Warfarin Sodium and memory loss

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?

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.

Whoops! Side effects also include memory loss!

Cannot believe that tiredness/fatigue is not listed as a major side effect! My Doctor believes that it is my Warfarin/Coumadin and he has other similar patient experience.

I still have my sense of humor though! (just in case you wondered!)

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.

24 yr female diagnosed with PE and DVT. I have been on Warfarin since may of 08 and it has turned my world upside down. Weight gain (20lbs in 3 months), major hair loss, very bad acne, and memory loss. Not to mention i can't shave my legs or anything else for that matter with out getting major in grown hairs. I NEVER had any of these problems before. I am loosing muscle mass and feel as if I am a 70 year old woman. I don't know what to do but cry. The doctors keep telling me its not the medicine but I feel it is, my body is telling me it is. things are not easy, and it is affecting me I feel for the rest of my life.

I have been on Warfarin for 12 years and I am only 18 years of age. I was born with a congenital heart defect and have had many operations in the first 6 years of my life, including 3 open heart surgeries.
When I was 6 years old I had my last open heart surgery where they put in a St Judes mechanical valve. I don't know what my dosage was when I first starting taking Warfarin, but I am now on 7.5mg with an INR between 3.2-3.5

Sometimes I feel like I have a little bit of memory loss. I would forget the most basic words.. but I'd slightly remember what it looks like. I'd have to sit and think for a while until it would pop into my mind again. I really do hope that I don't get other side effects such as hair loss :(

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.

My father has been taking Warfarin for 13 years now 2.5mg a day. He's been complaining of headaches, heavy feeling in his head, dizzy spells, extreme fatigue,swelling of his legs, spontaneous numbness of his fingers, blurred vision, cold hands and feet, loss of balance and memory loss. I have spoken to his Doctors and no one believes him that the Warfarin is doing this to him. By the way, he was diagnosed with AF 13 years ago.

Does any one experience the same symptoms? what can he do? he is 77 years old.

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.

Been on warfarin about 3 weeks due to an a-fib condition.. Dose is 2.5mg a day. Since starting I cannot sleep, feel very tired and fatigued and slight sour stomach. Doctors say this is due to the a-fib but I don't think so. All I hear from my doctors is no side effects. Hs anyone else experienced these symptoms, and/or is there a website where I can find some answers.

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´ve been taking Warfarin for about 6 years now after being diagnosed with TVP (venose profound trombosis) and TEP (pulmonary trombosis). Side effects include: lethargy, difficulty concentrating, sudden extreme headaches, memory loss, oily face, red toes, hair loss, dry eyes, yellow hands, it completely changed my hair.. I had wonderful hair , shiny and straight, and now I have it curled up, dry, and broken. The worse thing is that I have to take warfarin for my entire life.

Thank God I'm not the only one! I was actually relieved when I found this site. I was an active 60 yr. old female until hit with blood clots in lt. leg that went to lungs. I've been on Warifin for almost four months these are my side effects: extreme fatigue, back and leg pain, over-all weakness,decrease in flexability of limbs, dizziness, vision changes even from day to day, memory loss( I've always been known for my great memory). I did mention these to my hemotologist last month and he sent me to ER. Cat scans of head, chest and abdomen all were normal. Every doctor I have seen says Warifin is not to blame but all this has developed since I began taking it.

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

I have been on warfarin for over 20 years and am concerned that my memory loss and the "foggy" thought processes experienced could be side effects .

Could Warfarin effect memory or the ability to think clearly?