Getting over fear (riding on blood thinners)

I think that eliquis is at least ‘somewhat’ safer than warfarin, but either would be a bit of a worry. My wife is on warfarin due to her mechanical heart valve and stroke, but I’m going to be asking her doctor about the eliquis possibility just because you supposedly don’t need to monitor your blood like you need to monitor your INR with warfarin. 

First rule of riding your dirt bike, don't over think it.

2nd rule, don't even think about it.

Our time comes regardless of what we think.

It is tough, but you'll diminish your fun and joy quotient!  

I recommend that you think of your family and friends. Riding and racing MX is amazing. But you are probably held in very high regard by your family and friends. One bump that you brush off can do you in if you are on blood thinners. You can deprive your family and friends from anymore time on earth with you because you wanted to continue on the dirt bike. It took me a while to learn this, but it is true.

On a different note, it is weird when you get on blood thinners and starting noticing bruises every time you get out of the shower. "What did I hit?" 

Just recently witnessed how such a small tip over and slight bump to the head can cause even minor brain bleeding because of blood thinners. Not trying to scare you, but trying to make you aware of how something so tiny and something most would think nothing of can become a big deal. 

Do you want to get over the fear, or do you want us to tell you the truth that you are really dumb to ride a motorcycle on blood thinners?  Brain bleeds don’t sound like much fun.  Would you like to see a picture of the little manual drill the hospitals sometimes use to relieve cranial pressure?

I am 65 and had a unprovoked DVT and a PE a year ago.  I have been on warfarin for a year now and probably for life , Diagnosed with APS,  I still ride mx and mountain bike. I will not race anymore and stay within my limits.  I have my INR monitored and try to keep it on the lower end.  I wear all my gear and have good equipment.  Yes it is a risk but I know that.  I feel I have more risk if I was in a car accident and having a bleeding issue then riding. 

Helping you make the decision that is right for you lol. I'm just letting you know what I saw first hand. Ended up in them spending 2 or 3 nights in the hospital being monitored and making sure it didn't get worse.

My wife got a home INR tester several weeks ago. She takes her sample every two days and it sends the results to her anti-coag doctor pretty much immediately. It’s been a great thing so far, but if she can use something besides warfarin that doesn’t need to be in such a narrow range I’d be happy. 

It seems to me that taking a good Omega-3 fish oil supplement (with your doctor's approval), then reducing the blood thinners (also with your doctor's approval) might be a better solution with a lower risk of internal bleeding.

There are so many health benefits to fish oil, and a recent study shows that those who take at least 2,000 mg of fish oil per day live 5 years longer than those who don't.

One of the benefits of fish oil is that it helps prevent plaque from forming in your arteries.  If that translates to helping prevent clots, while it not being a blood thinner, then this may be a safer solution.

I've taken fish oil for over 40 years.  What I'm taking currently is Carlson Maximum Omega 2000.  It's a really good one.  I take 3/day.

Beware that most of the fish oil they sell at Costco is not worth taking.  It's simply too low on the EPA/DHA.

All I'm suggesting is to ask your doctor about it.

Hang up the bike racing. Race something less likely to injure you. What I had to do. Still ride once in a great while. But racing dirt oval karts  and off-road desert racing in something with a cage is what I went too. Way safer.  No not the same. But still hella fun. Raced bikes for 40 years. But I still have to work and cant adford to be hurt at 55. Takes too long to heal. 
I also had a clot a couple years ago. Eloquis for 6-7 months and I am good now. Hang in there. 

This place can be pretty special sometimes. Thanks to all who posted in this thread. (My wife survived a PE)

I went on Eliquis after my lungs were nearly filled with clots that probably came from cancer that had migrated from my neck lymph nodes. I've told my oncologist that I ride dirt bikes and mountain bikes and he's OK with me riding (well within my limits). I'm 64 and in my third year of cancer treatments. I don't feel a need for speed anymore, which is good since I never had much of it.

Some may think the rise in blood clots seen in recent years could be related to a super special certain shot some people may have been peer pressured into taking by celebrity tv personalities doctors and the government.

