Warfarin Sodium side effects

I have been a professional athlete pretty much my whole life and although in my 50's now I try to exercise 4-5 times a week. However, after suffering a fractured fibula and then developed a dvt in my calf area of the left leg early December, I am not allowed to exercise (running and biking) with my legs anymore. I finally spoke to another sports doctor who suggested swimming, which I have taken up now. This is for me the worst part, no exercise. The side effects I have developed are not much better either:
Can't sleep, which leads to irritability, tiredness and sensitivity as well as being very emotional i.e. feeling depressed. I also have low appetite, but feel like I put on weight anyway (retaining water?) plus I developed high blood pressure. Once when testing my coumadin levels I had 160 over 110 with the coumadin level being too high at 3.7 (should be somewhere between 2-3). Next time my coumadin levels were very low at 1.5 and my blood pressure was just a little high at 144 over 87. Now I have reached the right coumadin levels, I am hovering around 150 over 95. I asked the doctor if there is a correlation, but of course the answer is no. I personally think there is a correlation as I have never ever had high blood pressure before. So needless to say, the doctor wants me on blood pressure pills which I have refused to take, next is sleeping pills and next is you develop too much cholesterol so why not give me some lipitor too! I will try to exercise with swimming and see if I can keep the blood pressure lower and go from there. Just wondered if anybody else have had these crazy side effects?

I am 32 had blood clot in my lung back in 2001. I was on warfarin once then ( I thk I went off too early) wasn't feeling well for a while then sure enough I still had it (2006). My symptoms include lack of appetite being the most severe I hope. Also, notice my eyes hurt and are dilated after I take the pill and I'll remember to take the pill if I forget because i'll get a headache lotsa fun. I did try taking the dose at night but I can't sleep after I've taken it. Also, I have severe sleep apnea (found out 2009 finally and thank goodness) I wonder if there's any links ? Any info anyone?

Thank you to everyone posting here! I take care of my 83 year old mom. She has A-Fib and an aortic aneurysm with a clot that has not grown in the last five years. She has been on 3mg/4mg Warfarin for the past 6 months due to the A-fib. She has gained 15 pounds, has leg cramps, arm/hand cramps to the point that she cannot write, lower back pain, depression, memory loss, she is cold, off balance, frustrated and angry (usually at me). Seeing the posts has made me angry! I am making her a doctor appointment and going to start researching alternatives. I have always been her advocate when the doctor's say its in her head...but they are not listening to me anymore either...time to fight!

I have been on 5mg warfarin daily for 6 months-post p.e.No problems everything seems fine Noside effects that i can pinpoint to warfarin usage.I suppose i am lucky because other than an occasional twinge of pain in my kneecap (slight) i am painfree and symptom free (thanks God!)

hi i am 43 years old i was diagnose with DVT on the 15 dec 2009 .My INR level was 1.1 and my levels have been up and down only reached 2.1 once in this time frame..the pain in my calf area has been so bad i have been on strong painkillers including morphine. the pain been that unbearable now i also have it in my hip and my lower back and up my left arm.i have gain weight since 15 dec 2009 i was 74kg now 80kg. I am a fit lady and my job is very psycial in the result of the pain i am not able to return to work. i been off 2 months now.hospital gonna be running other tests. My mum said the warfrain adds fluid to your body i try walk everyday but the pain gets the better of me..I am suffering from depression and anxiety told my doctor he put it to one side what can one do. they still have not found the cause of my blood clot i do know my auntie died of it at the age 51 years old..other side affects i am having it being tired all the time , cold, feel wreck,real bad heaches.i been told i am on the warfrin for 6 months at this point of time.

I started taking Warfarin after a heart attack in 1997. Eating correctly and regular exercise pluse a variety of other medications has resulted in a pretty healthy lifestyle . My warfarin dosege was 5mg daily as a night tablet which maintened an INR reading of 2.5 for a long period ot time . In the past six months Ive been experiencing blocked ears and I have done the rounds of getting my ears cleaned of wax , having ear tests , and seeing an hearing specialist - the only thing he found was a hard wad of wax in one ear

About a month ago , I cut my lip and I couldnt stop the bleeding , My own GP was not on duty as he does a split shift , I went to a local hospital but they didnt have a Casualty Dept but they gave me some ice packs for the cut lip and I remained there for about an hour but the bleeding did not stop so they told me to report to a Medical Centre close by to see if they could stop it and they asked me to request an INR blood test

