Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Support Group

Hi David,
I can only tell you of my experience. A little background first. My former professional life was in mental health as an outpatient clinic supervisor and I worked mobile crisis for the county. I began studying naturopathy, but stopped when I realized the "science" backing up the claims of the "textbook" authors was all severely flawed and lacking in proper methodology. My current "job" is full-time homeschooling mom. I prefer my current employment. I am sensitive to most things, including herbal remedies. I have had hives and severe difficulty breathing from "alternative treatments" and am now very wary of any treatments that have no objective testing.

All treatments can have unwanted effects. Currently my INR is too high (3.8). I knew it was yesterday because the bleeding wouldn't stop after the blood draw. The technician and I were joking about how I would be getting a call from the doctor. I just got a call this morning to lower my dose to 3.5 mg. I have slow healing cuts and nicks and bruising, but I had that tendency before warfarin.

Let me make it clear that I am not dismissing your symptoms when I say this. Depression and anxiety can cause all the symptoms you are experiencing. You are facing a serious health issue that can exacerbate any underlying issues. Sometimes when we remove what we think is causing our symptoms, the anxiety will be alleviated and the physical symptoms subside. Have you asked your doctor about your symptoms? Have you gotten a second opinion?

Everyone metabolizes drugs differently. Personally, after many rounds of Prednisone, Coumadin is one of the least problematic drugs I've encountered. I would suggest you check with a knowledgeable medical professional and try to avoid surfing the Internet for answers. It can drive you into a state of paranoia (I know!). Also remember that "alternative therapists" are all trying to get your money (exactly what they accuse the drug companies of doing). Their "research" usually follows none of the established protocol, their study groups are small and highly selective in order to achieve the desired results, and the publications extrapolate the results of other research and draw invalid conclusions. Sorry to be so negative, but after spending much time and money, researching alternative cures, I have found the unwanted effects of pharmaceuticals to be much safer and easier to remedy.

I have to completely disagree when the last post stated that "Coumadin is the least problematic drugs I've encountered". I am very happy that you have had little to no symptoms or side effects with Coumadin but for some it may be different. It depends on the person I suppose, just as any medication. Some people can't even take OTC medications. (I can) But this medication, I have been horribly sensitive to. And first, let me say, I am not one to "not take medication." I'm a not a junkie, either, but medications are here for a reason. Why suffer? I didn't start reading up on this med. until I starting feeling so horrible. I can hardly make it through 8 hours at work.

I have had nearly EVERY side effect you are speaking of. Depending on which of my doctors I ask, they state these issues either are or are not side effects of the medication. However, many people I speak who are on coumadin have the same side effects. And as for googling side effects of Coumadin; the only thing that tells you is that you bleed and bruise, which I haven't yet! I know these side effects are from the coumadin because for about 3 days after an increase I feel HORRIBLE until I get used it again! Here are some of the side effects I've had;

Upset stomach EVERY morning; vomiting somedays
Horrible body aches
Fatigue beyond any imagination
Loss of appetite
Weight loss
Hair loss- to the point I was forced to use the down stairs shower by my fiance!
Gastro/bowel issues- very random and fluctuate from constipation to diarreha
confusion
no sex drive
pain... achy-pain.

Warfarin is rat poison...and the doctor's and FDA are telling me I will have no side effects except for bruising and bleeding?? Give me a break. I feel like I am near death every day. My body hurts. I am witn you, David.

and maybe it has something to do with the dosage... though you would think it would be the INR? I am currently on 10mg of coumadin but I will say I have felt this sick since I started it.

Oh, I forgot, my skin is changing too. My fiance said "Oh my gosh, I didn't know you have freckles". Which I do, very faintly on my face, but my skin is getting very very pale...worse than it is. Not that cute blonde girl pale, like pasty pale. Not to keep talking about horrible symptoms, but it erks me when everyone says nothing happens on this darn medication!

Hey David,
I have experienced some of the same side effects the others have listed from the warfarin. They are weight loss, hair thinning alot(using naproxin as suggested by hairdresser)gastrointestinal issues from diarreah to constipation, loss of sex drive. My INR fluctatues, and I still having it checked every 2 weeks. I am hoping and praying that I can come off of it in March 2010. How long have you been on the warfarin?

I forgot to mention my skin has changed too, not for the better either. My nails used to grow long and beautiful, not any more. I do good to keep them at any decent length now before they start breaking. And of course how could I forget the headaches!

Thankyou dkorf and Danielle than you thankyou! I feel so alone with this horrendous fatigue, yes danielle I feel near death too on this stuff. It is fatigue beyond imagination you're so exactly right Danielle! Yes my nails don't grow either like they used to. My eyes water and vision is affected. I have huge upset stomach too! Goes between diarhea and constipation yes. Thankyou I need to know I'm not crazy. I can't go on like this. I got to find an alternative. I don't know of any truely effective alternative. An oral heparin type drug my dr says isn't doable because the stomach acid destroys any of the antithrombin constituents. And some people here have made me feel something is wrong with me. Alot of natural blood thinners interferes with your INR levels or worse they can raise the bleeding risk without you being aware of it because the INR doesn't register them. So you can't even lower the dosage and replace it partially with something more benign. See for me as a long term user of warfarin I'm concerned. This is unbearable but what a choice a recurrence of clots and potentially fatal results. 10mg I tried and I can't take. I have to titrate 2 my at a time. The anticoag pharmacy is always mad at me for being noncompliant but I can't take this it is like poison to me. They even have me on 12 and 15mg on different days. I can't take that I'll die! Oh I also have moderate tremors the more warfarin I take. Again I think the drug companies don't want people like us to broadcast these significant side effects because they're making huge money from this.

