Pulmonary Embolism Support Group
By far the most common form of pulmonary embolism is a thromboembolism, which occurs when a blood clot, generally a venous thrombus, becomes dislodged from its site of formation and embolizes to the arterial blood supply of one of the lungs. Symptoms may include difficulty breathing, pain during breathing, and more rarely circulatory instability and death.
So, I had my PE in June. I had about 11 clots in my lungs and 3 in my leg. I have been told minimum duration of Warfarin is one year, potentially life. Im 38, no kids, and am curerntly single (became single again 3 months before my PE)
Before June, I wasn't a huge drinker to begin with. But, after being single for about 7 months, Im dating. Dating usually includes going to bar for a drink. At times, I will suggest coffee, but drinking is part of my life -- both personally and professionally. I was always one to have 1 or 2 and then switch to water. I was made fun of then, but now I sort of have an excuse, and people have respected that -- at least professionally.
But, I am dating somebody now....well, we have gone out a few times (not sure that really classifies as dating, but you get the point). Ive done some research on alcohol and warfarin and it says moderate use. I had a class of wine with dinner on Tuesday and had 2 martinis on wednesday. That is probably the most I have had since my PE in June. I only recently started having a glass of wine here or there. Well, I can say since Wednesday i feel HORRIBLE. I tried. Chest pain returned. Shortness of breath returned. I have struggled with that since my PE, and we realized that all of the stress on my lungs made my asthma worse. Once we got switched meds for the asthma, those symptoms went away...but only recently.
Has anybody been told that they shouldn't drink at all? is 3 in a week ok? is that somebody I should stop doing? What has everybody else been told by their docs?
Before June, I wasn't a huge drinker to begin with. But, after being single for about 7 months, Im dating. Dating usually includes going to bar for a drink. At times, I will suggest coffee, but drinking is part of my life -- both personally and professionally. I was always one to have 1 or 2 and then switch to water. I was made fun of then, but now I sort of have an excuse, and people have respected that -- at least professionally.
But, I am dating somebody now....well, we have gone out a few times (not sure that really classifies as dating, but you get the point). Ive done some research on alcohol and warfarin and it says moderate use. I had a class of wine with dinner on Tuesday and had 2 martinis on wednesday. That is probably the most I have had since my PE in June. I only recently started having a glass of wine here or there. Well, I can say since Wednesday i feel HORRIBLE. I tried. Chest pain returned. Shortness of breath returned. I have struggled with that since my PE, and we realized that all of the stress on my lungs made my asthma worse. Once we got switched meds for the asthma, those symptoms went away...but only recently.
Has anybody been told that they shouldn't drink at all? is 3 in a week ok? is that somebody I should stop doing? What has everybody else been told by their docs?
-
Look at what my best friend did with my picture!
-
We all have 24 hours in a day. How we spend these hours is important. Watching a little bit of a video about how sitting affects us made me aware of how much sitting and laying down I do. Gonna have to work on that.Your turn. Tell me another truth.
the good thing about warfarin is that you'll have your INR checked frequently, and since the biggest concern about alcohol interaction is further "thinning" of your blood, you'll be able to see in your numbers whether the drinking is contributing to scores that are out of range.
i enjoy drinking sometimes - i'm a craft beer fan myself - and unwilling at this point to give that up. i'd say i have a couple of beers 2 times a week. i reported that to my coumadin clinic and they had me come in every two weeks instead of every month to make sure the alcohol wasn't driving my INR too high. my INR typically stayed in range the six months i was on warfarin, with maybe one exception - and during the time it was too high, i didn't drink until it came back down again.
i should probably add that i didn't change my eating habits much either - kept on eating cooked spinach, green veggies and drinking tea. the clinic adjusted my dosages accordingly.
i know i could have given all of this stuff up and had fewer trips to the clinic, but i was a much happier patient keeping my lifestyle mostly as it was, but getting more checks to ensure my INR was on track in spite of my choices. maybe that strategy could work for you too.
My INR is checked frequently so that is my comfort zone. Have to get ready to go get it checked in an hour as a matter of fact.
Good luck to you and it seems like you are on top of this one.
Hugs, Cindy
When I first started warfarin, it took me almost 6 months ever get therapeutic. It was everywhere from 1.2 to 1.8. I tried eliminating vegetables and that was the worst thing I did. It didn't help with my INR, and it made me crabby and feel terrible. Once I just relaxed, ate like a normal person, quit worrying about it , switched doctors, and got on with my life , my INR stablized.
You're craving vegetables because your body needs what it's not getting. As my doc tells me, he wants me to eat healthy, and he's work my dosage around eating a more plant based diet.
I've been on warfarin for 4 years, and will be on it for life. I can't imagine not enjoying good food and some ice cold martinis for the rest of my life. Eh.
i had my PE,in August this year....a few weeks in and my nusre ,go home tonight ,and enjoy a glass or two of wine ,oh can i said,yes she said stick to the guidlines,which i think is 2 untits a day for wowmen,not sure what it is for men.2 glasses equals 2 units =.250mls
I hadnt asked the question to her ,but maybe thats a regular question asked by people who are taking warfarin.
I am a lifer ,taking it ,and i do enjoy a nice glass of red wine after dinner,so i do.And enjoy is the word,dont feel guilty about it ,and get on and eat good food,no point to eating if you dont enjoy it...good luck.:-)
So I suspect that a lot of patient information is keeping the elderly patient in mind, that perhaps alcohol could prompt them to fall, hurt themselves, or effect their INR more.
I dunno, but no doc is going to tell anyone it's ok to get schnockered. They're going to say one or two is fine. But you know yourself and your body. If you are a raging alcoholic, well that's a different problem all together, warfarin or not.
Eat some good food and have a couple of glasses of wine, relax and be happy. The folks in the mediterranean have the right idea.