My INR reading on that day was 3.5 so my warfarin dosage was reduced to 3 mg , they informed me to have another test in three days . The new reading after three days was 1.6 and I was told to alter my doseageto 4mg and return again in three days - the reading after this doseage was 1.7 and Ive been told to return to original dosage of 5 mg

The remarkable thing was that on those two lower doseges, the blocked ears disapeared and I performed better in my exerices . But now since returning to the 5 mg , the blocked ears situation has returned

Ive been told to return to the Medical Centre in two weeks , but after reading some of the comments at this website , the blocked ear thing has me a bit concerned

I hope there will be some informative replies

Alan

I restarted 5mg warfarin two weeks after going off it due to a severe nosebleed. The first day my left foot (DVT leg) started to cramp under the arch. This may be due to compression stocking on this leg, but my understanding of warfarin is that at the beginning it initially has a clotting effect. I am speculating that I lost circulation to the bottom of my foot due to this clotting. The second day cramping was worse requiring I walk with a golf club as a cane. My HMO consulting nurse said they don't think it is related to the warfarin and said to ice it. Of course the iceing did not help, but heat has helped. Third day is tomorrow, hopefully will get better!

Has anyone had the problem of experiencing poor balance shortly after taking Coumadin? A little history here. I am a 72 year old woman who was poisoned by RAT POISON around 1970. (long soap-opera type story; e-mail me if you have a need to know). The result of this poisoning was a 5 day hospital stay, about a month of extreme pain and paralysis in my legs. I was unable to walk for about a month and couldn't work for close to a year. Since the poisoning I have experienced a lack of proper balance. It is something I have come to live with and make it a practice of always being aware of this disability.
In April of this year I was in need of a hip replacement and during the multiple of test performed prior to surgery it turned out that I had Aterial Fibb. My primary Dr sent me to a cardiologist for permission for my surgery, which he gave but asked me to return to him 3 months post surgery for treatment of A.Fibb. I put this off but did return to him around the first of December. He insisted that I go on Coumadin, even after I mentioned to him my concern in adding any additional drugs (I was already on 6 different meds). Didn't know about Coumadin being rat poison, so didn't mention my previous experience and precarious balance problem.
Within a week of beginning Coumadin my balance problem began to get worse, and continued to get worse. On Christmas eve morning I fell (into my water bed, thank goodness) and by that time I was beginning to worry about my current very poor balance, my previous experience of being poisoned and about ingesting more rat poison on a daily basis (by that time I had found out that Coumadin is rat poison). I called the Dr's office as well as the Coumadin management people, but being Xmas eve morning it was not surprising that I received no return calls. Without being able to reach anyone over the 3 day holiday, I started taking myself off of Coumadin by slowly decreasing dosage. A couple of days since than I have my old poor balance, but most days have the extreme balance problem that began with the Coumadin. I say my primary care Dr last Tuesday to check on the balance problem. She sent me for an urgent brain scan because it seems that Coumadin can cause bleeding in the brain. The scan came out negative, thank God. On this visit she also told me to call the cardiologist immediatly to let him know that I had stopped taking Coumadin. I thought this kind of silly because all he would do is tell me to get on it again, and why would I do that if I already had bleeding in the brain.
The cardiologist was going to do a "Cardio-vert" (shock to heart) on me after I had been on Coumadin approximatly 1 month. Today a lady from his office called to schedule this procedure and I told her I was no longer on Coumadin and so probably could not have the procedure. I outlined briefly for her my reason for quitting. She said she would check with Dr., but no call back today.
In the meantime, when the primary Dr's office called back with the brain scan results I asked the office clerk who called with the resurlts to ask the Dr again what instructions she had for me regarding the balance problem She called back and said the Dr. said to call the cardiologist.
You are all correct here, who mention that Dr.'s just care about pushing pills. I was on ZERO medications until about 5 years ago and had an unusual pain problem This necessated a visit to serveral Dr.'s and a pain clinic and no one has been able to find the cause of my chronic pain. But after my first visit to a Dr. in 45 years they were then to find all these other things that were suppossedly wrong with me and thus all these medications I am on now.
So, again; anyone experiencing balance problems? Would sure like to hear your story.

-- By sprinkandbon@yahoo.com

I am a 33yr old male and have been on warfarin for about 12years now due to diagnosed Factor V Leiden and a blot clot behind my left knee. I have had side effects of tiredness and nausea, but the main negative I have noticed is my eyes have become bloodshot all of the time, especially after I wake up in the morning and does not get better for a few hours after that. I have been to numerous eye doctors with no success of being diagnosed with what is wrong or prescribing the correct medications to better my eyes. At night I have severe tired eyes and again they become extremely bloodshot. I also have eye pain and scratchiness. I have been taking billberry and other vitamins (A, B-complex, Luitein and multivitamins) for 2 weeks to help with my eye health in hopes of relieving eye pain and redness. I have noticed a little help with redness in the first week, but now the redness has returned. Has any one else noticed the bloodshot eye side effect?

