Warfarin Sodium and stroke

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.....

Hello! After a 3 1/2 day stay in the hospital for atrial Fibb. which has since gone away and was likely cuased by extreme low blood potassium and sodium which has since been brought to all but normal levels.. I was taken off of Plavix a blood thinner which I had been taking since a heart attack in 2003, and put on the Warfarin, that was on June 22nd that I began taking Warfarin/Coumadin!. About 2 weeks ago I began having neck and shoulder pain, then slowly side and back pains deep down in the muscles. It is much worse in laying down position, have a hard time to sleep well, and if I trun or move while lying down the pain is very intense. I am going to assk the Dr. to take me off of the Warfarin and put me back on Plavix so I can see it it is the reason for the pains. I am quite sure it is! Please reply if you have the same symptoms as I do! Thanks, B.E.

About 8 weeks ago i was doing a really hard training session and had to pull out because of severe chest pain. i was taken to hospital where i was for 2 weeks and told i had multiple 'quite substantial' clots in both my lungs which had caused tissue death through lack of blood supply - pretty scary for a fit and healthy 18 year old. since then ive been having INR blood tests twice a week and been on Warfarin. they say i have to be on it for 6 months then they can test to see if its a genetic thing and if i'll have to be on it forever. im doing just as much exercise now as i was before it happened but i've put on about 5kgs. have other people been told they can't drink while on Warfarin? i asked my doc if he meant moderation or zero and he was like 'do you want to have a stroke?'
what 18 year old gets PE? it's such an old person thing, and seriously stuffed up my life, hopefully only for now.

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!

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.

I have been on Warfarin since Sept 2004 when I had multiple blood clots in both lungs. Since then I have had two more PE's (one with a therapeutic INR) and a blood clot in my left arm (INR was also therapeutic). Genetic tests show nothing.

Since starting Warfarin I have had
- dizziness issues,
- eternal extreme fatigue
- hair loss
- short term memory and cognitive issues,
- joint pain and
- head aches all the time. I think the headaches are the worse since I can't take any NSAID's for them.

I have lost weight and push myself to exercise because it is supposed to make you feel better, right? Well not yet. I keep waiting.

I have not been able to return to work and worry about the long term implications of this.

Many times I have wondered about my sanity and if I was imagining all of this, so finding this forum at least lets me know that there is a possibility that it is not all in my mind.

I have been seeing a psychiatrist to help me work through the almost dying 3 times thing, but it is hard to accept since no one knows why I throw the clots. My INR is not stable in spite of close monitoring of Vit K and other drugs, and my INR must be taken twice a week.

i had a stroke in 2004 at the age of 34. now i am on warfarin, i have hot flashes, hot red cheeks, lightheadedness, and i am tired all the time. i know that the warfarin is causing this. i wish there was another option for me.

58 years old male with atrial fibrillation. 2 years taking 7mg of warfarin and several months ago began getting an itchy purplish rash on my lower legs. Very annoying and I often scratch my skin until bloody. Seems to be getting worse.... wife says it's better than a stroke.... I guess so, maybe.

I have been on Coumadin for about 2 months now after surviving a cerebral sinus venous thrombosis (blood clot on my brain - akin to a stroke). I am s 34 yo female who races triathlons and leads a very active healthy lifestyle. My side effects seem to be mild compared to what I read of others. I am on 5mg/day, except 1 day a week I take 10mg. My INR has been pretty stable. The side effects I notice are mild forgetfulness which I am hoping goes away as I start my 3rd year of law school next week! I also had some weird skin peeling on my hands, but that has subsided. I seem to urinate more often than normal and soda pop tastes weird to me now. Anyone else experience the frequent urination and/or taste issues?
Thanks!
Dana :)

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 just started taking Warfarin on December 11, 2006 due to blood clots from surgery. My protime numbers won't go over 2.0, so I'm taking 12 mg and will probably start Lovenox injections. All my life I have rejected taking pharmaceuticals of any kind, and now this. I've told my doctor to get me off these meds asap, but now I have to see a hemotologist. If he says warfarin for life, I'll tell him no thank you. I will not live the rest of my life poisoned. As for side effects, the only thing I've noticed is a fitful night's sleep. I really haven't been that tired. I do get achy, but figure that's from physical therapy from surgery.