing basis.

Barb

Yes, it's fine. I do it at least once annually with apparent impunity, and I have been on a DOAC since November of 2017. I take Aleve as it is strongly enterically coated, and I take it with a snack or with a meal.

One of those EPs I mentioned who didn't have a problem with short-term ibuprofen use was Natale. I think your ortho guy is being unreasonable. Most doctors outside of cardiology don't actually have much experience with anticoagulants and they tend to exaggerate the risks and go overboard. I would take the ibuprofen and just keep it to no more than a few days at a time.

Hi, question is if you have already the Watchman in place why taking Eliquis ??
I had also 2 ablations with Dr. N. (2012-2015) and planning to do the Watchman soon, I'm in Eliquis 5mg twice a day. So, if I do the Watchman the only good thing is to reduce Eliquis to 2,5 mg ?

Tylenol does nothing for me also. I am 70 and on Eliquis.
2 years ago I crashed hard riding my motorcycle off road and fractured 2 discs in my back and two in my neck , I have healed nicely but I now get head aches from the neck discs about once every 10/30 days .Advil is the only thing that will touch the pain. .

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Mauricio
Hi, question is if you have already the Watchman in place why taking Eliquis ??

For the same reason some perfectly healthy people take a daily low-dose aspirin. The LAA isn't the only source of clots in the body.

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I had also 2 ablations with Dr. N. (2012-2015) and planning to do the Watchman soon, I'm in Eliquis 5mg twice a day. So, if I do the Watchman the only good thing is to reduce Eliquis to 2,5 mg ?

No, that's an individualized thing. I know people with a Watchman who have stopped everything and I know others who continue aspirin or 1/2-dose Eliquis. Natale will advise you on it, but if your CHADS-Vasc score is 2 or higher, he's probably going to recommend continuing 1/2-dose Eliquis. That's what I do. The best part is if I need to stop it for a medical procedure or something, I can do so without concern.

What is the rationale for continuing Eliquis at a half dose iif a Watchman has been placed? The only thing I can think of is if on follow-up echo the Watchman had not sealed completely. Some people with Afib also have other reasons to be anticoagulated long term as well—such as a prior blood clot in the leg of pulmonary embolism.

I answered that question directly above your post. The Watchman does not and cannot prevent all blood clots. It can only prevent the 90% that originate in the LAA, so that leaves 10% of all clots coming from somewhere the Watchman can't prevent. There are also other considerations, such as device-related thrombus (DRT). That's a clot that forms on the outside of the Watchman either before it becomes fully endothelialized or when endothelialization doesn't become complete. If there's any part of the device exposed to blood flow, a DRT can form there. There's no way to know if endothelialization has happened and if it's complete, and DRTs have been seen as long as 2 years after implant.

I had a Watchman implanted in 2018. I know with certainty it's 100% leak free, and the odds are very high that it's fully endothelialized by now (probably has been for 6.5 years). However, I'm a CHADS-Vasc 2/3 so the advice of the EP who implanted it was to continue 1/2-dose Eliquis for life. My local EP and my PCP both agree with that recommendation. My Watchman eliminates 90% of all clots, but that leaves the other 10%, and Eliquis takes care of that for me. It also protects against DVTs and other types of clots, so I can take a 14-hour flight to New Zealand a lot more safely than you can.

So I actually kind of like it; it provides peace of mind with zero side effects.

I agree fully with Carey, and at this stage of my life, me being a desktop user for hours each day, it's probably decent enough insurance against deep vein thrombosis.