This is my third Pulmonary emboli in four years. I have spent a lot of time doing research on the alternatives for Coumadin. There are a few that are reliable if you take them consistently. If you have a continual problem, meaning you will clot again, if you are not anti-coagulated, then you must seek out the most reliable alternatives and take it faithfully. I cannot comment on all the complicating factors with some clots, like heart issues or Atrial fibrillation, I do not have any genetic issues. My first PE was bilateral. It took them a month each time, before I could get anyone to listen. They diagnosed it with a Cat skan. They did many other tests including a d-dimer, none but the spiral CT diagnosed it. Now, I am getting the headaches again, I too am cold, sweats, insomnia, tired all the time. I was trying to wait til my first year anniversary, but I don't think I will stay on it. My memory is getting bad. The number 1 alternative to Coumadin is Nattokinase. You can purchase online. You cannot take both at the same time, safely. Please do not get off Coumadin until your alternatives are in place. I will be going on two to three alternatives, to be safe. My first PE came after kidney surgery, and I think its coming from the Kidney. I have had Drs agree with my hypothesis, but I have no medical insurance to pursue the tests to find the cause, so I am told to stay on this for lifetime. Anyway, thank you all for writing about your pain and experiences; it is what I knew deep down but now that it is confirmed, I am taking the risk to switch over now.
The best to all of you.

Hi, I am a 32 years old, I was diagnosed with a DVT about a month and a half ago. I am on Warfarin. I am just wondering if anyone has had the side effects I have had. I take my dose at night because I have a loss of appetite during the day if I take it in the morning. If I go a few hours past the normal time I take it, I get an upset tummy, shaky, tired and my body swells a bit. I am not experiencing the other negative side effects others are experiencing... thank goodness. I am following the food restrictions very carefully so the vitamin K levels don't counteract the medication. Does anyone know what this means?

I am a 46 year old woman. I had PE 10 years ago, treated with several months of warfarin. I had thought that the severe fatigue might have been due to the underlying lung problem, but when they gave me the okay to stop warfarin, the fatigue lifted significantly. It was then that I realized how bad I felt on warfarin. Well, I just got out of the hospital with another lung clot. I am on warfarin again, 15 mg (still INR of 1, I am very resistant to it, I needed 20 to get to INR around 2 last time) and extreme extreme fatigue I am tearful thinking of feeling this way the rest of my life. I also am drastically changing my diet, because my favorite foods were all the green vegs I now must limit. The good news is that a new drug is in phase 3 trials at the FDA that will soon eliminate the need for warfarin forever. They are already using it in Europe. I pray it comes out soon.

I am relieved to have come across this site about the effects of warfarin. I am 29 and was diagnosed with a DVT in august of this year after being on OrthoTricyclen-Lo. I was told that I may have to be on warfarin for at least 6 mo.. Since I have been taking it I have gained almost 15 pounds and my hair is constantly falling out. I am usually a very active person, but now I have no energy to even take a walk. I've been eating healthy and having my hair treated but it's not working. I hope to be done with it soon. Good luck to all of you.

I was diagnosed 16 years ago with portal vein thrombosis which is a blood clot deep in the liver. Taking Coumadin or warfarin is not an option for me it is a necessity to live. I experienced headaches and depression early on which I did not connect to the drug because of the trauma I had been through. The symptoms have come on over the years and seem to be worsening. I am experiencing severe joint and muscle pain, cramps in my legs and hands, extreme weight gain, severe water retention ( I take 3 kinds of water pills a day), extreme fatigue, insomnia, heart valve problems, memory loss and have recently found out I have developed severe osteoporosis in the last 10 months. I have recently undergone tests for auto immune disease, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis which all came back negative. I am 42 and feel like I'm 72. I keep asking the doctors if these symptoms are related to the long term use of the drug and they say it is unlikely. I currently take pain killers to manage the pain so that I can function daily. I take 5 mg and 7 1/2 mg alternately and keep my INR around 3.0 to 3.2 and am very stable. After reading these postings I am even more convinced it is the drug. Is there anyone out there that has been these drugs as long as I have and if so, what are your side effects?

