Seeking Information About Adverse Reactions to Coumadin or Warfarin

She needs to get a second opinion. I'm 45 and had a blood clot and the Dr. put me on warfarin and started getting sick to my stomach. I finally went to the ER. They did a cat scan I was bleeding internally and had to have 4 pints of blood infused. It's a very dangerous drug! I now take anti-coagulent injections every day and seem to fine now.

Just something I wanted to add, coumadin or warfarin is rat poison. This is very serious, I almost died from this drug.

1) have her talk to the pharmacist about drug side effects. They'll know more.
2) can she find a different doc? or get a cardiology referral? This is a big problem with women and cardiovascular disease (which, if she has had a blood clot, she likely has some form of blood vessel disease) -- doctors are dismissive of women's symptoms, and often blow them off by saying they're depressed, overworked, etc.
3)you might find good information at www.americanheart.org

I am on warfin too and there has never been any reactions such as you describe. I did take some Vemma which was to be good for blood and I was hoping to get off the Warfin by taking it but it made me have blood clots and I had to get off it. I never should have taken it without the doctor. I was told by a pharmasis that doctors do not want us off it as a liability. I wish I could go off all meds but we all are living longer then our grandparents. G. W

What is her INR? If her counts are too high, that could lead to the symptoms your mother is describing.

My husband had terrible reactions with Coumadin, his INR would be fine one day and the next day would be out of control! He had to do Heparin injections for several years.

Get a second opinion! Any doctor who pooh poohs a patients concerns needs to be fired!

K.,

I usually don't agree with most conventional medical therapy, since the FDA and according to the Journal of the American Medical Association 1 out of every 3 prescriptions are unnecessary, but when it comes to a blood clot you just don't take chances. But, when her doctor finally takes her off of it, usually between 6 months to a year, she needs to start taking fish oil or more commonly known as Omega-3's which will prevent this from occurring in the future. She should take 2000mg/day. Now, with her side-effects, she may be suffering from low B-vitamins. You need to have her adrenal levels checked by her doctor with a blood test. Coumadin causes a thinning of your blood, severe bruising and fatigue. Just check with her doctor. If her doctor refuses or "poo-poo's" the idea, it's time to find her a new doctor!!!!!

Get another doctor or at least a second opinion!

My mom's on coumadin as well. My father took it also. I can't say either one experienced depression as a side effect though. There are lots of interactions and things to consider when taking it. You also have to be careful about diet (ie grapefruit, spinach), since some foods and drugs can intensify or weaken it's effectiveness. It's also extremely important that your mother have her blood regularly checked. It's a blood thinner and also makes people who take it more prone to bruising, etc. but if it's checked properly, patients should be ok. (My mom falls all the time unfortunately, but she just gets bad bruises and no internal bleeding). It's a serious drug and needs to be regularly monitored; however, it's a life saver for many people with clotting issues and can help prevent strokes and heart attack. Nothing is without side effects; however sometimes it's worth the risk if it means living longer or with a better quality of life.

Regarding her depression, it sounds like she may have a lot going on in addition to some serious health problems. It could very well be that these are also playing a big part in how she feels and not just the coumadin. Depression is a big problem with the aging. You might want to give her Dr a call to discuss your concern. You could also try and get your mom to get a second opinion; however, ultimately she needs to be the one to do that. kwim?

so sorry you're goign through this. Aging in parents is not fun.

Hi K.,

I use to run the coumadin clinic for a team of cardiologist some years back. And I can tell you that coumadin is a very serious drug. Its important that your mother limit the leafy green veggies. Her diet is an important factor while taking coumadin. Make sure you know what levels your moms doct want to keep her and be very aware of what they are. Don't take any of your moms symptoms for granted. If you are not satisfied with her docs look for another one. Preferably one who specifically specializes in coumadin care. If you want to ask any further questions feel free to leave a personal message and I will send you my #.Remember doctors are human too, meaning they make mistakes too. Listen to your mom and find a Doctor who will too. Good luck

Coumadin/Warfarin (brand and generic names of same drug) is a medication that requires regular bloodwork to be sure it remains in the therapeutic dosage. You did not mention this, but I'm assuming your mother goes to "Coumadin clinics" for these check-ups with a nurse regularly, right? If not, please check into that. You did not mention if her physician is a cardiologist, internist, or what. When I was a cardiovascular pharmaceutical rep a few years back, the Coumadin Clinics were primarily at cardiology offices, as I recall.

