My husband was on Xarelto post ablation which was 2 years ago. He did bleed from minor scratches a lot! We were told that is protocol due to the healing process of the ablation. Your heart can be very erratic after the procedure and you have an Increased risk of stroke. Hope this helps!

I'm so sorry you are having this....indeed it must be unnerving.

The 3 mos. is the Blanking Period....when afib or flutter is likely to occur, and the ablation can still be a success.

That is all I know....I take Pradaxa and have not had an ablation.

I hope you are able to connect with your Dr. tomorrow!

Xarelto And Aspirin! ? That sounds crazy to me but I'm not a MD. Better call him or her & be sure you heard right

Xeralto and aspirin is a little much, I would ask doc to stop the aspirin. Three months is the norm after ablation, many people can go off the anticoagulants after the three month mark,My EP put me on xarelto pre and post ablation, he preferred coumadin but I did not want to go there so he opted for the xaralto verses the pradaxa I was on. I did not do well on the xeralto, side effects were bad for me, fatigue like you would not believe, dizziness, nightmares and insomnia, no bleeding though so it may be the extra aspirin you are taking with it. I am now on Eliquis and no issues with that one but you have to take twice a day which is no big deal for me, Good lucj with your doc and working ti it out.

In 2007, 40% of patients on Coumadin, were also on aspirin. The anticoagulant protects against afib stroke from low blood flow (called red clot). The antiplatelet (aspirin) protects from atherosclerotic stroke (or white clot). The novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) like Xarelto produce fewer brain bleeds than Coumadin. Admittedly, combining an anticoagulant with an antiplatelet increases bleed risk, but whether or not to combine them together depends on your white clot risk and general heart health. Talk to your EP about "why" in your case they are being combined. Bleeding gums are much better than a stroke or even silent strokes. Silent strokes are not uncommon during ablation and during the months following ablation, particularly during the 3 month blanking period. I understand the heart is in kind of a stunned/healing pattern after ablation and with RF ablation, there is charring. Additionally, air embolism can occur.

These silent strokes that show up as small infarcts occur in a significant portion of those ablated. You don't want to be one of them. I suspect that those that aren't anticoagulated are the ones that get these little asymptomatic strokes. For middle aged males, a large portion have one or more infarcts. With Afib, the number is even higher. I think I remember a number like 80% or so. Get enough of them and they affect your cognition. Below is a URL and a quote that comes out of JAFIB (Journal for Atrial Fibrillation).

"Another factor that appears to increase the risk of cognitive decline is the use of various types of ablation to restore the heart to normal sinus rhythm. Indeed, ablation appears to increase the risk of cognitive decline in several ways.

Catheter ablation itself is a potential iatrogenic source of clinical and sub-clinical brain embolism, with an incidence up to 22%, write the authors of the research review, who all work at Asklepios-Klinik St. Georg, Dept. of Cardiology in Hamburg, Germany.

In addition, introduction of air and thrombus embolism into the arterial system as well as charring on catheter electrodes can both contribute to cognitive decline, and this has been shown in several imaging studies that have demonstrated new MRI brain lesions that develop after AF ablation procedures.

So stroke is a serious concern and so are silent strokes.

petey

Here is the URL: http://www.hcplive.com/articles/Can-We-Preserve-Cognitive-Function-in-Patients-with-Atrial-Fibrillation

Here is the JAFIB URL: http://www.jafib.com/published/published.php?id=980&is=previous_issue&f=full

As I mentioned, most middle aged males with afib, ablation or not, have little infarcts according to a study I posted a few months ago on this forum.

petey

Petey: That's very interesting . When I was on Coumadin after joint replacement, the docs were adamant about being so careful not to take any aspirin or related products. On a related subject, I read somewhere recently that medicating older people to have low blood pressure readings causes small, silent strokes as well. Also, that normal aging causes BP to increase, and lowering it too much increases the risks of small strokes.

I too was told no aspirins of any kind with the Xeralto, Pradaxa and Eliquis,

Yes. Many are saying no aspirin with OACs. Just letting you know the old view and that there are different interpretations and patient profiles.

Thanks for everyone's input. I got a message from the EP that it was ok to stop the aspirin and continue with the xarelto. The risk of stroke is always scary. I'm 42 years old so I'm hoping the risk is minimal. Have a good night everyone!