Been on coumadin for a year, horrible medication. Have aches all over, legs, shoulders, back, always tired, want to be off this med. Was taking alternative meds previously...nattokinase, bilberry which are blood thinners but are also SAFE. Then I had no leg pain, no muscle pain. I now take vitamin e and fish oil with the coumadin, no interaction since I've been using them for a long time and are more beneficial than the coumadin as far as I'm concerned. What I need is a naturopathic doctor, but they are hard to find, regular mds have no clue about supplements..all they want to do is increase your prescriptions. Doctors try to scare people telling them they'll have a stroke without coumadin, but have no solution on how to prevent stroke, etc. without drugs.

i am an active 63 year old man who had DVT about 6 weeks ago. i run about 10 miles a week and speed walk another 5 miles. also do weights once or twice a week. since starting Warfarin I have gained 8 pounds. my only solution will be to cut down on the extra calories. if it causes weight gain then rather than whining you have to deal with it

I'm a 47yo female & sorry for putting this as a reply to another post - new here:

Gosh.. glad I found this place - have been taking Warfarin for AF for about 2 weeks now and have been slowly sliding down hill. Thing is you just never know when to contact a doctor hey.

My symptoms, bloating, weight gain already, light headed, blurred vision, have had numbness & tingling in right arm and leg, and now I'm slowly getting colder and colder, and have a high sensitivity to light. Just started my monthly cycle and it's literally flooding, and I have an awful pain in the left hand side of my neck - it's sharp and unbearable at times. Some days when I'm driving home from work I feel I should pull over, not sure what my body is going to do to me next. I lack concentration, am crabby most of the time (and was picked up on that today at work) - and very emotional.

I don't like this at all - at what point do I mention any of this without seeming like a whinger?
I have a physical job, which has been reduced to 'light duties' due to the risks at the moment, which I'm grateful for. Today I bumped my thumb only slightly and it swelled up in a bloody lump - the blood has disappeared but the swelling is still there together with 'loose' skin where the originally larger swelling was. Everything seems just so weird.. I don't feel like ME any more - I want ME back :((

I am a 48 year old female with a-fib. I am not overweight...just started falling apart since now I am menopausal. I've been on Warfarin for 6 weeks. My INR has hardly moved. I'm now on 8 mg and have my INR test on Monday. I started at a 0.9. Now I'm at 1.20 and have been there for three weeks in spite of upping the warfarin. I've not changed my diet except to exclude greens and green tea when I began the therapy. Everything else is consistent.
I just started exercising again a week ago. Something I haven't done in five years since I lost my sister. I bought a Total Gym and enjoy it. It has helped me get some energy back, has helped alleviate some of the mental fog, and has lowered the incidence of anxiety attacks. (I've been getting anxiety lately...since the mental fog and memory lapses...that bothers me since I love to read and write and the mental fog seems to be taking the joy out of it now.) The reason I decided to start strength training again is because of the joint pain I have been experiencing lately. I didn't have it before warfarin. I do now. Only one joint, though. The strength training does help, but every once in awhile, that sharp pain comes back to visit. It's just a little less now.
I plan to tell the doctor that I have begun strength training again. Not just because it's good for me and my heart, but it seems to help with the side effects of menopause and warfarin...without adding another drug like an antidepressant.
Warfarin...I believe is a life saving drug. BUT, I have to do my part too.

BTW, if I didn't have triple thick hair, I would complain about hair loss. Right now, it's a non issue for me. Just saves money at the hair dresser.

32 year old male. Admitted to ER with A-Fib. Treated with lovenox and atenolol. Cardioverted 3 days later. The headaches began as soon as I started the coumadin and have persisted everyday since. Worked with doctor to find cause of headaches, tried switching blockers, no avail. The only other med I'm on is warfarin. What else could it be? I love how a quick search shows "coumadin, no known side effects", but here's a room full of people with the same headaches. Now I see, headaches are just the beginning. What kills me, is instead of finding out why I went into A-Fib, and working to fix the real problem, the doctor's would rather thin my blood, so I don't have a stroke when my A-Fib comes back! I refuse to poison myself to death, just to avoid death by stroke. Come get me, I'm done with this qwuap!

I cannot get a good hard erection since I started to take warfarin I had a mitral valve replaced and I have been on warfarin since 2003

I'm a 70 year old male, never had health issues but 9/30/09 had blood clots in my lungs that nearly finished me had not I had on hand DMSO which my wife applied liberally to my chest while I writhed on the floor gasping for air. By the time the ambulance got me to the hospital all symptoms gone, never returned. Quit warfarin after a week. Feeling fine. Check out the research of Stanley Jacobs, MD on DMSO and keep it handy. It does dissolve clots without side affects.

