Stopping Eliquis - cold turkey ok?

I have been cleared by my EP to stop Eliquis post ablation (successful, no more AF). Also spoke with neurologist who told me that they don't recommend taking Eliquis for people who do not have AF, as it adds to the risk for brain hemorrhage.

I know that doctors are not very prescriptive when they tell you to stop your meds (had a very bad experience stopping Metoprolol).

I believe it's safe to stop without tapering. I could not find anything on it.

Once I am off Eliquis it opens the road to take Nattokinase or other natural products.

Any advice will be helpful.

People stop Eliquis cold turkey all the time. I've done it multiple times. There's no need to taper.

Why does the ad on TV say:
“Don't stop taking Eliquis without talking to your doctor, as this may increase your risk of stroke. Eliquis can cause serious and, in rare cases, fatal bleeding.”

Always wondered about this.

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MikeN
Why does the ad on TV say:
“Don't stop taking Eliquis without talking to your doctor, as this may increase your risk of stroke. Eliquis can cause serious and, in rare cases, fatal bleeding.”

You have usually been prescribed Eliquis because you have a higher stroke risk. Hence if you quit taking it, you are no longer mitigating that increased risk.

Thank you! Have stopped now. Somehow always felt this was an insurance policy but I guess without AF, and low chad score, it doesn’t make sense anymore.

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MikeN

“Don't stop taking Eliquis without talking to your doctor, as this may increase your risk of stroke. Eliquis can cause serious and, in rare cases, fatal bleeding.”

Always wondered about this.

That advisory is a legal and ethical obligation to advise people who ARE taking Eliquis that the reason they are taking it is to prevent/minimize the risk of stroke, and that if they stop taking it when advised TO TAKE IT by a prescribing authority, it being for their own good...and safety, they raise their own risk of stroke.. IOW, you stop taking a prescribed medicine at your own risk if you do it unilaterally and without the advice of a competent physician.

can you share more about your bad experience stopping metoprolol? I was a little surprised when my EP had me stop taking it less than a month after my ablation but I was getting dizzy and had low blood pressure which has mostly gone away.

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rayfes
but I was getting dizzy and had low blood pressure which has mostly gone away.

That's why your EP had you stop it. Metoprolol does two things: it lowers blood pressure and slows heart rate. Obviously, if you were getting dizzy the metoprolol was lowering your BP too much. Metoprolol does not stop or prevent afib as many people are led to believe.

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Carey
Metoprolol does not stop or prevent afib as many people are led to believe.

Interestingly, a family member has had afib for around 8 years and is in their 30's. They told me their AF frequency had increased to 1x/week, using flec PIP to convert. A few months ago they were prescribed metoprolol by a new doc and their frequency has dropped to 1x/month. They think stress & anxiety are triggers.

I have no doubt that stress and anxiety are big afib triggers, and possibly even a cause, so if metoprolol reduces anxiety for someone then sure, maybe it's true to say it indirectly prevents afib. But a lot of people are led to believe it's an antiarrhythmic when that's just not true. The only things it ever did for me was cause profound fatigue, slow my heart rate, lower my BP, and give me rock solid steady hands. When I noticed the steady hands thing, I looked it up and it turns out that some surgeons even use it before surgery to give them steady hands.

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rayfes
can you share more about your bad experience stopping metoprolol? I was a little surprised when my EP had me stop taking it less than a month after my ablation but I was getting dizzy and had low blood pressure which has mostly gone away.

Stopping metoprolol cold turkey is recommended against. When I stopped my systolic blood pressure shot up above 200. I went to ER. Some people (like me) get wild BP swings, even when I was 1-2 hours late with my dose. To wean off I took a razorblade and cut 1/14 off, until after 14 days it was down to zero. I never had BP issues before, nor had I after. This stuff may be good for some people but for me it is poison.

It was my EP who said to stop without any guidance. That was pretty disappointing.