Common blood thinner may double as cancer therapy (Warfarin)

“...is on Eliquis...”

Apparently many doctors think eliquis is better for people who have atrial fibrillation (or AF), a heart condition, to help reduce the risk of a stroke. I have atrial flutter and that’s what they give me.

wy69

“They just put me on Eliquis.”

A lot of the decision to which thinner the doctor goes with is split.

From what I can understand, there are a few types of thinners that do a little different work.

Anticoagulants, such as heparin or warfarin (also called Coumadin), slow down your body’s process of making clots. Eliquis is also an anticoagulant. But they do differ. And as far as I can find, basically convenience with a slightly different way of getting it done.

Warfarin has a narrow therapeutic index. This means that small changes in your blood levels can have a big impact. Because of this, it requires frequent blood tests to ensure your dosage is safe and effective. What’s more, it can interact with many medications and foods. Warfarin blocks an enzyme (protein) needed to activate vitamin K. This interferes with blood clotting factors that require vitamin K to be made.

However, unlike warfarin, DOACs like Eliquis don’t require frequent monitoring. They also don’t have as many interactions and are better for after surgery blood clot problems by blocking an enzyme (protein, factor Xa) needed to activate vitamin K like warfarin. This interferes with blood clotting factors that require vitamin K to be made.

There are other differences, but the magic is you have had success on both, apparently, so far. Great to hear.

wy69

Yeah, when I was on warfarin I had to have weekly blood tests and I had to eat a precise amount of leafy green vegetables, as my dosage had to counterbalance the Vitamin K. It got frustrating, and the few times I cut myself I bled heavily.

We’ll see how it goes with Eliquis.

Thank you for the good wishes!

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