I have been on Warfarin for three months for a DVT in my femoral vein. I get some headaches, fatigue, feel cold, tired and have gained weight. I am a fit middle aged male, back at the gym now and cycling. I eat a balanced low fat high fiber diet, but still cannot shift the weight. I have been a depressive for most of my life and although manage without drugs have resorted to Valium to help me sleep, as insomnia has also been a significant side effect. I do not sit around, drink excessively or eat like a pig, so where is the weight coming from? My GP's seems ambivalent and it took five weeks to diagnose my DVT after my complaining about Phlebitis and pains in my groin. Not a happy bunny.

Been on warfarin for three months for DVT left calf. I got to this site looking up fatigue associated with the rat poison. I've also experienced increased sensitivity to sunlight both directly on my face and extreme sweating from doing lite work. I also have a constant ringing in my ears and memory seems to be worse. My dad also takes this medication and doesn't have any of the same symptoms. I will deal with it for the time being rather than have my calf swell up like a cantaloupe.

I have been on Warfarin for 3 months.Fatigue, poor memory and definite increased sensitivity to heat and sunlight. I've always worked outside and this summer has been unbearable.I sweat profusely from average activity. I asked my dad who is also on warfarin if he felt tired or noticed the suns heat on his skin and he replied no. Of course my
Dr. said he had not heard of these symptoms. another side effect is ringing in my ears.

Had a mitral valve replacement with pigs valve in September 2008. Told I needed it and would feel much better. Two weeks later had Atrial Fibrilation and was put on warfarin together with bisoprolol (beta blocker). Was cardioverted in December but am still on Warfarin 7-8mg to keep my INR at between 2-3. I experience such awful side effects, that seeing thig site proved that it was not all in my head.
Symptoms, hair loss, bleeding gums, painful legs, weight gain, fatigue, headaches, blurred vision, tender skin, depression etc. etc.
I feel depressed and wish I hadn't bothered with the operation, as I feel worse that before!

I'm so thankful for this forum as you really do begin to believe you're going crazy when every health professional says that warfarin is not the cause of weight gain since the start of your treatment. Whether it's the actual drug or how it interacts in your body or the cause of taking your warfarin, obviously based on all the testimonials here and on other sites, there ARE side effects that they are not willing to admit to. Or, they simply have not done the research or surveys to clinically support this. Regardless, while I hate this weight gain, I feel a little better knowing that I'm not imagining it. I work out 5-6 days a week and watch what I eat and still the weight creeps on. Siigghhh

I'm 48 and had a PE 4/2/09. I entered this site looking to see if hair loss was a common side effect to the Warfarin I've been taking and, lo and behold, not only do I now have an explanation for my thinning hair but the acne, the joint pain, WEIGHT GAIN (UGH!) and gas / bloating. The powers that be have decided that the cause of the PE was my Yasmin birth control pills (a huge law suit going on for Bayer now - the producers of Yasmin, Yaz and one other one) and put me on the Warfarin for 6 months to life - we'll see about the 'to life' part on 10/02/09. I think regardless, I'm going with 'Tannabo' and trying the Nattokinase once I'm done with the Warfarin. Thank you for this 'enlightening' website and everyone's input!

I am a 40 year old female. I found out 3 years ago that I have factor V. I've been hospitalized for 17 PE's. I was being treated with coumadin, plavix, lovenox. My INR will not stabilize. The doctor has now put me on 30mg. of warfarin a day. and my INR still sets at 1.2. My side effects are awful. I feel tired, week, cold, weight gain, but most of all the terrible headaches. The doctor says it has nothing to do with the warfarin. I stay depressed and now losing hair. I've taken my doctors advice and I'm going back to the cancer center where they are more experienced. I feel like I'm dying everyday and its not in my head. I do believe its side effects. And if its not moving my INR than to me it seems useless to take such a high dosage. Its a catch 22.

I am 57 years old, male, and active, and have been on Warfarin since 1987 post Aortic Valve Replacement. I was quite happy with the dosage up till 2001, when I had an episode of TIA due to a malfunctioning thyroid and when my heart rate went down to 30 bpm. Since then, I have also been on a daily dosage of thyroxine, just enough to get my TSH up to normal levels.

Since then, I have a creeping condition of body aches and back pain, which has now, after 7 years, become chronic. This does not seem to alleviate with change from the Eltroxin from Glaxo, to Thyronorm from Ranbaxy. I have now accepted to live with this sometimes-chronic pain.

