Warfarin Sodium and blurred vision

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.

During my 6 months on Warfarin (Coumidin) I experienced tremendous lethargy and short term memory loss. No issues with other commonly reported symptoms of hair loss, heavy legs,…
I am a 49 year old male. In January 2008 I was diagnosed with DVT's in my right lung. Interestingly I experienced 100% of the pain on my left side though the DVT’s were on the right. The onset of symptoms was a pain in my chest like I pulled a muscle lifting something. The pain progressed from "notable" to progressively uncomfortable, where I was restless in bed to the point of not sleeping. On the 3rd day after fitful sleeping and progressively more painful breathing, I made a doctor's appointment for that afternoon. By the time I got to the Dr. I was sure I had made the right decision (I am male and avoid these things).
My primary care did an EKG to rule out a heart attack which the symptoms were identical to; sharp pain in chest toward left shoulder and arm, trouble breathing. I was sent for an X-ray and was very uncomfortable laying still on the Xray bed as the pain as I inhaled had gotten sharper. I went home and resumed office work but soon was in extreme pain with each breath. So much pain that I could not lay or sit, but collapsed to my knees where I stayed for 20 minutes until I could move again. I called the doctor's office and was advised to go directly to the ER. Duh. The ER again ran an EKG and ruled out cardiac issues.
Three ER Attendings pondered my condition for an hour or so and then began asking as series of questions and at the 3rd question – had I flown any long flights recently? Yes, several transatlantic – at which I saw their glances and was whisked off to a CAT scan which confirmed DVT’s. I was put on morphine and some IV’s and admitted for 5 days. I started Lovenox shots and by the 4th day was feeling better.
Blood tests did not revel any genetic disposition (factor V) for clots and no family history so it was recorded as “Coach Class Syndrome”. I was put on Warfarin for (5mg/day) for 6 months. I was able to keep relatively good INR’s. I came off Warfarin (12 August 2008). I will have to take Lovenox shots before long flights. I am happy to come off the Warfarin as I experienced tremendous lethargy and short term memory loss. No issues and I have been off coumadim for 6 months now. Glad to have that behind me… hopefully.

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.

Hi I am a 36 year old female, and have been on warfarin for about six months now, I was also on it back in 2004 for six months I had a blood clot in my left lung in 04, and was off of them after six months. But now i Dec 07 i had a clot in my leg, and several in my lungs. I have to be on it forever now according to my docs. It sucks, I am having very bad memory loss, blurred vision also, I get dizzy a lot, and as of last week my levels are not high. I was on a smaller dosage the first time around, but I am currently on 7.5 mg, and it sucks, I want to be off of these. So I also do experience the same symptoms as the rest of you. Memory loss is really affecting my everyday life. Also depression is a big symptom also, I have always been a happy person, not any longer.

i am a 33 year old male and i have been taking warfarin for the past nine years. i have had most of the side effects that i have read about here. before i began taking the drug i asked my doctor about side effects and i was told that there were only two; bleeding and bruising.
i have since learned that the research had not been done. that is why they don't know about the side effects.
here are just some of the effects that i have had in my nine years on this drug. memory loss, hair loss, itchy feet, blurred vision, headache, brittle/crumbling teeth, stomach pain, non healing wounds.
i have began to do more research on my own lately, since it has been almost 10 years since i first began taking warfarin. the only new side effect that i have learned about is calcification of cartilage. i have been lucky not to have had this problem yet.
i have had no trouble yet with bleeding, although i do get some pretty bad bruises. i usually have three or four bad ones on my legs or arms at all times.
i am sure i will develop more side effects as the years go by. i am 33 years old now and will be taking warfarin for the rest of my life.

p.s. i have a titanium st.jude mitral valve

I've been on Warfarin since Feb/04. I had 2 blood clots form in my leg and traveled in my lung and was dignosed with APS. At first I was on 12mg a day for about a year, now I am regulated at 10mg a day. For the last 2 months my INR count has been high (blood too thin) and was on 5 mg for 2 days in July/07 and then back to 10mg. This month Aug/07 my dr took me off my meds for 2 days, then back on reg 10mg. I will go back and check my INR in a few weeks.
I haven't experienced hair loss, but I have experienced migraines, weight gain (a lot!), blurred vision, black out with vision, and slight memory loss. And I am only 40 yrs old. Just wondering if you or anyone else has experienced any of these side effects.

I'm a 36 year old female who survived a DVT and pulmonary embolism.
I've been on warfarin for one year. I was diagnosed with a protein c
deficiency. (most likely congenital). I'm having a lot of trouble keeping my
PT\INR in between 2 and 3. My Doctor is a real jerk. I'm looking into see-
ing a different one. Anyway, my symptoms are: lightheadedness, hair
loss, weight gain(I'm hungry 24\7),fatigue,numbness in my hands and feet,
hot flashes,redness on my nose and cheeks, and some kind of rash on
my right ankle, tachycardia,headaches, and blurred vision. I never thought
life could suck this bad. I've been taking anywhere between 7.5mg to
15m.g\day. Oh yeah I forgot to mention the worse side effect of all:
My period for 7 to 10 days. The 3rd and 4th day being unbearable to take.
Of course my Doctor says your not bleeding to death because you're not
passing clots. What an ___!!! My sympathy's to all of you.

I've been on Warfarin since June, 2004 after having a Pulmonary Embolism. At first no side effects. It took 2 years to regulate INR. I take 6mg per day. In the last year though, severe hair loss, bleeding in my lower legs (skin) when my legs swell. I am not able to store iron according to dermatologist that I saw for hair loss. I've just been diagnosed with APS, anti-phospholipid syndrome.

I had abdominal surgery without knoweledge of a clotting disorder and ended up with portal vein thrombosis. Ive been on coumadin for 2 months and despite the fact that I eat healthy and consistently, and am extremely fitness-oriented, this medicine has been just awful. I'm making my way down the list of side-effects!
nausea, abdominal cramping, fever, chills, spontaneous numbness in fingers and toes, purple discoloration in skin, fatigue and weakness, reflux, vomiting blood which landed me in the hospital for 3 days, a red rash all over the face, blurred vision and horribly dry eyes, slight jaundice, memory lapse, difficulty focusing.....and hair loss.
i really though I was making this all up in my mind so I am so relieved to see I'm not imagining these symptoms!

MY HUSBAND HAS BEEN ON WARIFIN FOR EIGHT YEARS AND HAS EXPERIENCED ALL OF THE FOLLOWING

COLD SWEATS
(SHORT TERM) MEMORY LOSS - A BIG DIFFERENCE LATELY
DOUBLE VISION
BLURRED VISION
SHADED VISION
EXTREME SUDDEN HEAD ACHES
NAUSEA
FATIGUE
DIZZY SPELLS
LOSS OF BALANCE
POSSIBLE TIA'S

AND MOST RECENTLY A BIG ONE -- LIVER DAMAGE
(SIGNS OF WHICH ARE ENLARGED LIVER, YELLOW SKIN AND EYES, JANDICE, THROWING UP, -- BASICALLY THE SAME SYMPTOMS OF HEPATITUS -- BUT THE HEPITITUS TEST WILL COME BACK NEGATIVE.

ALTHOUGH NO eR OR DOCTOR WILL SAY THAT ANY OF THESE ARE RELATED TO BEING ON WARFIN

HOWEVER, LIVER DAMAGE AND JANDICE ARE LISTED AS SIDE EFFECTS