I have no stroke risk factors except age, 77 and irregular heartbeat and two short episodes of afib in 8 month. should i take xeralto which i hate?

Ask Rx Dr.: You need to discuss with your rxing dr. And even a cardiologist consultant if you had one. A-fib, and age 77 alone are risk factors for a stroke. Xarelto is just one option of several medications you may take or be rx'd. (other meds like Coumadin (warfarin) you may hate even more as it requires frequent testing and avoidance of vit k containing foods, etc) discuss your concerns with your dr. Good luck.

Yes: Due to your atrial fibrillation, you need to be on chronic anticoagulation medication to reduce your risk if stroke. If you cannot tolerate your current medication, discuss other options with your treating physician.

Some blood thinning: The arrhythmia can cause blood clots to form in the heart, even if it only goes for minutes at a time. Once a clot forms and shoots up into the brain things can not usually be reversed. Therefore, blood thinning is warranted to be safe and it's your choice between the ease of use (and bleeding risks - cannot be reversed) of xeralto, or the hassle and risks of coumadin (warfarin).