I tried some experiments with my dosages of the medications, and so I reduced my Warfarin to 5mg from 8mg. Within a week I was plagued with cramps and aches, and I got scared and went back to my old dosage.

Has my body, my heart, my arteries, adjusted to the thin blood over this time since 1987? Due to this thinning of the blood, will the detection of constriction of arteries and veins be more difficult? And consequently the detection of angina pectoris and atherosclerosis? Or can it be just old age catching up?

If any of you are on a similar combination of these two drugs and with similar symptoms, I would appreciate a line.

Hi I posted this on the Coumadin site when I should have been here,

I am a 66 year old female and up to a year ago I felt 20 years younger now I feel 20 years older.

I fell and broke my hip June '08. Had a hip replacement and developed a blood clot (DVT) in my left leg.

They put me on Coumadin and when that didn’t do the job they added Lovanox (another blood thinner requiring shots in the stomach).

Not only has they not helped but my blood clot is growing.

My symptoms:
daily headaches, debilitating leg pain (the pain is so bad that it is crippling me), fatigue (an overwhelming feeling of tiredness, I set down for a few minutes and wake up hours later.), loss my concentration (trouble doing simple crosswords), can’t study simple directions, numbness in toes and hands. I can go on.

And the doctors? “It’s all in my head. It can’t be the blood thinners.”

I am going to copy your blogs and take them to my doctor and demand something be done.

Thanks again to this site and all of you. I was beginning to think there was something wrong with my mind.

Hi All, Hope everyone is holding up well. I've been on warfarin for year and a half now and like most of you i find it has changed my life a lot. I'm only 22 and i hate taken warfarin. I have gained weight and feel depressed. The thing that scares me the most is that i was sick at the weekend and i found there was blood in my sick!!! Has this ever happened to anyone before as it scared me a little.

I am a 40 year old female and have been on warfarin since september 08 when i developed a blood clot in each lung.Doctor's reckon it was caused by my Crohns disease.I had also given up smoking 9 months before and was feeling good about myself but since starting on the warfarin i feel OLD and FED up with everything,6 weeks after starting warfarin i started getting tired all the time, my head doesn't feel like mine, i feel depressed all the time,i get strange pains in my head,my shins feel weird almost numb,can't concentrate,vision feels weird,excruciating pains in my joints to the point i couldn't walk and WEIGHT GAIN like you wouldn't believe and my whole body generally swollen.I thought i was going mad until i found this website THANK you to everyone xxxxxx

Hi, I wanted to update my experience with Warfarin, I changed to Coumadin and have had much less severe side effects.

I too am on warfarin for life. I was diagnoised with lupus anti coagulant after they found a clot in my right leg. I was having no symptoms in my leg ,went to the er for hurting in my chest and left arm. was started on lovenox shots 2 times a day and coumadin. I too am experiencing joint and muscle aches and dizziness and feel extremely tired all the time. But I thank God every day they found my clot before it moved. And that they found the clotting disorder. I hope you all get better soon .. God bless you all. P.S. This medicine scares me very much, But so does the alternative!!!!!

After reading these posts I am more confused than before, because my experience is so far very different. I was diagnosed with DVT about two weeks ago and now take Coumadin daily; the Lovenox injections have been discontinued. The reason I'm so confused is I now feel the best I have in 5 (five) years.

Before being placed on the anti-coagulants I had memory and concentration issues that were progressively getting worse and greatly affecting my job, and had daily headaches. I had joint pain that made it difficult to get up after sitting for awhile; they felt constantly inflamed. I felt fatigued all the time and my muscles hurt like I had really pushed them; I just didn't have any strength, and had muscle cramps. I was constantly yawning and found my jaws hurt from clinching my teeth, subconsciously trying not to yawn. I was extremely sensitive to physical touch, even hugs hurt. I also felt extremely depressed and cried almost daily. My lips and left cheek tingled, as well as other parts of my body. Plus I would get the feeling of sudden pressure in my head (different from a headache) like it was going to pop off, and I my eyes didn't seem to track what I looking at and had difficulty in remembering or comprehending what I just read.

About 6 (six) days after starting treatment it completely changed and these symptoms are essentially gone. I have talked with my doctor and pharmacist and they are baffled. I am concerned this change, while welcomed, may indicate an underlying condition that is not yet diagnosed. Has anyone ever heard of such an impact from starting Coumadin treatment?

