Warfarin Sodium and aspirin

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.

I had open heart surgery August 23rd 2006 for a conginital heart defeat (Aortic Valve replaced with mechanical St Jude valve). I wanted a bio valve but Drs insisted I should have the mechanical valve because of my age (45 at the time).

Prior to my heart surgery I was a performer, singer/songwriter/actress/comedianne and I loved what I did. It was my life. Now, after 2+ years post-op and on Warfarin (7.5 mg daily for life) I feel like life has ended and I'm just a walking dead person. The effects I feel daily are as follows...

Dizziness
Severe Headaches
Blurred vision
Memory Loss
Fatigue
Weight Gain
Trouble concentating
Fluttering effect in my head/ears- Hard to explain
Hair loss
Unexplained pains in chest & left side of my body
Unable to sleep well
Tiredness- even when I've done nothing to be tired for
Nausea
Gas & Diarrhea off and on
teeth pain- Like I've drank something very cold
feeling in my head similar to a brain freeze- like you ate ice cream too fast
Night bleeds in my month- wake up with a mouth full of blood daily
What do think, is that enough??

I'm going in tomorrow for a cat scan because the headaches have been so bad they feel I need to be checked for brain tumor and/or internal bleeding. When I tell the Drs I think this is due to Wafarin they pratically laugh in my face as if to say, "Silly silly woman, don't be foolish! We know whats best for you. Remember, we saved your life!" Really? Did you?!

I want nothing more than to get off this rat poison and regain my life, but to do so could mean a stroke or heart attack. I would go under the knife again to have the mechanical valve removed and replaced with a biological valve, but do you think my insurance company (Kieser) would pay for a "silly" thing like that? Right!

Welcome to the greatest country in the world!

I'm going to start a website to help people like us. I want your stories, please send me your info, together we might make a change, what can it hurt to try? Email me ******

B.

My mother, 70 years old, been on Coumadin for 3 years (doctor said best to take since she suspected heart palpitations). Mother developed gradual memory loss, over the 3 year period, we didn't think anything wrong!! just a part of aging process!! Then one night she fell on the floor, stroke, we took her to hospital - done MRI and CTscan - result: severe brain bleeding. From that time - 4 months ago - she is now diagnosed with Dementia. I cant even describe how I feel about god damn Coumadin. Wish they never given it to her in the first place.

i have gained weight while on warfarin telling my doctor just made me feel fat and lazy he didn't believe me when i asked if this was caused by this drug. you can not know how much better i feel reading so many emails from people saying they gained from this drug. I also have the puffy face and big belly and tired feeling

I stumbled onto this site while trying to find a reason for these headaches I get sometimes for no" apparent" reason. Imagine my surprise to find your testimonies about your lives on warfarin sodium.At 38, I had surgery to repair a congenital defect of the aortic valve and had to have a hema-shield graph to repair an aneurysm of the aorta. That was in Oct.2002. Warfarin has been a part of my life since then. I was also put on anti-depressants because my family Dr. thought I was depressed since I repeatedly complained of not feeling well.(I took myself off the anti-depressants a couple of years ago.) Extreme fatigue , serious memory issues, thinning hair,dizzy spells and numerous other ailments continue to plague me.Add to that a large weight gain ...and, well, you get the picture. If anyone knows of an alternative to taking this "poison", PLEASE, PLEASE let me know. I just WANT MY LIFE BACK!!! I actually cried after reading this blog. As I explained to my husband, I suppose it was from the sheer relief of knowing I was not going insane!!!

horrible...started taking coumadin in November of 2007--it is now July of 2008 and in recent weeks I have had the most horrible bruising all over my body--deep maroon and deep purple and HUGE! One covers my hip on my back completely and I have others all over me. I have been having severe fatique, widespread pain to include my entire abdominal cavity, my lower and upper back, my sides, sudden headaches, and a general feeling of malaise, weakness in extremities...I am not taking this medication EVER again and I have an appt with my heart doc in a few days. I feel like I've been run over with a paver and aspirin is obviously a better choice for me. What's the use of preventing clots if your quality of life is s__t. After all, it is basically rat poison. Seriously, folks...look at the ingredients on both.

My father is currently in the hospital for his second internal bleeding from coumadin. He had a GI bleed and was discharged a month ago, put on coumadin AGAIN , supposedly monitored and wound up in ICU again, this time he had trouble breathing and was intubated and sedated for two days. I really thought Coumadin killed my father and in reality it almost did.....Now the hematologists are saying he is extremely sensitive to it, and his only other option is heperin shots which he refuses to do (that also has risk of bleeding). he is going to live with the chance of stroke rather than take coumadin a thrid time which is what they are suggesting. (idiots) . he has atrial fib and needs to be on blood thinner but at this point he would rather take his chances or take aspirin even though the doctors are saying it won't work as well. Hopefully there will be new anticoagulants out in the market soon like there are in Canada and Europe.

Coumadin KILLS....8,000 people a year bleed to death from coumadin......yes, it helps people too but judging from this site the side effects are awful...if you can avoid coumadin you should...

My Mother was put on warfarin after her stroke and has completely deteriorated. Her mood was quite good and her energy was ok but now she looks really ill. Very lethargic, very depressed and talks of death all the time. We keep telling the Doctor at the hospital that this change occurred with the introduction of warfarin. He says it is not the warfarin. She also itches her head all the time. It is so distressing to see her in this state when she was doing so well before. I wonder if a high dose of soluble asprin would be a solution - even if not as good as warfarin, she may get herself back.