How Long is Reasonable to not expect a stroke after an episode?

I ask this because I had a TIA six days after a fourteen hour episode last March. Have been on Eliquis since then.

I fortunately only have a few episodes a year, but, I'm always extremely and uncomfortably aware of when I'm in AFIB. How long is reasonable to assume that I won't blow another clot and can start breathing again? Obviously, this question is brought on by my recent episode, which started Thursday at 5:30 pm. It ended sometime between 5 am and 9 am. I took another Ativan at 5:30 along with a my Eliquis and Rythmol.

Anyway, what is considered a reasonable amount of time to feel reasonably sure that anything left in your atria isn't going to fart clots?

lisa
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So much of medicine is looking solely down the wrong end of the gun barrel, and that is really a pity for all of us---Shannon

hi Lisa,

You should be okay with regular doses of ELiquis, it's quite effective, though nothing is 100% The main thing is it very doubtful and embolic clot will form in the LAA while already on a steady dose of Eliquis. I wouldn't worry about it at this point, but the ongoing AFIB, is something to consider taking care of .. NSR is your very best defense ... and needing no OAC drug is preferred whenever possible. NSR protects not only against not only embolic strokes or TIAs, as you are concerned with, but also excess bleeding or even hemorrhagic strokes as well.

How frequent and long lasting are your episodes?

Shannon

Thanks Shannon. I, fortunately have only two or three episodes a year, lasting from only three hours up to 18 hours. Not consistent in duration , at all. It's not much time in AFIB, but with a family history of both AFIB, and DVT/Pulmonary Embolism, I'm not sure any doc would willingly sign off on no blood-thinners at this point, anyway.

While I'm at it, is there any way to determine how effective Eliquis is for me? I wonder, because, before taking this, I always bruised very easily, and now I don't at all. Seems backward.

lisa
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So much of medicine is looking solely down the wrong end of the gun barrel, and that is really a pity for all of us---Shannon

After 30 days you should be in the clear. If their was a clot that formed during an episode, it would be absorbed into the wall of the Atria within 30 days, probably sooner.

Thank you, that answered my original question.

lisa
__________________________

So much of medicine is looking solely down the wrong end of the gun barrel, and that is really a pity for all of us---Shannon

Lisa

A lot of people notice less bruising with Eliquis and Xeralto, funnily enough, and indeed compared to Warfarin in many cases. Keep in mind the Factor Xa NOAC drugs like Eliquis Xeralto and Edoxaban (Savaysa) are not Vitamin K antagonists as is warfarin.

Some clots do last a good long time, depends on their makeup, location and surround blood velocity. Also those that get embedded deep inside the variegated structure of those with very variegated pectinate tissue inside the LAA can last a good long while. Warfarin and Eliquis will gradually or more quickly dissolve most of those clots with the time to do so depending again on their size, your relative dose of anticoagulant and such. Even Nattokinase can dissolve some clots as well, though we have less long-term studies to quantify just how effective that is with a wide range of emboli.

Shannon

Correct me if I'm wrong, but unless there are some other heart issues (higher CHAD score), the chances of a clot/stroke with an 18 hour afib are tiny if they even exist. As I understand the research, it isn't even clear that afib increases stroke risk significantly when there are no other CHAD factors (and that includes persistant afib). Again, correct me if I'm wrong

Ralph - Refer to the post on sticky, thick blood that talks about factors that influence hyper-viscosity. This goes beyond a CHADs score evaluation for stroke risk. If you have inflammation in the body or other factors mentioned in that post, it's important to have all of the relevant tests done to determine if your blood tends to be 'thick and sticky.'

Using the fibrinolytic enzyme, CardioKinase - (Nattokinase), helps significantly in lowering the fibrin which contributes to hyper-viscosity... many other supplements also help lower elevated numbers from the factors mentioned. When I had all my lengthy afib events lasting 24 - 27 hours, I always increased the dosing of NK, fish oil and other helping to prevent clotting.

Jackie

Sticky, thick blood - risk of stroke or MI
September 06, 2012

For new readers or for those who may have not been reading regularly and may have missed the many discussions about inflammation and sticky, thick blood leading to risk of stroke or heart attack, this is a reminder to become very knowledgeable on the key risk factors which can be identified by specific highly-sensitive tests.

Preventive medical care should be high priority and these tests should be routine, but apparently, there is more money to be made from having to stent or do bypass surgery. What other reason could there possibly be for not screening everyone with tests that truly are preventive indicators? Typically, unless you see a doctor who practices integrative/functional medicine, you’ll have to ask for these special tests and often pay out of pocket. It makes no sense that this is the case, but that’s the way it is. (Medicare pays for some but not all.) You can call the lab that routinely does your blood draws and ask which of these tests are covered by insurance and the cost if not covered. If you have to pay out of pocket, try to get as many as possible and eventually, all of them.

Afibbers, especially, should be screened routinely and if any numbers are out of range, then immediately take corrective measures to normalize the levels. Don’t rely that your cardiologist or internist is routinely checking. You have to be the one to make sure you know your numbers.

Overly sticky, thick, inflamed blood has a tendency for adverse clotting. Test, don’t guess.

INR measurements while on warfarin/Coumadin only indicate that specific number and as we know, warfarin does not protect us 100% from the risk of adverse clotting. If one or several these risk markers are out of the safe range, you can still have complications.

This is the list for essential testing
Homocysteine
Fibrinogen
Ferritin
High Sensitivity or Cardiac C-reactive protein
Hemoglobin A1C
Lipoprotein (a)
Interleukin – 6
Oxidized LDL

Continue: [www.afibbers.org]