Warfarin Sodium and fatigue

Information For The Recently Diagnosed
Possible Side Effects of Coumadin®

I found the following on a website dedicated to Factor V Leiden patients who need the warfarin/coumadin due to the genetic issues:
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Here are some of the side effects reported by members of our mailing list who are on Coumadin®:

Hair thinning-hair loss
fatigue or being tired more often
taking longer to recover from cuts or bruises
sun burn or sensitivity to light
depression.
You may experience some of these effects or none of them.

Also reported: Uneven INR's with generic coumadin®. I refuse to take generic coumadin® (warfarin). My INR will not stay stable on it. But some folks like it. It's a personal choice.

Possible side effects of LMWH:

Bleeding is the main adverse effect, either major (internal) or minor (injection site bruises, easy bruising, etc).
osteoporosis may be an issue with long-term use
very rarely an allergy develops, called HIT (heparin-induced thrombocytopenia)
liver tests (enzyme levels) may become temporarily elevated, but usually return to normal and rarely lead to the need to stop LMWH
last but not least: empty wallet syndrome (very expensive drugs)

link

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I was on Coumadin for a blood cloth I had last year(I originally started on 2.5mg and kept getting bumped up higher and higer as my PT/INR tests kept coming back).

I had most of the symptoms described here. The three worst being fatigue, memory loss and hair loss.

I remember constantly being tired on this medication. I had to go back to work after a few months and I remember not being able to lift much of anything and being extremely tired.

When I would take showers I remember running my hands through my fingers and literally pulling out clumps of hair. Each and every time. I thought I was going nuts.

The worst was the memory loss. I had severe short term memory loss like you wouldn't believe. I would be fine one minute and then space out and I literally could not remember what I had done the day before.

I've been on Coumadin for one month after having a pulmonary embolism (caused by birth control). I have painful red patches that look like clusters of pimples. I also have fatigue, nausea, headache, loss of libido, and irritability. I am 24 years old and just got married 6 months ago - these symptoms are ruining my "honeymoon period."

I have been on Warfarin for two years now and on it for life, i had a blood clot in my left leg. While i was reading everyone's side effects, it was like i was writing it myself...I experience the same symptoms........Foggy mind, short term memory loss (i even have a notebook now wherever i go now), fatigue, thirsty all the time, headaches, strange sore sensations in my legs/body especially when its cold.....all of which i am told Warfarin has no such side effects and that im imagining it.........i have been told this over and over and over. Im soooo glad im not crazy lol and that there are also people out there that are experiencing the exact same stuff that i am.

I am a 33-year-old female. I was taking YAZ birth control. I woke up on a Friday morning with a bad cramping feeling in my left calf. By the end of the day, I was limping. By the middle of that night into Saturday morning, I woke up in such excruciating pain. I could not walk without help. I went to the ER. They ran an ultrasound and found nothing. They said I had a "pulled muscle" and sent me home. Went to my PCP on Monday. He said it was "phlebitis" and sent me home. He told me to return in 3 days. Did that. This whole time I told them my left foot was cold, the leg was discolored, and that I could not walk! Hello! I went back in 3 days, but this time he was finally alarmed when he couldn't find a pulse in my left foot (never checked that in the first place) and sent me back to the ER. The same jerk ran another ultrasound, and there was the clot. I've been on warfarin since February. In the beginning, I had TERRIBLE HEADACHES (which have since subsided). Now I am dealing with this: CONSTANT BODY PAINS (especially my back and ribs), OVERALL BODY SORENESS (kind of like when you have the flu), FATIGUE, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, BLOATING AND GAS (I wake up with a huge painful puffy stomach every morning), CRAMPS (like having a period without one), sometimes DIARRHEA, STOMACH ACHES. When I reported the initial body pains to both the specialist and my PCP upon my follow-up visits after being discharged, both looked at me like I was crazy or making it up or something. I came home in tears after seeing the specialist. I thought he would be the one to know about this stuff! Instead, he made me feel like an idiot or crazy person. I was totally insulted and cried on the way home. I am so annoyed and have lost all faith in doctors. They should all have to retake their Anatomy and Physiology courses so they can be reminded what their ears are for. Why don't they listen to their patients? This is insane! I am so disgusted with this whole mess. I just want to give up.

