Your doc is right and your pharmacist, not so much. Pretty much everyone who doesn't have to be on warfarin for life due to a proven clotting disorder, second clotting event , etc just stops, just like that. You don't taper down the dose or anything like that.

Yes, stopping all of a sudden is consistent with what I have learned. I am a lifer, but my father has been told he will probably be able to stop taking the Warfarin just as soon as his Dr. returns from vacation. He has already been given the all clear on the small clot he had (he is 80 years old) and his hemo feels his better off of the Warfarin then on.

How lucky for me as he will not need his Warfarin so I will be using it up... not that it really matters as I have insurance.

Thank You for your answers. I just have read all the people who suffer with their DVT and other related problems. I knew RMB would definitely have a answer for me, as your always there with help and experience. Hope you are both doing well.
When I was diagnosed I was told it was a huge clot by the radiologist and everyone else who saw my films, therefore, I was a bit shocked when told it had dissolved rather than organize itself.
I will keep everyone in my prayers that you all do well with your treatments and results.
Susan

Doc is definitely right. My DVTs dissolved after seven months and I came off cold turkey. If I remember correctly, coumadin has a sort of half-life, so it naturally weans out of your system over a few days. I've been fine ever since, thank God. My dad was the same as me with his mini-DVTs. Hope you have the same experience!

Yeah, I think you're right JEB about the half life thing. For my first DVT/PE, I was on warfarin for 6 months, and my doc just said, stop taking it today. It was hard to get my mind around that at first but I understood that to be pretty standard.

Now I'm on it for life due to a second clotting event, but I did enjoy freedom from warfarin while it lasted.

The goal is really to stop taking warfarin if you can, so I think this is great news that you're coming off! Good for you!

Yup Jeb, you are corect...
The half-life is the time required for the amount of a drug in the blood to decline to half its original value, measured in hours or in the case of warfarin (Coumadin ), days.
"The half-life of racemic warfarin ranges from 20 to 60 hours. The mean plasma half-life is approximately 40 hours, and the duration of effect is two to five days.10 Thus, the maximum effect of a dose occurs up to 48 hours after administration, and the effect lingers for the next five days."

The whole article can be found at
http://www.ptinr.com/data/templates/article.aspx?a=42&z=1

After a very serious and life threatening clot in 96, I was on Coumadin for a year after two weeks of Heparin in the hospital. The doc stopped the coumadin exactly one year later and put me on 325 mg of aspirin a day, which I have taken ever since. No recurrance of any clots, thank goodness. They guessed that my clot was due to my pelvic surgery and being on the pill at the time of surgery. I developed it post op day 3 on the suppossed day of discharge and was lucky enough to be already in the hospital. Mine was huge = vena cava down and still moving and growing when I got the doppler to confirm why my leg was the size of an elephants leg. Then, I nearly bled to death from being overheparinzed following the pelvic surgery...every cut they made inside and out was bleeding. What a nightmare. But, to get back to your question...yes, the doc stopped it one day and put me on aspirin the next.

Hi Teresa: I have Leukemia, which I am in remission with. My problem is that I am very anemic due to the chemo drug I will be taking for the rest of my life. I have to avoid aspirin, Advil, etc. Glad your doing so well after your ordeal.
I did notice that my DVT leg is bigger than the other one. I do have heavy legs, but this is really noticeable to me. I wonder if anyone else has this problem. Did your leg which you refer to as a elephant leg go back to normal.
Susan

Susan has your doc ever suspect that your chemo caused the clot. I'm curious about that.

Hi: No there was no question because I have been on this oral Chemo since Oct. of 2000, its not like getting a IV of different types of chemo.
I take this every morning in pill form with food. IT does have a lot of side effects, which is why I had to stop working. I think within 11 years of taking this, something would have happened sooner.
My hope is that through research, I might be able to stop this treatment in the future God Willing.

Ah ok.

And my DVT leg is permanently bigger than my other leg. My jeans fit tight on my DVT leg, specifically my knee and calf. It also feels heavier and is a senstive to the touch.

Thanks Its not sensitive to the touch, but yes its mostly the knee. Like I said I do have heavy legs. You cannot notice it unless you look close if have regular slacks on, but the Jeans make it very obvious as well as tight like you said.
How have you been doing otherwise. I have not kept up with all the postings, but I know you had a second DVT if I remember correcly.
Maybe I am confusing you wth someone else.

No, I've been DVT free for a while. I had one in 2007 with the PE, and then another DVT in 2008. So far, I'm sailing along on my daily dose of warfarin.