Coumadin/Warfarin = hair loss?
LibbyLiz
15 years ago
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creekgirl
15 years agoLibbyLiz
15 years agoRelated Discussions
Swelling and bruising in extremities for no reason?
Comments (4)Did they do any blood work -- BNP in particular, also the kidney tests, BUN, creatine and one or two others? Swelling in the extremities can be signs of kidney and/or heart failure, and then with the blood thinners and/or aspirin so many are on, any bleeding at all would be increased. I wasn't familiar with INR, so I searched and from what I am reading, it sounds like a high INR would mean she may have too much coumadin and should have less, not more. Like I said, this is new to me, and I could have it backwards, but I would make some calls and double check. This is from WebMD -- link below: A method of standardizing prothrombin time results, called the international normalized ratio (INR) system, has been developed so the results among labs using different test methods can be understood in the same way. Using the INR system, treatment with blood-thinning medicine (anticoagulant therapy) will be the same. In some labs, only the INR is reported and the PT is not reported. Prothrombin time (PT) and international normalized ratio (INR)1 Prothrombin time (PT): 11-13 seconds International normalized ratio (INR): 0.8-1.1 The warfarin (Coumadin) dose is changed so that the prothrombin time is longer than normal (by about 1.5 to 2.5 times the normal value or INR values 2 to 3). Prothrombin times are also kept at longer times for people with artificial heart valves, because these valves have a high chance of causing clots to form. Abnormal values A longer-than-normal PT can mean a lack of or low level of one or more blood clotting factors (factors I, II, V, VII, or X). It can also mean a lack of vitamin K; liver disease, such as cirrhosis; or that a liver injury has occurred. A longer-than-normal PT can also mean that you have disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), a life-threatening condition in which your body uses up its clotting factors so quickly that the blood cannot clot and bleeding does not stop. A longer-than-normal PT can be caused by treatment with blood-thinning medicines, such as warfarin (Coumadin) or, in rare cases, heparin. What Affects the Test Reasons you may not be able to have the test or why the results may not be helpful include: Taking medicines that can affect the action of blood thinners (such as warfarin) and vitamin K. These include antibiotics, aspirin, cimetidine (Tagamet), barbiturates, birth control pills, hormone therapy (HT), and vitamin K supplements. Having severe diarrhea or vomiting that causes fluid loss and dehydration. This may make the PT time longer. If diarrhea is caused by poor absorption of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals from the intestinal tract (malabsorption syndrome), the PT may be longer because of a lack of vitamin K. Eating foods that have vitamin K, such as broccoli, chickpeas, kale, turnip greens, and soybean products. Drinking a lot of alcohol. Taking some herbal products or natural remedies. Wishing you the best in finding out what is wrong. Here is a link that might be useful: Web MD link...See MoreDaily Support: Mon June 21st - Sunday June 27th
Comments (18)Hi. Raeanne, thanks for checking on me. We just got back from vacationing with friends in Chicago. I have spent the last couple of weeks preparing for the trip, then being on the trip, then having company until Sunday. Won't bore you with any details, but absolutely loved Chicago. When we arrived we were just in time for the Blackhawks (hockey) parade/celebration. Then caught a game at Wrigley Field (Cubs/White Sox.) Us "girls" caught the matinee of "Billy Elliott" at The Oriental Theater - which was pretty awesome. Ate at wonderful restaurants, drank too much wine, etc. - so am not weighing in until next week - ha! We walked every morning we were there - such beautiful flowers and parks! Of course, shopped until literally dropping. It was so nice to get away from the real world. We did not watch tv or the news at all while we were away. I'm trying to keep depression at bay, because living here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, which has not recovered from Katrina yet, and to have this oil spill happening. I read today where a boat captain in nearby Gulf Shores, Alabama, had committed suicide. Since his business had suffered, he had been hired by BP to use his boat in the cleanup efforts. I don't believe in suicide, but to go from something you love to doing something so depressing has to take its toll. I pray that an answer is found soon - I can't believe it's taking so long to fix. Perhaps maybe I should have waited longer before posting again. I will catch up on everyone's posts soon, but have to congratulate Maddie on scoring such excellent grades! I'm off to the grocery store for some much-needed groceries. Besh, I no longer "officially" do weight watchers, since our location closed down, but am trying to adhere to its basic plan. I did splurge and eat way too much red meat in Chicago and my stomach is still calming down from that! Hope today is a good one for everyone....See MoreSavings achieved in daily household routine