You didn't mention your mother's age or how she feels about her Dr, but I encourage you to be sure she is seeing someone she and you feel listens appropriately to her concerns & yours. Just as in every other profession, there are more and less attentive physicians out there and, sadly, there are still some who "pooh pooh" as you put it women's concerns about their health. Find one who doesn't. Of course, insurance coverage and where your mother lives will play a role in who she is most readily able to see.

Side effects can be related to one medication or a combination of medications taken or even a combination of medications taken and when and how they are taken! Some medicines need to not be taken with others or with certain foods (grapefruit is frequently a problem with some cardiovascular medications, for example). Please be sure your mother and you are aware of any such restrictions for her. Having said that, I caution you not to become overly alarmed when reading the information that comes with medication at the pharmacy!

The American Heart Association (another previous employer of mine!) has a great website that might provide some more answers and resources for you. Pharmacists, nurses (not so much MAs, but LPNs, RNs), as well as your mother's Dr/PA/NP should be considered resources for these questions.

Also, I hope your mother will not rule out the possibility that life changes such as that recent death COULD be playing a part in what she is experiencing. I'm guessing this isn't the first family death she has ever grieved, however, so I imagine she'd know if what she is feeling is attributable to that or not. Depression is a real illness and should be treated as such just as cardiovascular illnesses are.

Sorry for rambling on so long. I hope some of this was helpful.

I had a c-section with my son and was put on birth control pills at my 6 week check up. When my son was 3 months old (September 17, 2008) I ended up in the ER with a Pulmonary Embolism (a combination of the surgery and hormones in BCP). I was placed on Lovenox injections (2 x's a day) for 54 days and Warfarin (it has increased over the year from 5 mg/day up to 10 mg/day - I am on one year of therapy and get off of Warfarin on October 1, 2009).

It is very important for your mom to get her INR checked regularly. Green vegetables have Vitamin K in them, which causes your blood to coagulate. The more greens I eat, the higher my dosage of Warfarin got. For a while I was getting my INR checked several times a week...now, monthly. It will fluctuate based on foods and other medications (i.e. antibiotics, over the counter medications (Advil is a no/no tell her to take Tylenol) etc).

The "alternative" to Warfarin is Lovenox injections (although they are quite painful, I did not experience any bad side effects from them). Warfarin can make your body feel weak, and I seem to come down with every cold my son does (although I am not certain that is just because my son is in daycare, and not because of the medication).

My hematologist is A+ and she is at Texas Oncology of Mesquite and has offices in Rockwall, Texas. Her name is Janice Marshall. I would advise your mom to get a second opinion. Dr. Marshall warned me that Warfarin is a "tricky" drug. A good physician will listen to the patient and try to provide alternatives. - Thanks! S.

Hi...my husband has been taking warfarin at a fairly high dose for two years without that type of side effect. I think it is probably a great idea to explore the depression aspect-it might be the death of a relative or even the knowledge that she had a blood clot. Sometimes things like that make a person feel really horrible because it reminds them that they are aging. Good luck and I hope your mom starts feeling better!

Yes it can be side effects. I have had a doctor tell me that I couldn't be having side effects to a med he prescribed....we had a heated discussion about his not being above this "just because he prescribed it" after all the side effects are listed due to there being a real potential for them. That being said, most side efeects will diminish after taking the medication for a while and your mom needs to learn about her medical issues and what alternatives there are so she can direct her care and determine what she is willing to take or deal with. My mom gives her doc what for over side effects often and will on occasion flatly refuse to take something. It can be very hard for doctors to understand that their clients no longer just do as the doctor orders but it is up to us to "own our own health".