I have been on Warfarin since October 20th of 07 after being bedridden for 3 weeks in excruciating pain in my hip/butt which kept me from moving & i'd drag my left side of body from my waist down, into our bathroom in excruciating pain unable to turn to flush a toilet or stand for more then a minute. I begged my primary doctor to "give me an mri as my back was in so much pain with the hip/butt". I had been getting epidurals for what doctor assumed was a herniated disk.i was in a wheelchair now & my husband took me several times to E.R. AND THEY SAID "WHY ARE YOU CRYING IT'S ONLY BACK PAIN." I labored more & more just to breath. I couldn't get my breaths. "Frightening" finally Then, I walked myself into the local E.R. and told them "I think I have a clot in my lung because I don't have a cold or a bronchitis & I've been in bed so much I believe it is a clot." It was two clots in my right lung. My lung hurt a little more each day I recall I went about two weeks gradually having more & more difficulty getting my breaths. I was hospitalized and then my primary wanted NOTHING to do with my care when E.R. doctors called him.local hospt. took care of me & the clots resolved. I am still on warfarin for coumadin. I really do have a memory problem I fear now, "short term", especially now after 2 yrs on this med. Also, Last time I went in the sun I was so wiped out exhausted like it beat me up. I am afraid to go back to the beach. I get headachs also and one time when my INR. went up over 3, my ankles got these little red spots and also on my chins of both legs like blood specks showing thru the surface.Still there but not as evident. My avg. INR is 2.4 I feel most comfortable at.I try to maintain. Back in 1998, I got two clots in my left leg after a botched knee surgery to repair a torn cartledge and awoke with an in place fractured knee cap.. two weeks later horrible pain in my left leg revealed two clots one at ankle to groin in my vein=d.v.t. and the other at the side of my knee in artery to groin when the tornaquat was.

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’ve been following these posts with interest. I was on Warfarin for 7 months. I’ve now been off for 2 months. During that 7 months I gained 15 pounds, going from 136 to 151. I’ve never weighed more than 140 pounds in my life. In the two months I’ve been off Warfarin I’ve lost six of those pounds and hoping to lose the other nine. I also feel better, more “hopeful” I guess I would say. Looking back on those 7 months I can’t say I was depressed... but I did feel blue, and now I don’t. Also I had lost a bit of hair, it seems I was picking up more of my hair from the carpet than my dogs hair! That has also stopped. I find it interesting that those side effects were never mentioned with the drug information and yet so many of us experience them. I guess I just wanted people to know that it’s not “in your head”. This drug has an effect on how your body works. I’m just hopeful that I never have to be on it again, and my thoughts go out to those that have to take it permanently. Keep writing in, it does help others.

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!!

Hi, I am a 47 year old woman and started Warfarin and Lovenox June 29th as a result of blood clots in my left leg from knee surgery. I was able to go off the Lovenox July 4th (Yay!) because my INR levels were above 2. I thought the Lovenox was the cause of the nausea I experienced, but apparently that is not the case. I keep telling the clinicians at the Anticoagulant Clinic about the nausea and their response is that they haven't heard of it as a side effect. Thank you all for posting to this website, there is some comfort in learning you are not alone with these strange side effects. I also experience dizziness and have difficulty finding words. I think I will switch from Warfarin to Coumadin to see if the side effects are less, though many of you have written about weight gain ~ yikes. For those of you bruising with Lovenox I was told if the needle is dry when it goes in there is much less bruising. And to everyone my thoughts and prayers are with you. Oh yeah, I also have nerve pain in the bottom of my left foot, the compression hose do help website is ******

I have been on warfarin for 14 weeks. I do not enjoy taking this medicine! I am short tempered! I do not know if it is the medicine. It may be saving my life! I am gaining weight and at the beginning I was very tired. Now I am frustrated and upset frequently. My husband had a rare cancer removed from his stomach. I am not dealing with the situation very well. I do not have the stamina that I used to have to deal with a tough situation. I walk about 4.7 miles three times a week. I gained five pounds in the last five days. I also quit smoking in March. I love to run but I am unable to do it! I need to walk the majority of the walk. I am bloated all the time. I have a constant hunger! I have not been myself for a long time. I also found out that my thyroid is hypo. I have constant pain all over my body. My hip, shoulders, back and legs hurt. I wake up with the pain. I need to get used to the pain at 42 years old. I had a pulmonary embolism on march 27 of 2009 and they do not know why. My smoking is part of it but it does not explain everything!