I concur with the majority of the group regarding negative effects from warfarin. I am a lifer....due to May-Thurner Syndrome, and I have gradually (over the last year and a half since my sudden onset of the DVT) been able to reduce my dosage of the drug. I am now down to 10 mg. The disage decrease has helped me feel somewhat less achey and fatigued than even the 11 mg. I was on for most of the past 14 months.
Yes, I agree that this life-changing event(s) can mingle with depressive symptoms (I am a psychologist), but there are days when my body is so sore that I can barely stand to be touched or brushed up against. Since my level-change, I have experienced less physical symptomology but an increase in issues with significant bruising and bleeding (which I had not had previously and to me, surprisingly). My severe headaches have decreased but my memory and word retrieval, in particular, continue to be negatively impacted (I joke about it all the time!). While I have some gastro-issues, due to my inability to perform physical activity/exercise at the level I had been accustomed to, I have had weight GAIN which I have not been able to battle. The weight gain, again, impacts self-esteem and energy, so the vicious cycle begins again. The DVT incident appears to have pushed me quickly through menopause, so there may be a relationship there with some of my other "physical" issues.
I recognize that my sense of "normalcy" will never be the same again.....and I am fortunate to even be alive, so.........I smile and go on......

HI DAVID,

I WOULD MAKE SURE YOUR ON THE RIGHT DOSE AND GET A SECOND OPINION FRON ANOTHER DOCTOR. MAYBE IF YOU ARE TAKING OTHER MEDICATIONS WITH IT ,IT COULD BE REACTING WITH IT AND YOUR SYSTEM CANT HANDLE IT. WE ALL REACT DIFFERENTLY. YES I TO HAVE A MEDICAL BACK GROUND A DOES MY HUSBAND. WE USE BOTH NATURAL AND DOCTOR PRESCRIBE MEDICASTIONS FOR MY LUPAS, DVT AND IBS AND SO ON. I TAKE HAVE TO TAKE 10MG ONCE A DAY OF Coumadin NOT THE NAME BRAND. WITH SOME OF MY MEDS THE GENERIC SEEMS TO DO BETTER AND VISA VERA. MY LEVEL RANGE IS BETWEEN 2.4 - 2.9. MY EATTING HABITS ,WEIGHT, AND MILD MILD EXCERCISE OR STRETCHING SOME HAS HELPED. WHEN I FIRST TOOK IT I DID HAVE HAVE PROBLEMS AND REACTIONS TO THE MEDS AND MY OWN BODY NOT LIKING IT. HAIR FALLING OUT, SKIN COLOR, PAIN IN MUSCLES, FATIGUE, BUT AS I USED MY NATURAL STUFF WITH MY MEDS IM REGULATED NOW. I BELIEVE IN BOTH IS YOU ITS THE RIGHT STUFF.
YOU MUST BE VERY CAREFUL WITH NATURAL STUFF BECAUSE THE SIDE EFFECTS DONT ALWAYS SHOW TILL YOU END UP WITH SOME KIND OF DAMAGE. SO MAKE SURE YOUR DIAGNOSE RIGHT WHICH TOOK 7 DOCTORS AND THEN START OF WITH SMALL DOSES THEM ALLOW YOU DOCTOR TO UP IT TO WHAT HE/SHE IS TESTING YOU FOR THE RIGHT LEVEL IF THAT IS WHAT YOU SHOULD BE ON. A LOT OF THE SAME SYSMTEMS THAT I HAVE READ ON HERE I TO WENT THROUGH FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. ABOUT A YEAR FOR ME. EVERYTHING IS LEVELING OUT AS MY BODY ADJUSTS AND MY CLOTS GET SMALLER AND MY BODYS IMMUNE SYSTEM IS STRONGER. I HOPE THIS HELPS A LITTLE. ITS TRIAL AND ERROR FROM DOCTOR TO MEDICATION. HANG IN THERE AND YOU ARE THE BEST DOCTOR OF ALL WHEN IT COMES TO KNOWING YOUR BODY REACTIONS. MAKING A LOG HELPS TOO. SINCERELY, PAMELA WA

PS: I AM SORRY FOR THE SPELLING AND SENTENCE STRUCTURE,TO LAZY TO USE SPELL CHECK AND SO ON. YOU GET WHAT IM SAYING I HOPE. TAKE CARE AND KEEP EVERYONE'S SUGGESTIONS AS JUST THAT AND MEASURE IT WITH WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AND BODY AND DOCTORS SUGGESTIONS. IT WILL BALANCE ITS SELF OUT.

David, same answers as last time you asked the question...
Do a search (top right corner, search engine) using the terms
"Side Effect of Warfarin"
You will find 391 items that pertain to that topic and you will find your last discussion about side effects of warfarin.