Warfarin Sodium and pulmonary embolism

I'm 39 and have been on Coumadin for about a month. Was diagnosed with DVT in right calf after taking Yaz birth control for only about 4-5 months (no other pre-conditions - I'm a non-smoker, fairly active, not overweight, no recent airplane trips or long car rides.) I was on Yaz to treat severe problems with my period which has been the case since I was a teenager, but I was tired of having to call in sick to work every month, and had hoped Yaz would eliminate that problem. I had been on other BCPs when I was in my 20's, and never had any symptoms of clotting, so didn't think that it would be all that risky to try again, despite me being slightly older than the typical woman on BCP. Obviously, I am not taking Yaz anymore, and will not be able to take any other hormonal therapies for the rest of my life. But I guess that's minor compared to the risk of developing PE from an undiagnosed blood clot.

Anyway, I've been noticing I've been getting sudden, severe headaches since starting the Coumadin. I have a history of migraines but I usually only get one or two per year at most. Now I've had what feels a lot like a migraine twice in a matter of a couple weeks. My husband has also commented that I've been irritable and acting "spacy".

My INR has also been all over the place. They've been alternating me between 5 mg and 7.5 mg per day. For the first few weeks I was right where they wanted me - between 2 and 3, but then last Friday my results were 4.6!! Way too high. I go back this afternoon to see if anything's changed over the weekend, after skipping a dose and then doing 5 mg Sat. and Sun. I do hope they can find the right balance and don't have to keep tinkering with the dosage. I'm wondering if that's what's contributing to the headaches. Maybe if they can stabilize how much I'm taking from day to day, my body will adjust.

I wonder if anyone "official" is tracking the number of DVT/PE patients that can trace their onset of symptoms to Yaz. My sense is that this is a much more serious and prevalent side effect than their marketing dept. would like to admit.....

im on warfarin 3.5 mg everyday since nov 2007 because a pulmonary embolism and a second one on jan 2008 while on therapeutic INR. in march 2008 i had a massive bleeding in my ovary and had an emergency operation to remove the blood from my belly. I have serious anemia, 2 years now, and i am feeling that my life is being wasted away!!! I have serious pain on my neck and back and my left arm is really sore i cam barely move it. I have no energy at all and i am surprised of how i have been trying to get extra energy from where there is nothing left!!!.
I am not sure that those symptoms are relted to warfarin, all I know is that I didn't feel this way before!! And I don't really know how bad it is to have anemia and at the same time be on warfarin.

I also want to be me again!!!

I am 24 years old and I had a pulmonary embolism last month. I was on the birth control YAZ for only 3 months, and that's what doctors seem to think caused it. My insurance only paid for me to be in the hospital for three daysand I was sent home with lovenox shots and Coumadin pills.

One month later, my INR is still unstable, fluctuating so much that they are checking it twice per week. My dosage is constantly changing. I have a red, painful rash on my buttocks - it hurts of sit for more than a few minutes. I am losing clumps of hair. I have lost my libido. I am very irritable and snap at my husband several times per day. I have a headache almost daily and frequent nausea.

I hate these side effects!

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 suffered a Pulmonary Embolism December of 2005. Following, I found out that I have Factor 5 (later we found out that all my siblings have it as well as my father). I have been on Warfarin since. I have been told by a few doctors that I will be on it for life. I have also been told by other doctors that I should have had filters put in my lungs so that I don't need the Warfarin anymore. Prolonged use of Warfarin is terrible for you, they say. At the time I started taking Warfarin, I was 39 years old. After 6 months of use I began to loose my hair as well as the curls diminished. I also developed discoloration on my upper lip, face and forehead. 8 months later I was told that I was pre-menopausal...my hormones were changing....night sweats, dizziness, nausea, severe abdominal pain, digestive problems, bowel problems, severe weight gain. They then told me that I had Vertigo and that they were not sure why it began. I am now suffering severe memory problems. When watching a movie, if a commercial comes on I forget what I am watching. I can't read without nausea and dizziness. I get headaches, terrible leg and arm pain. My concentration is very poor. I can't remember what happened the previous day or who my customers are. I don't know what to do. If I stop taking it I will run the risk of another horrible embolism (20% survival rate). My children, 12 and 15, have already lost their father to cancer. They are very concerned of loosing their mother.