I was on Coumadin (Warfarin) from July '08 to February '09 because I got some clots from knee surgery (and the surgeon forgot to tell me to quit my birth control pills before the surgery). I had to get my blood checked every Monday for the first several months, until I was stable and could go every other week (it fluctuated a lot until we nailed down the correct dosage for my body/diet). YES food does make a big difference (not just avoiding food that contains iron like spinach, but also things that help "clean" your blood like cranberries were a strict no-no). It does make you feel tired and kind of "puny" because the blood is thinner. She shouldn't feel faint but will be weaker or more tired than her normal self. This in turn put me into a a bit of a depression; not caused by the drug itself, but by the fact that I couldn't just do what I wanted to do. Often, moms aren't the best patients in the world because there's the house, the husband, "the whole world" to take care of. Being the mom of a toddler, I was also depressed that I couldn't care for him as much as I wanted to or was used to (not running around in the park, etc). It's kinda depressing to be forced to rest and all that. It's also scary so there's some mental stuff.....I swore I wasn't worried and I swore nothing was wrong but now that it's over I can say that I had to face my mortality and it was very unpleasant. I felt stupid to admit it though (I'm pretty young, strong, and have a good life....but I was upset with the whole situation: what caused the blood clots, the changes I had to make, the fact that if I didn't "obey" people made sure to remind me that it was a very serious problem, and I wasn't ready/willing to even think about mortality yet). There's a lot of pressure as well. Add all that to the death of a relative (again, the mortality thing) and yeah I would TOTALLY expect her to feel badly. But it's probably not drug-induced. You can talk to the doctor, but sometimes a good pharmacist (like the one at Tom Thumb on Keller Pkwy) can answer a lot of the basic questions....when she picks up her prescription you can read all about it in the paperwork that comes with it. It does get better over time though; as the body gets used to the new routine and she settles down in her mind, I'd expect her to be just fine. I think it was the worst the first 2 months, maybe into the 3rd, but then it just became a new routine and I learned to work around it until I got off. Everyone is different, but I hope this helps some.

My Grandfather took coumadin for 15 years, the only side effect he experienced was he was constantly cold from the thinning of the blood. Anytime he would need to go off of it for a procedure or something he was comfortable in any climate.
Flu symptoms don't sound like any of the side effects listed by my Grandad's doctor. It may be time for another appointment, to be safe.

Good luck

My friend's father suffered a severe hemmorage in the brain and stroke from taking Coumadin. Please don't jump the gun, but make sure that the symptoms she is having aren't a real concern.

K.,
I take Coumadin as well. I can tell you that it's normal to tire easily. The littlest thing will make her tired. Your blood is thinner and carries less oxygen. I will also say that she will get cold quicker.

Contact the company who manufactures the product she is taking. They will be able to tell you if it is an expected event, how many reports they've had and if you should speak to the doctor about a different product. They will not be able to provide any type of medical advise or product suggestions but at least you'd know whether or not it is an expected event. You may also be able to find a product insert on-line (or ask the company to send you one) and it should list any adverse reactions reported during their clinical trials. If her symptom is listed then you can take the insert with you to the next doctor visit. There are so many products out there that her doctor can't possibly know (or be expected to know) all the possible side effects of a product - he only know what the majority of his patients have experienced and typically side effects are experienced by a small number of patients. Good luck to both of you.

I am a healthcare professional and work in an acute care hospital and am very familiar w/ Coumadin and myself, and my colleagues have never heard of those symptoms or side effects. They are symptoms of depression but if you are concerned you may take her to a different doctor. Have they considered UTI or any cardiac issues?

I don't know much about coumadin except when my son needed a blood thinner for a clot (he's four), the doctors at Children's said it was far too dangerous for him. I'm assuming your mom has to have her blood check a lot....they said we'd have to do that plus if he fell down, he could literally bleed to death from an internal injury...is your mom steady on her feet because if she is elderly, that could be a concern. My son was given lovanox instead, not fun since it is an injection, but much safer according to the doctors...

My husband has been taking a very high dosage of coumadin for the last two years when he got some very serious blood clots thanks to being in bed for a long time due to mono. At any rate, he is only 30, but through all this has learned he has a deficiency of a protein in his blood and will probably have to take coumadin the rest of his life for that reason. Since his illness first began two years ago, he has had a horrible time sleeping. The dr's said it's probably anxiety and gave him Xanax and Prozac. They help some, but the Xanax is very addictive, so he tries not to take it much. Well, through all this rambling we never really thought about it being a side effect of coumadin. Hopefully your mom won't have to take it indefinitely especially if this is her first clot. I know a lot of times they switch patients to aspirin after a while. My dad also takes coumadin and is tired a lot, but doesn't have trouble sleeping. I think in his case he just doesn't get enough sleep though. Anyhow, I would love to hear if you get this issue resolved as I've been very concerned about my husband, but also feel helpless!