I've been on Eliquis for 9 years.  I got advice from 3 of my doctors.  1 of them said to quit riding.  2 of them said it's probably OK, but advised me to not take my pill in the morning when I ride. 

I race/ride in the desert.  One of the doctors even thought it probably doesn't make a huge difference.  The concern is a crash causing an internal bleed that can't be stopped. But he said if I have that kind of injury in the desert, even if I wasn't taking Eliquis that it could be pretty dangerous, and the addition of an anticoagulant probably won't make much of a difference.

4-4-22 billateral PE, double thrombectomy to clear the clots - been on Xarelto 10mg since.  I still ride and race 45+, wear all of the gear, etc.  I have had 2 "good ones" since, went to the hospital both times, got tested and all good.  I don't know, I just love moto so I ride.  1 doctor told me it would be best to not ride and 1 said it was probably fine if I was being safe.

I’ve seen a lot of weird stuff posted in this thread. Eliquis is an anticoagulant and most certainly is considered a “blood thinner”. 

The smart play is to take your eliquis for 3 months, go back and get scanned again to see if it’s resolved. In the meantime don’t ride your bike. A brain bleed is not worth it. 

It's worth the risk for me. 

Carry a combat tourniquet. They are cheap. Will cut blood flow to arms and legs if you puncture them and cannot stop the bleeding. That's like half your body. 

This is NOT an affiliate link, just the first one I found with a search. 

https://www.amazon.com/Tourniquets-Emergency-Military-Tourniquet-Single…

Pastrana mentioned in his book, while talking about a friend who died jumping off a bridge, that most people don’t even know what they are afraid of. If they do, it’s usually the wrong thing (his friend was afraid of the height, so he went to the end of the bridge and jumped. It was shallow and he got stuck in the muck and drown. If he was afraid of the ground, he would be here).

 Sit down and mediate on what you are actually afraid of. 

Is it death? Surgery/medical bills? Friends and family missing you? Family relying on you? Being judged for choosing to ride?

Really get a grasp around it. Then go from there.

Ps. Please don’t live in fear. It is an illusion. 



 

Flat out truth....    do not ride when on blood thinners.        Don't listen to the Billy Badass keyboard "experts", it's your risk, not theirs.

There is a reason for the warnings about bleeding on thinners. 

Oh.....I can't imagine why there are so many blood clots in recent years.      Can anyone pinpoint what might have caused that.      (extreme sarcasm)

Its ok, id be upset too if I fell for it Mr Moderator.

For me it is why I am getting the clots that I have had?  With my blood test confirmed APS .  Both of my clots came after long travel .  Since my diagnosis I have increased my Vitamin D since it was low from testing, I am taking Omega-3 and CQ-10 as supplements. A Rheumatologist has me on Plaquenil that is supposed to help.  The problem is my Hematologist is never going to go for stopping the blood thinners.  There is no way to tell if the alternate medication I am taking will prevent clotting..  Sort of a big risk to go off the blood thinners and not knowing if I will get one?  I have seen more clotting in recent years since the Covid scare.  Just makes we wonder is if that is how all of this started?

Why don't you pinpoint it bIlly badass ? 

“My doc would never let me go off my meds”

 🚩 

I don't believe we can discuss Covid vaccine related injuries here.  Maybe as more data comes out, and there is definitely data on this that is not good.

More and more doctors are aware of the benefits of fish oil.  This wasn't the case 40 years ago when I started taking it.

I would bring it up, and see what your doctor says.  He may know more about it than you think.

Also, my understanding is that there are natural remedies that doctors can't really discuss with you unless you ask.  If there are doctors reading this, please chime in, but it's most likely for liability or insurance reasons.

Once you ask, they can discuss these options with you.

I'm not opposed to taking medication if necessary, but if there's a natural alternative that works, that also has fewer long or short term side effects, I'm going there first.

If you're going to take fish oil, take more than 1 capsule per day, and take a good supplement.  Like I mentioned in my previous post, out of the 4 or 5 options at Costco, only one has enough EPA/DHA to be worth taking at all.  Go for a good brand.

I also take D3/K2 now, since my understanding is that K2 helps keep arteries flexible.  So, if we can keep them clean, and slow down hardening, we might live longer.