Hi,
I have been on Warfarin since 2002. I suffered multiple pulmonary embolism's in both lungs. My first was in May 2002 and even though I had excruciating pain in my left shoulder area & could not lay down as this worsened the pain, the NHS x-rayed my torso!!!! & sent me home with medication for a kidney infection. I gave it a few weeks but the pain did not go completely & was moving to my right side, I was coughing up 'tablespoon' size clots of blood. My GP was not happy & spoke to a colleague at the hospital. I was sent straight in,(July) thorough tests done & I was found to have suffered multiple PE's.
I tried to sue them for medical negligence but it was turned away by the court as there was not enough evidence on my notes ie; some info was not written down & most was unreadable to even other medical professionals.
Since Aug 2002 I have been on Warfarin & am on this for life.
A blood test showed that I had a genetic blood disorder called 'Factor V (5) Leiden heterozygote'. This causes my blood to form clots much easier & quicker than the average person. If you have this disorder, as a woman it is important that each time you have a child you are treated with Heperin after each birth. I had 5 children & was not treated therefore I suffered with my PE's.My children have been tested for this & 3 of them have it. My daughter was glad she found out before having children as she hasn't had to suffer what I went through.
I ask one thing.... Please TELL your GP that you want a test for the above disorder. As I suffered my PE's & that I have this blood disorder I have to stay on Warfarin for life.
If you need any more info I will tell you as much as I know. Feel free to ask questions. my email is; ******

I had surgery two months ago and on 4/8 developed a Pulmonary Embolism. I am now on two shots of Lovenox per day and 10mg of Warfarin. My INR is only at 1.9 after 3 weeks. I have recently developed pain in my left leg starting in the hip and radiating to the knee. Is this normal? Also, I have one hard lump in my stomach most likely at an injection site. Is this normal?

I am 28 and just suffered a pulmonary embolism (P.E.), very unusual for someone my age. I went into the hospital three times before they found it. I had severe pain in my upper left back, shoulder blade and neck when I first went in and the doc told me I was just having muscle spasms...I played Division I basketball for 4 years and am now a coach...I told him it wasn't a muscle spasm, but he sent me home with Ibuprofin....The second time I went in, I had worse pain two days later and told him it wasn't going away that something was really wrong. They did lung ex-rays, MRI and didn't find anything. They did no ultrasound or CT...hmmm. The third time I went in, I had terrible pain in my right side as though someone was stabbing me in the side. Couldn't catch my breath and was in absolute agony.
Finally they did a CT and ultrasound and found it at 6:30am on a Monday evening. I am very lucky that the third time I was admitted into the ER after a week, that they did a CT that found the P.E. I very easily could have died.

I was on Yasmin birth control for a year, unusual for a clot to occur after taking birth control for that amount of time, so they are not sure if that caused it and are still uncertain of the cause for my P.E. Maybe a blood disorder that I have not yet been tested for.

At the beginning of my warfarin treatment, I didn't experience headaches. Now though, after about 3-4 weeks...I am experiencing headaches in the middle of my forehead that are driving me crazy. I'm wondering if it is stress from all that I have gone through...an extremely painful experience...or a side effect of the drug.

Also, pain in my legs have been a problem. They feel heavy, like carrying around lead and I don't feel like I have much energy. I don't have much of an appetite anymore either. I have always been extremely active, stay at a healthy weight and have wanted to eat meals! Not so much anymore.

I'm not a smoker, and eat healthy foods...This is all very uncharacteristic for me and I'm extremely frustrated. I understand that it will take a while for me to recover from all of this, and inpatience with the matter could be a problem causing stress.

If you have any feedback, please let me know.

Have been on COUMADIN / Warfarin since 2001 for a diagnosed "LOW FUNCTIONAL S PROTEIN / DEFIENCY". Since then as a result, have been hospitalized for Pulmonary Embolism of the lung on three occasions not including a DVT in left deep vein (uptake vein to heart).
Presently take 12 mg/day.

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.