Eliquis caution: 2-3 % failure

I have recently transferred to Eliquis, approximately six weeks ago. A week ago could not get up, fell onto the floor and could not get up or make any noise. After several hours I was able to wake up and crawl over to the door and leave it open. After some time my brother in law came up the stairs and found me and called an ambulance. I was examined at one hospital, a stroke was found embedded in one side of my brain, I was sent to another hospital where a group of drs managed to remove the clot. After a few days I regained my movements and ability to speak and was allowed to go home. I'll be spending approximately three months to recover enough to go back to work.

I heard from the doctor that Eliquis does not work for ~ 2-3% of people who use it. I did not know this. This is by far the worst reaction I've gotten so far, I don't know what reactions will permanent for a few weeks.

I am sorry to hear this. I started taking Eliquis in April of 2016 but in Oct. 2016 I developed Nausea,twitches etc. The only drug I take different is Eliquis and I did not have any issues from April to October.

I have yet to get rid of the Nausea. Sometimes, It is hard to deal with. All the other drugs I take, I have never had a issue with but I am very suspicious of the Eliquis. I spent a lot of money last year on having my stomach scoped, and other procedures to try and determine the cause of the Nausea.

There are several individuals on the web who have Nausea and other issues from taking Eliquis. I cannot say they are all true but something is different IMO with Eliquis. I have taken Pradaxa for 14 months with no issues and Xarelto for 6 months with no issues but this last episode of AFIB I chose Eliquis because of its short half life and Dr. Natale likes Eliquis.

My Daddy just swapped from Eliquis to Xarelto today. He had to because of insurance price differences this year between Eliquis and Xarelto with Silver Scripts. He has been having Nausea also so I am waiting to see if his Nausea ceases on Xarelto. He is in permanent AFIB at 84 years old.

I always thought that all of these AC Drugs only substantionally reduced the risk of Stroke, but did not eliminate it. I also was thinking that the Doctors were just making generalized statements, over Stroke coverage, that patients were protected to put their minds at ease when there wasn't really anything else to do.

I tend to agree with you anti-fib----I couldn't take Coumadin because it caused blood in my eyes and hands, the AP led me to believe that I should take aspirin, now he is telling me it is useless against blood clots and wanted me to take Aminodorane, I said no.

I had to quit taking Coumadin and after a couple of weeks, I coughed up quite a few blood clots and had a nose bleed. That is all that happened, guess I was lucky, but why would that happen?

My mother went into permanent AF in her 80s and was put on Coumadin, she took it for about ten years, then she started having black, tarry stools, docs had her quit the coumadin, they didn't subject her to a complete gut examination because of her age. I believe older people are sicker and die earlier because of all the drugs these docs give them, I do not have a lot of faith in most docs.

Liz

Hello Mike - I'm so very sorry this terrible event happened to you and obviously, very glad the attention you received successfully managed the obstruction and that you 1) survived and 2) are recovering successfully. What a terrible event and an eye opener for everyone who has the LAA ablated and is on anticoagulant therapy.

Sending you an abundance of positive energy and special blessings for a total, complete recovery.
Please keep us posted when you feel up to it.

Kindest regards,
Jackie

Wow Mike, I'm so sorry to hear of your experience with Eliquis and the stroke! You had not missed any doses by any chance? I would not think so in speaking with you as you sound very much on top of things.

The 2-3% quote of it 'not working' as your doc said includes some degree or poor compliance which is pretty high still even with NOACs though not as high as with Warfarin where non compliance can range in the 35% to 40% range with obvious problems.

And even when everything is perfect in terms of compliance there is an inherent roughly 1% to 1.5% risk per year of an embolic event and a slightly larger risk of significant bleeding as well including hemorrhagic stroke .

There is no way to reduce all risk to zero, but bleeding risk from an OAC can be brought pretty close to zero via successful LAA closure, and with a non-inferior to warfarin or NOAC embolic risk, which over a longer time period should certainly achieve superiority in reducing already fairly low embolic risk over an OAC long term ... but never zero systemic embolic risk no matter what we do.

Alas, as statistics go, even though a very low 1% to 1.5% per year risk is, indeed, very low ... it is not zero either and for some folks that risk will become reality in the very early stage of treatment rather than only after 20 to 30 years when the small incremental cumulative and additive annual risk gets much higher.

Lets talk and catch up Mike, I want to hear more of when this happened as we just talked a few weeks ago!

Get well real quick Buddy!
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Shannon



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/2017 10:07PM by Shannon.

I am a Bible Belt man. I thank God daily for his Grace. I believe divine intervention led me to this forum in Dec 2013. Mike, I am so thankful God seen you thru this terrible ordeal. It puts things more in perspective for me. I was in persistent AFIB for many months and did not even know it. I ignored all the signs. No blood thinners etc; God spared my Life. My AFIB was found thru a routine physical. 2 different Cardiologist and one EP told me I cheated death at age 54.

Gods Grace is sufficient.