I am a 46 yr old woman. After developing 3 DVT's in my lower rt calf after major foot surgery, I was prescribed Coumadin/Warfarin. My doses have fluctuated between 1mg to 7.5mg (I have just lowered my dose from 6mg to 5mg as my INR yesterday was 3.9). I have noticed a lot of the symptoms listed above (others comments), but have bumbled along. The symptom that is bothering is my mouth! I can hardly eat or talk - my lower jaw especially aches constantly and even despite using an extra soft toddlers toothbrush, my gums bleed profusely. I only read of one other persons symptom regarding teeth/gums/mouth. I know it sounds melodramatic, but my mouth aches as though I had mouth cancer!!! I can't wait to get off this rat poison! Good luck to all.

My husband was taking coumadin and developed an infection in his leg. He was ordered Bactrim DS bid. By the third day of the Bactrim, his INR was 4.7 and he was having mental status changes and vomiting. A head CT Scan showed he was bleeding in his brain from the interaction of the coumadin and Bactrim. He had to have 2 bilateral crainiotomies to flush out the blood from his brain. He nearly died. He has severe headaches and short term memory loss.

Doctors really kind of hit and miss w/ all these agenda of telling patients that coumadin related symptoms are not at all what it seems..telling patients" it is all it your head"..what it seems and I know that doctors are 'tuned in" to tell patients "what they think they believe or read in textbooks and not listening to the real stories of these patients who are on these meds..they are therapeutic in a way to prevent blood clots in some conditions but in real situations those symptoms created by these meds are purely debilitating to some and having not to live life where discomfort won't hinder one from just living the normal life...free from all these adverse reactions,which are so crippling....I have made a decision to talk to my husband's cardiologist to have him stop taking this so called "rat poison" or surreal "human poison"...he was diagnosed w/ afib and had cardiac ablation..hubby's taking coumadin for about 8 months now-preventively...
but these symptoms had changed him into a very depressed individual..after reading all these tonight..I will take charge and will take control of our lives again and hopefully just live to be healthy again...thanx for all of you that posted these info.......

I started coumadin 2 weeks ago, for a clot in my leg. I'm dizzy and lightheaded. I guess I'll be on it for at least 3 months. I've had abdominal surgery and a wrist fracture repaired surgically in the last 6 months and have had breast cancer (surgery, chemo, radiation) 4 years ago. I'm on Arimidex now. All of this is to explain possible underlying causes which I am investigating.

Dizziness seems to occur within an hour of my taking it - in the morning, but subsides by the afternoon. I'm thinking of switching the time I take it to the night - before I go to bed - maybe I can be dizzy in my sleep then and wake up with some sense of normalcy. Any comments?

I was diagnosed with Factor V Leiden after suffering from bilateral PEs in February 2004. I am on Warfarin for the rest of my life (I turn 45 in November). Since starting the Warfarin I have gained about 70 pounds. Nothing I do seem to work. I have tried eating better. I would love to exercise but my knees are shot. Probably from lugging around all this extra weight.

Has anybody else had this problem? From what I have read online, doctor will say the drug doesn't cause weight gain but come on.

Can anything be done short of stopping the medication? I am too afraid to do that. It sucks that there is not an alternative rx that would work.

I suffer from depression too (have for almost 15 years). As my weight has climbed, my meds for depression don't work as well. I am at the end of my rope & slowing losing my grip.

I was diagnosed with Factor V Leiden after experiencing bilateral PE's in February 2004. Since then, I have gained A LOT of weight. Not that I needed to but dang. I am at my highest ever & nothing I do will make it go down. I am almost 80 pounds heavier than I was in 2004. Something is not right. I suffer from depression (have for more than 15 years). My medication doesn't seem to have the same effect. My joints are killing me so it's hard to exercise.

A side note, shortly after being hospitalized for the PE's for a week, I noticed my hair thinning. Doctor told me it was because of the "shock" to my system due to having the PE's.

I will have to be on Warfarin for the rest of my life. I turn 45 in November. Ugh.

Has anybody had the same problem with weight gain? Is there anything to do about it? I feel I am at the end of my rope & slowing losing my grip.

diagnosed w atrial fibrillation last jan 2009, prescribed coumadin,2.5 to start per day, now may 2009,leveled off to 10 mg 5days per wk,adn5mg 2days. also since feb prescribed rythmol, coreg & crestor. **but since late March have experienced weigh gain, mostly stomach weight & some upper body. also seemed tired earlier at night, have leg pains which the cardio dr.claims is from the crestor...but this weight gain is crazy.gained at least 5 lbs since mid to late march.

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.

May 14 ,20209
I always feel off balance and cold, can't think straight,confused.