Pradaxa in Europe = dabigatran in the US and Canada.
Still not accepted by the FDA for DVT.
It has a few quirks, no antidotes, to me that is a major quirk.
Welcome to the land of warfarin users with multi side effects, YES they exists, even if your Dr. says that being tired, having brain fog are not caused by warfarin, we the users will tell you otherwise,
YES THEY ARE SIDE EFFECTS OF WARFARIN.

I was on Dabigatran (Pradaxa) for 10 months until I needed to be operated for gall bladder extraction and the surgeon could not find an antidote to reverse the anticoagulating effects so he told me that he could not operate... He called me a bleeder and said I was too risky.
So, I have been off Dabi and did get my operation...

Had I been on warfarin, they could had pumped me with vit K and totally reverse the effect and operate me that same day.
Yes it is true, Dabi is not affected by vit K, you don't need INRs, it's oral and has no side effects(short term that is).
BUT IT HAS NO ANTIDOTE.
That can be a problem if you require an emergency operation...
That's why I opted OFF of it.

*To warn you, people here are not nattokinase users and most of us DON'T believe in it, so you will have some resistance, don't push it.
Otherwise, welcome to what we think is THE best internet site for DVT and PE...

Agree with everything my friend Dero said.

No known natural cure/treatment for DVT. Some studies showing Vitamin E (in Women) may be helpful but other then that, nothing legitimate. Likewise with use of Statins (may have some potential in healthy people but not people with underlying clotting disorders or high risk factors).

None of my relatives have chosen to be tested for FVL so therefore the best that can be is that they simply be aware of the elevated risks that they face.

IMHO while they are showing no symptoms and remain free of warfarin they can have at it with the vitamins, supplements, potions, oils, and foods. Those things most likely do no harm and may or may not provide any prophylaxis benefit. Once a thrombophile you have to go with what is tried and proved.

ya just a quick comment on dero,

i would have to sleep for at least an hour after taking 15 mg of warfrin.

and i got headackes

good luck
thor
:)

Dabigatran (Pradaxa) sounds promising but I don't like the fact that it is not reversible. How close is research to being able to find a way to reverse it???

Pam

Your guess is as good as mine, I'm simply telling you what I know...
I'm not in the medical community.

All three new oral anticoagulants fall under the same problem (no way to reverse effects in case of emergency). Xarelto (Rivaroxaban) will be the first of the bunch approved here in the U.S. but it will be aimed at Knee/Hip replacement only. It has done better then Dabigatran in the trials and better then Lovenox. Liver Enzyme issues are a problem with all three new oral anticoagulants (not enough info it known at present). Dabigatran will be aimed at Atrial Fib patients initially.

Once all trials are complete, the initial marketing of these products will expand beyond what they will be initially approved for. Long term trials will take more time especially to see if liver enzymes became a big problem with prolonged use.

Guess I should have added, I had wrote an article about all three new oral anticoagulants which will be posted on the North American Thrombosis Forum (NATF) website for next month. This article is geared towards what these medication will mean to patients and what their Pro's and Con's are along with anticipated approval date for use here in the U.S.

Continuing on the topic of emergency surgery needs and coumadin therapy: My PT/INR was pretty high while I was in the hospital (was on a heparin drip for 24+ hours before they decided on the need for surgery on my clot). The doctors used a couple units of plasma to counteract the effects and permit surgery. It made sense to me at the time...is it valid? Has anybody else had this done?

From your posting I copied and pasted the following into a google search: garlic, arginine, ornithine, tumeric, EDTA. Thousands of "hits" were returned. Then I added the word "coagulation" and the results were about 10% as many which tells me that it's probable that those nutrients or supplements are considered good for almost anything healthwise, not necessarily for coagulation regulation any more than a common cold.

I'm not an expert or a doctor and you can take this with a grain of salt, but I have found over twenty-five years of taking coumadin and other coagulation medicines that doctors don't necessarily know that much about the disorder. Some seem to be knowledgable, some perhaps don't know much at all about it. I've actually been taken off of coumadin by one doctor when I move to a new area and admonished that I don't need to be on any anticoagulant at all, even though my INR wasn't taken.