I have been on Warfarin since the end of Aug. 2007 when I had my mitral valve replaced with a mechanical valve. I will be on it for the rest of my life. My doctor.'s all assured me there were no side effects other than the bleeding risks. I now know this is not true. The side effects I am dealing with make me sometimes wish I had chosen a tissue (pig) valve, even though I would be guaranteed another heart surgery within ten years. I am 39 years old and a mother of two young kids. Since being on Warfarin I have experienced various body aches that come on suddenly but don't stay long; extreme hot and cold; itchy hands and feet; dry hair and hair loss; seeing "spots" usually followed by a headache; very thirsty; ongoing bowel troubles, possibly developed colitis; but the worst side effect for me is the fatigue and depression. I feel like I traded in my old self for my mechanical valve. Like I said, I'd have to have a tissue valve replaced eventually, and as bad as heart surgery is, I'd rather have 10 happy years w/out Warfarin than this struggle I deal with almost everyday. My brother is a surgeon and even he buys into the "no side effects" b.s. I work out as much as I can, which used to make me feel great, now I feel like it helps me get by but not the positive effect it used to have on me mentally.

Been on 5mg Warfarin for past 2 months. Developed severe headaches, resulted in MRI brain scan. Thank God all clear. Severe hair loss and dry coarse hair, sour smelling stools, weight gain.Fatigue. But Doctors and specialists reassure you, none are from the Warfarin!!! DON'T THINK SO!

In July my calf hurt for over a week I went and had it checked out and they found a small DVT I was sent home and prescribed Lovenox and taken off my birth control. The next morning I had trouble breathing and went to the ER I had multiple PEs in both lungs. I was in the hospital for 5 days and sent home with a non-therapeutic INR, Lovenox shots and warfarin sodium. I have to regularly increase my dosage I am now up to 15mgs 6days a week and 10 the 7th day. I have recently started seeing small unexplainable bruises, even though my INR is still not and only has been for a short time since my release from the hospital. I have had severe chest, leg and other body pain. I have been to the ER so much I have just stopped going. I have horrible headaches and fatigue especially after they re-up my meds. My periods have been off the charts as well. I think I am done with this and I am really considering taking myself off the meds

I'm a 42 year old woman, been on Coumadin on and off for almost 8 yrs due to 2 DVT's after childbirth in February, 2000. The scar tissue has completely blocked the main vain in my left leg and am on Coumadin to prevent new clots from forming. Symptoms from the beginning have been: memory problems, concentration problems, fatigue, low libido, every muscle in my body hurts to the touch, my skin looks like I have smoker's skin (I don't smoke), anxiety, rash around my ankles, I have almost no patience on most days and continual hair loss. They changed my dosage 5 months ago to 10mg one day & 7.5mg the next 2 days. Since, then symptoms have gotten almost unbearable at times. My current Dr. claims the Coumadin isn't causing any of it and won't listen. 5 yrs. ago, during my second pregnancy, I was on heparin shots twice a day instead of theoumadin and I felt incredible. Why is it that when there are so many people that have problems with this medicine, nobody will listen and come up with a solution C?

so glad to read these comments as most of my doctors have told me warfarin has no side effects. mine are increased sensitivity to cold, foggy brain, memory problems, persistent itchy rash on my leg, clumsiness, lightheadedness, frequent fatigue.

on 9mg, Protein S deficiency. my INR also bounces all over the place too.

I have noticed changes in my memory, and felt very fatigued when I first started the warfarin.The fatigue has tapered off after 5 months but I notice more changes in memory lately. I get off the med in one more month. I found the best way to control drug levels is to eat at least one frozen meal a day with a lot of vegetables, such as a Lean Cuisine that is advertised as having twice as many vegetables as a regular lean cuisine...then I eat dinner and limit leafy green vegetable intake. I'm also not positive of this, but sometimes it is harder to control when I drink a lot of green tea. Hope this helps someone.

My 79 YO father began taking Warfarin following a TIA 2 years ago. It has caused him some fatigue but lately he has been experiencing quite bad swelling of the feet and ankles and also a lot of joint pain not present before the medication. Are there any alternatives to this medication?

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