Comments (83)I could almost have avoided buying radish seed this spring, for there were quite a few radishes about an inch high in the fall, volunteering from the radishes that had gone to seed earlier. There are a good deal many more this spring ... and some from the area where the radishes were, the year before. Anyone want some radish seeds? I have a few lettuce plants starting on their own, as well. Last year had quite a few zucchini from the ones that had spoiled that I threw directly on to the garden rather than into compost ... plus some volunteer tomato plants in a part of the garden where they were not planted, as well. I had about 60 some asparagus plants, last year ... but the landlord nicked some when he ran the tiller down the rows, last summer. And this spring when he did the initial tilling, to chew up the residues from last year and let the chewed up pieces start to rot ... he nicked a fair chunk of one row. Plus some died, I think ... so I think that I have only about half as many plants, now. Quite a few more seeds, so will fill in the blank spaces (but will need to mark them, as they'll need to be transplanted later than the originals). I save some of the first run of cold water out of the hot water tap in the bathroom/kitchen to water the cats, as well as flush the toilet. You guys in the sunny south-west should do a lot of that, cause you sure are short of water. They had a note on the radio the other day that they're worried that the rivers in rather dry Alberta are polluted now, and the flow is largely allocated ... ... so if some of you come wanting us to ship some down the trench between the mountains to California, Arizona, etc. ... we may be tellling you to get lost! The glaciers that feed them have been shrinking ... and if (when?) they die, Calgary may be crying big time for water, themselves. Have yourselves a lovely spring, everyone ... it's getting so that one can drop most of the winter clothing sometimes, in the last few days ... sort of a relief, that. ole joyful...See MoreAny helpful remarks?
Comments (22)Barb, I don't post often but this has been my experience with my GI problems. I'm in my mid 60s just to let you know. About 5 years ago I developed a chronic cough. I do have vasomotor rhinitis so I figured it was just drainage, but the cough would not go away so I saw my PCP. She suggested it might be (silent)reflux and put me on a PPI. The cough went away in about a week but the script was for 30 days so I kept taking it. After another week I developed an angry rash on my face and neck. The only thing different in my regimen was the PPI so I stopped taking it. The rash cleared up in a couple of days but scared me enough that I will never take PPIs again. I was very lucky this happened to me as I started to research these meds and found that they can cause lots of problems due to interfering with a person's digestive process. Your stomach needs acid to digest and utilize the nutrients you take in, especially B vitamins. PPIs shut your little 'acid pumps' down, so your stomach tries to produce more pumps. This is why you can get severe rebound acid if you stop taking PPIs after a long time. Sorry this is so long, but foward a few years. My cough returns and I'm actually feeling irritation in my throat. I see a GI doc and get an endoscopy. I have LES, I have a small hiatal hernia, and there are cell changes that are "pre-Barrets". I had a swallow barium x-ray and a motility test(a sensor down the throat to measure swallow pressure). I was told I has achalasia, where my esophagus muscles don't move things properly. But I wasn't having any problems eating or drinking so DH nagged me to get a second opinion in a different health care system. So I did. I had an endoscopy, barium swallow x-ray, motility test and in the same day. The results were that my hernia was very small, I had no achalasia and no cell changes in my esophagus. So, PLEASE get a second opinion! Research what those PPIs do to you. While I still get some reflux, it's usually from eating or drinking too late at night. One thing I got from the first GI doc is the use of Gaviscon. If I'm having some indigestion in the evening I use that at bedtime as it produces a layer of antacid at the top of your stomach and protects your esophagus from any acid that might come up. I don't need it all the time, but it does work. Otherwise, the baking soda water helps. Also, I don't want to anger anyone with a specific diet recommendation, but I have found that for me, limiting carbohydrates helps with my digestion. Please read about GERD and Low Carb. It is a hard road finding a way of eating that helps and that you like. Again, sorry this was so long. I hope it helps a little....See Moreagnespuffin
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