I've been on 12mg every day for almost 6 months, my INR is pretty stable - around 2 - 2.6. I've had no serious side effects other than your typical bleeding. I do get very tired much earlier than normal.

losing your hair?

i started out at 10mg, then my inr went up to 6, so they cut it back to 5 mg, my last inr was 1.5--- ? (They would not let me out of the hospital ti 1.97.) I wish I know more about this.

Yes, losing hair. That can be a side effect for some people. I don't think the average person would look at me and think, wow you have female pattern baldness, but it comes out even if I just run my hand over my hair. Not cool, but waddya gonna do.

yup. I'm loosing my hair too :( is so horrible!! makes me really sad. I know there are more important things to be upset about in this whole thing, but its just one thing that really makes me sad.

I only linked the connection to warfarin when I went to see a herbalist to see if they had any thing to help... and she offered me some vitakin K suppliments. then the penny dropped, kitamin K is the antidote to warfarin.

I went to see my doctor about this. he said that when you run your fingers through your hair and more than 6 strands come away from the root it is classed as "hair loss"

:(

(I'm only on 3mg a day...)

Isn't it funny that we'd be worried about hair loss after such a life threatening situation? Here's my deal... since the PE, I don't feel great about myself. I've gained weight because I can't work out like I used to and I'm not eating as much good stuff as I used to becuase the good stuff screws up my INR. And then to see strands and strands of hair coming out... well... Ok,I just want to feel kind of pretty . I hate even admitting it becuase it makes me sound like this frivilous, pathetic girl.

rmb- i completely agree...ironic how we'll be upset over losing hair (not that i am, but i have "lost" other things since all of this) when most of us just faced death straight in the eye. but we're women, we're people...sometimes a girl just needs to feel pretty; that we havent lost our essence of who we are. (not implying at all that women are here to look pretty if thats what it sounds like...) its just nice to know that after all this hell we can still look in the mirror and smile.

wow, the reality of it has really scared me. At least we are all in this together. Do you think any of the guys are losing their hair?

yeah i agree with you all aswell. I feel like a big ugly mess at the moment. I think that when I tell people about the PE they'll just assume that I neglect my body and abuse it with crap food and fags and loads of beer and stuff, and that I'm imobile and don't exercise or anything like that!! and now hair loss too. its really sad!

i was telling a long distance friend about the pe and he tells me how important it is for a person to excercise and all, well duh, makes me feel bad, because i do all that...people really just don't know what it is

Yes, my hair is falling out as well, some days more then others, but I've noticed a lot more. Thank goodness I decided to grow my hair out about two years ago, I have more to fall out! Hopefully this is just a side effect and will come back when I get to stop this stuff, hopefully!

I was on coumadin for about a month but was taken off of it for severe side effects. I was only on 5mg. When I asked my doctor about my hair falling out he said most likely it was from stress not the medicine. about the internal bleeding if you feel weird in any way or have unusual brusing or bleeding I would talk to my doctor. I don't know if your doctor is supportive on all your questions... but my doctor tells me to call if in doubt. Ive probably called with complications of some time almost weekly. Im now just on lovenox. my hair has slowed down and nobody could look at me an tell but it is noticably thinner to me. It bothers me too!!

Yeah, Im probably a bit more obsessed than some about the possibility of internal bleeding because I have ulcerative colitis. I havent had an episode in over two years, but I worry about it now more because Im on coumadin. So, Ive become a diligent stool checker. Isnt that charming? Its amazing what you will reveal to a bunch of people you dont know!

Regarding the hair loss, I feel fairly confident its from the coumadin. For me, it could be hormonal as well, given my age and coming off birth control pills. But one of the side effects listed in the coumadin materials I received from my doctor is hair loss.

Hi Everyone,

My coumadin dosage this week was bumped up to 15mgs a day because my INR is still low, per usual. I had been increasing my dosage steadily every week or two weeks since being out of the hospital in September. 15 mgs is the highest dosage they are going to give me, according to the nurse, but she didn't speculate what the next steps are if my INR is still low after getting tested next Monday.

Anyone out there who has hit the 15mg ceiling? How did your doc continue to treat you? Did they just continue the 15mgs despite the low INR or did they change the treatment? Did they just remove you from blood thinners all together?

Thanks,
Rachelle
PS: Happy New Year!

I dont know what they will do but my doctor said there are only 2 medicines that are given for PE (outside the hospital) and that is coumadin and Lovenox. I wouldnt think they would take you off the thinners all together. They would probably put you on lovenox if they changed you. I had to be changed to lovenox because I had such bad side effects from the coumadin.