Those supplements you listed may be good or may not, I don't know. But I've known for some time now that "alternative" therapy doctors put as much faith, sometimes more, in "natural" remedies as they do in pharmaceuticals. I don't trust any doctor of any stripe to know what they are talking about so I do my own research to verify. I've found the same when it comes to hiring an auto mechanic to diagnose the rattles or over-heating of my cars.

Alternative doctors will tell you the medical community and the FDA are just out to sell medicines... and I do believe that is sometimes true. But at the same time alternative doctors are just as quick to sell you supplements and other potions. So who do you trust? Beats me.....

You said it Cranky! Everybody's sellin' something - illness is big business for sure.

Hey, Meowatthesun, they do use Fresh Frozen Plasma as a treatment for the overly-anticoagulated. Sounds like something you could find in your supermarkets freezer section, next to the flash frozen peas. But yeah, it's valid.

hey guys Im having some good response to lubrikinase, garlic, fibrinogen resist, vascular protect by lef.org, gingko, omega3 fish oil w/sesame lignans and olive leaf, dhea, arginine/ornithine, rhodelia,ashwaghan (sp?), magnesium, vit C and an antioxidant mix by solgar (berry rich antiox I think), and a proteoloic (sp) enzyme wobenzyme or Michaels which may be cheaper oh and gamma E. I think it's helping my pain and it's helping to break up the existing clots and even repair valves in the vein. I do take the warfarin but it works only as an anticoagulant and LEF.org recommends antiplatelet aggregation nutrients to help reduce clotting and promote inner endothelium health. The inner lining of the endothelium in our veins arteries and valves is crucial to minimizing clot formation. I don't advocate anyone follow me but I do think such nutrients may make the difference between a possible clot recurrence as well as a decrease in pain and/or swelling. The med establishment is clueless when it comes to promotin vein health in a proactive way. They just stick to their old formulary meds which has value. By the way, warfarin comes Fromm sweet clover, it is natural! It's in slot of plants, herbs, really. But for long term use it may prevent K2 from keeping our veins,arteries and valves from becoming calcified so a k1 and k2 supplement is important to take. Make your own choices. Keep learning about new science based possibilities to promote vein function. The elliptical machine with the arm motion is good to do to promote vein health. Remember vein are muscles! Really! It's called smooth muscle. Exercise does promote vein health so much. Finally marijuana is great to relax smooth muscle. It helps alot to vasodialate veins and I believe it's therapeutic. Now for those in states that allow it! This is my on idea. I know it increases sexual sensations and feelings and that's your smooth muscles to down there. I think it potentiates nitric oxide which is a smooth muscle vasodialator. Just sharing ideas in the spirit of helping out and I believe together we can find better cures and treatments!

LEF.org also SELLS these supplements, surprise, surprise, surprise! So they are not purely altruistic in their intent. However they will also be the first to say DO NOT take any supplements without discussing with your doctor (as they, unlike David, can be sued for telling you to take blood thinning supplements along with your blood thinners!) Then you'll get a taste of that fresh frozen plasma meowathesun was talking about.

But if you're not taking warfarin, knock yourself out.

Surprise here! Too! Hey laura dear warfarin does not thin your blood! The viscosity of your blood is the same before and after you take warfarin. Your vit k production in your liver somehow changed/lowered thereby causing factors in your blood (factor ll. lv, lx idont remember factor numbers) to lower so your blood takes longer to clot. If you don't think it's clear, I'm not advocating anyone do anything they don't want to do and make their own choices! Don't follow others each person make their own choices, make your own choices.

I know that warfarin does not thin the blood David, I'm on it, remember? But you're right, the use of the term "blood thinner" should not be used. Anticoagulant is proper.
You can be overly anticoagulated, and have a major bleed, if you take warfarin along with supplements that also act as anticoagulants.
Just ask your doctor.