Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Support Group
Deep-vein thrombosis, also known as deep-venous thrombosis or DVT, is the formation of a blood clot ("thrombus") in a deep vein. It can be caused by something preventing blood from circulating or clotting normally. Join the support group if you are coping with DVT and find others who are going through the same challenges.
I have to have an ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration on my thyroid next Monday. The radiologist wanted me to stop taking my warfarin for 5 days prior to the procedure. My hematologist never told me to hold up on my doses at all, so I called him on it. He said "oh yeah, stop your warfarin." Jay-sus!
So I asked what I should do over that 5 day period, and he said "Nothing. It's not necessary to bridge with lovenox. You're a year out from your clot. Tell ya what, just stop your warfarin for 3 days prior to your fna."
Allllllllllllrighy then.
So I called my PCP, the guy who manages my warfarin (a frustrating task over the past year) and he actually agreed with holding up for 3 days. He said the procedure is not a very invasive one, very little blood involved; and the odds of clotting during the 3 day hiatus are pretty slim. Start up my dose again Monday evening and we'll do an INR next Friday, see where we're at. *sigh*
It's odd - when my INR is too low they make a big hairy deal out of it. When I have to hold my dose, it's nothin' but a thing. Feeling a bit like someones lab experiment right now - thought I'd share with the ONLY people who know what I mean!
So I asked what I should do over that 5 day period, and he said "Nothing. It's not necessary to bridge with lovenox. You're a year out from your clot. Tell ya what, just stop your warfarin for 3 days prior to your fna."
Allllllllllllrighy then.
So I called my PCP, the guy who manages my warfarin (a frustrating task over the past year) and he actually agreed with holding up for 3 days. He said the procedure is not a very invasive one, very little blood involved; and the odds of clotting during the 3 day hiatus are pretty slim. Start up my dose again Monday evening and we'll do an INR next Friday, see where we're at. *sigh*
It's odd - when my INR is too low they make a big hairy deal out of it. When I have to hold my dose, it's nothin' but a thing. Feeling a bit like someones lab experiment right now - thought I'd share with the ONLY people who know what I mean!
I just got home from being in the hospital since Monday with shortness of breath. 2 weeks ago, my INR was 2.4 - right in range. Then on Monday it had dropped to 1.4. They gave me lovenox and upped my Warfarin. Well, yesterday, they said I could come home because after all of the testing, they could not find any clots in my lungs so the shortness of breath was probably related to a pulled muscle (which is what I thought all along). I asked them about my INR, and it was still 1.4! I asked if that was a concern, but they said no, it might take up to 5 days to return to normal and I should be fine. I am not taking any lovenox right now, my last shot was yesterday morning in the hospital. I am to see my PCP next week to retest my INR.
Hang in there!
I had hip replacement so definitely needed it. My concerns as a lessons learned is, though the procedure is invasive, how long will it take you to become therapeutic (or Preventative if on PREVENT Trial dosage) after having been on Coumadin for 72 hours. For me about six weeks, for you hopefully a lot less.
I'm not sure if the stress from the operation messed with the way my body processed the Coumadin or not. As I always say, everyone's one medical condition is different. Hopefully you won't have the same problems.
Teri, your input was invaluable and it's good to know the biopsy doesn't take long. I've never had anything like this done before, so it's good to know what to expect from someone who's actually done it.
Just a guess, but I think if I get my thyroid functioning properly, my INR will be easier to stabilize in the future. I've found one source that points low functioning thyroid to INR's that trend low. I also suspect my thyroid may have been the culprit behind the DVT in the first place... compounded by homozygous FVL. I'm trying to find more information on a thyroid/clotting connection. Low functioning thyroid is common among women "of a certain age" and so is DVT, but I haven't found much credible literature putting the two together.
It's important for me to find out, because if I can get a healthy thyroid (or get the defective one replaced with meds), maybe I won't have to take warfarin for life. It's a little light at the end of the tunnel, perhaps?