Side effects of warfarin symptoms and conditions

I am 26 years old. I've been on warfarin for almost eight years. I wish I had seen a site like this eight years ago when I started on warfarin (after DVT and P.E) I may have had some insight into the hellish two years that were to follow: hair-loss, depression, weight-gain. But I attributed all this to stress (it was pre-med varsity and I was under a lot of pressure academically).
Anyway, now my life is more settled, I eat right, exercise furiously 5 times a week...but I have digestive problems. Bloating, gas, overall discomfort in my stomach almost every night. I've cut out milk, wheat, coffee...nothing.
But tonight I started thinking...could it be the warfarin?
Does anyone experience or know about possible side-effects of warfarin on the digestive system, and does anyone have some useful advice????

I am a 53 yr. old woman who had aortic Valve replacement surgery in April 2007. I had a St. Jude valve put in and have been on Warfarin ever since. I usually go for a couple months with a steady INR and then, for no apparent reason, it goes out of whack and I have to adjust the level (with repeated doctor visits) to smooth things out. I have gained 20 lbs since my surgery, and cannot lose it, no matter what I do! I ride an exercise bike an hour a day, or walk a 3 mile route. NOTHING helps. I have recently said that if I had it to do all over again, I would choose a Bovine valve (even with the knowledge that surgery would probably have to be repeated later in life) just to be able to avoid the side effects of Warfarin. I have also experienced light-headedness, left sided chest pain, fatigue, coarse thinning hair, but by far, the worst is the weight gain!!

I am 72 years old and in 1995 I had an artery blockage and had angioplasty.Upon my release from the hospital I was put on several prescriptions, beta blockers, cholesterol, Aspirin, Vitamins, etc. which I had been taking regularly for 13 years without any problems. In 2008 after having chest pain and going to the hospital my heart doctor advised me I had Atrial Defibrillation and put me on Warfarin and also told me to stop taking all the vitamins I was using along with my daily aspirin dose and one of my prescriptions. Since then I have had constant shoulder and muscle pain in my arm and leg. I have had several treatments by a chiropractor and several physical therapy treatments and the pain has not subsided. My memory has gotten worse also however I thought that was due to my age until I read some of the above side effects of Warfarin. I definitely have a lack of energy and also changed my diet due to the Warfarin. I have informed my heart doctor about the problems and he advised it is not due to the Warfarin. I don't agree with him after reading all the posts, but I am not a doctor. I will continue my prescribed dosage and Pt/Inr tests as schedule for a while, but if my pain etc doesn't get better I will probably do like the lady's posting and stop the warfarin on my own.

To everyone who has posted here I would like to let you know that most of the symptoms you are complaining of are listed on the United States of America Food and Drug Administration web site (google search fda) as side effects of Warfarin. Also is listed the drugs that will interact badly with Warfarin like steroids with my doctor put me on. It is a hard site to navigate my wife and I spent 4 hours finding all the information I needed to print and can now stuff it in my "it cant be the Warfarin" doctors face and ask him why he has not done his homework on this very dangerous medication. Please remember that your doctor is YOUR employee. I hope this helps all of you as I feel your pain having shared many of your side effects myself.

Jimmy

I am 49 and following abdominal surgery developed a PE (I have a history of DVTs post orthopaedic surgery). I am now on Warfarin for life. I have not had too many side effects, the odd dizzy spell and very tired, but I have now been told that blood tests relating to my liver function are outside the normal ranges and that this is one of the side effects of Warfarin. Can anyone enlighten me as to the implications of this and what they have done to avoid this or stop it getting any worse? Thanks

Extreme lethargy, exhaustion, difficulty concentrating, occasional dizziness, anguish, headaches after taking Warfarin for 4 months, average dose 7.5 to 8.0mg daily.

Doctor and nurse said problems might be due to Tramadol I was taking at same time (for arthritic pain), but when I stopped the Tramadol for two weeks, there was no change. Doctor and nurse said NOT a side effect of Warfarin, but when I stopped taking Warfarin for a week, the symtoms went away and my family saw right away that I was "back to normal".

I am very upset that these very distressing side effects of Warfarin are not stated on packaging or by medical profession. I know of two other cases similar to mine in the UK.

Extreme lethargy, exhaustion, difficulty concentrating, occasional dizziness, headaches after taking Warfarin for 4 months, average dose 7.5 to 8.0mg daily; doctor and nurse said NOT a side effect of Warfarin, but when I stopped taking it for a week, the symtoms went away and my wife saw right away that I was "back to normal".

Doctor and nurse said problems might be due to Tramadol I was taking at same time, but when I stopped the Tramadol for two weeks, there was no change.

I am very upset that these very upsetting and distressing side effects of Warfarin are not stated. I know of two other cases similar to mine in the UK.