Anyone else on warfarin had a head injury?

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gntelbear

Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2016
Messages
16
Location
Buffalo NY
Hello all.....I had an Aortic valve replacement done in 2010 ( Mechanical St Jude Valve) and have been on Warfarin ever since. Yesterday I was
up on a 24 ft ladder cutting a tree limb about 6 inches in diameter and about 15 -18 ft long with branches shooting off it. I got it sawed thru about
99 % and it fell getting hung up on an adjacent tree about 8 feet in the air. The end i was sawing was still connected by a thread and was still about
24 feet in the air. I started down the ladder and all of a sudden the sawed end of the limb broke free and fell about 10-12 ft hitting me on the upper
forehead. It knocked me off the ladder but i landed mainly on my feet. I now have an approximately 3 inch diameter slightly raised egg on my
forehead. Other than a dull headache, I have no other symptoms other than the egg on my head being painful. My INR has been running about 3.2
on my recent tests. I know I probably should have gone to the ER, but that can entail a wait of hours and i wanted to just sit at home and rest, (Not sleep)
I have had 2 concussions in my life, both when I was a kid, about 55 years ago. This pain and symptoms are nothing like either concussions. I just
wondered if anyone else on Warfarin has dealt with a head injury of this nature and what if any treatments and outcomes were. Any input would be
appreciated. Thanks so much.
 
The smart thing would probably be a visit to the ER, but I'm like you and don't like the waiting room. Since you say the limb only hit your forehead I assume it hit you with a glancing blow and that you, pretty much, landed on your feet.......if it were me I'd just watch it. If the headache didn't go away or other "out of the ordinary" feelings occur go to the ER. You have been around for several years with your valve and are in the best position to follow any warning sign. If you get uncomfortable get to the ER.
 
@gntelbear

f it were me I'd just watch it. If the headache didn't go away or other "out of the ordinary" feelings occur go to the ER

I concur with this, I've not had any head injury, but with an INR of 3.2 I might drop tonights dose. Depends how you feel about that

Watch for other symptoms.
 
Hello all.....I had an Aortic valve replacement done in 2010 ( Mechanical St Jude Valve) and have been on Warfarin ever since. Yesterday I was
up on a 24 ft ladder cutting a tree limb about 6 inches in diameter and about 15 -18 ft long with branches shooting off it. I got it sawed thru about
99 % and it fell getting hung up on an adjacent tree about 8 feet in the air. The end i was sawing was still connected by a thread and was still about
24 feet in the air. I started down the ladder and all of a sudden the sawed end of the limb broke free and fell about 10-12 ft hitting me on the upper
forehead. It knocked me off the ladder but i landed mainly on my feet. I now have an approximately 3 inch diameter slightly raised egg on my
forehead. Other than a dull headache, I have no other symptoms other than the egg on my head being painful. My INR has been running about 3.2
on my recent tests. I know I probably should have gone to the ER, but that can entail a wait of hours and i wanted to just sit at home and rest, (Not sleep)
I have had 2 concussions in my life, both when I was a kid, about 55 years ago. This pain and symptoms are nothing like either concussions. I just
wondered if anyone else on Warfarin has dealt with a head injury of this nature and what if any treatments and outcomes were. Any input would be
appreciated. Thanks so much.
I just got in finally and wanted to share my head hurt experience. It happened 17 years ago. I was living in a apartment building in February, we had a little ice melt and it iced up overnight, creating black ice. I walked to where it was, not thinking and slipped and hit my head on the ground. It was bleeding and got back inside to my apartment. Called my job to let them know I took a spill and may not make it in. Then called 911 and it took only 5 minutes for them to show up. Then I had a room full of 8 firemen looking me over, the bleeding had slowed by then. They were nice and let me go to the hospital on my own. They were good looking men, for firemen. I had a few staples for the cut. Survived. And was on Coumadin at that time, had let them know about the Coumadin, and then about the type two diabetes, which I was recently at that time newly diagnosed. I did fine. No harm done. Things happens. Just be careful about black ice in the winter cold. LOL!
 
Keep us posted. Hope all will be well.

Warfarin did not cause me any issue in my below fall. For peace of mind to all on Warfarin, here’s what happened to me:

I fell 18 steps curved staircase December 30, 2019! I had insomnia. I Hesitantly decided to go downstairs for a glass of warm around 1:00 am trying not to make any noise!!!! And then BOOM!!!
My heavy-sleeper husband woke up and rushed downstairs and brought me ice right way to put on my head and took me to the emergency. I remember while rolling down I put my hands around my head trying to protect it. Luckily, I had no internal bleeding, no concussions and was sent back home. Of course I had bruises ALL OVER my body, ached everywhere mainly knees, and discovered after a month that I had partial-rotary-cuff-tear in my left shoulder.
But, I’m still around! My time is not over!

After this, my husband installed a chair-lift you see on the right side.
 

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I am so glad you are ok. Those look like steep stairs. I am glad your good husband is looking out for your safety and has installed the chair lift for you. Take good care !!
 
Well.....i had started taking Acetaminophen on my primary docs advice for neck pain from arthritis, as he said it would not affect bleeding as aspirin would. I went for a routine INR check yesterday at my Cardiologist office and it was good I was there. My INR was 6.4. The nurse told me to hold my Warfarin for 4 days and have a cup of greens both yesterday and today. I will see her again on Monday.
She STRESSED that if I fall....or hit my head or have any injury, even if it doesnt show on the skin, to go right to the ER as an Injury with an INR that high could be very dangerous. Just another segment in the story since my head injury and fall off the ladder. To be continued....
 
.... My INR was 6.4. The nurse told me to hold my Warfarin for 4 days and have a cup of greens both yesterday and today. I will see her again on Monday.
She STRESSED that if I fall....or hit my head or have any injury, even if it doesnt show on the skin, to go right to the ER as an Injury with an INR that high could be very dangerous. .?
What is your daily dose of Warfarin?! Hold your dose for four days???
yes, it’s a good idea to go to ER in case there’s any bleeding inside.
Hope you feel better soon! Keep us posted.
 
Thank you Eva. I have apps on my devices that are similar and calculate what your dose should be based
on your goal INR range. Being a Miracle believer, are you also a Christian?
 
Keep us posted. Hope all will be well.

Warfarin did not cause me any issue in my below fall. For peace of mind to all on Warfarin, here’s what happened to me:

I fell 18 steps curved staircase December 30, 2019! I had insomnia. I Hesitantly decided to go downstairs for a glass of warm around 1:00 am trying not to make any noise!!!! And then BOOM!!!
My heavy-sleeper husband woke up and rushed downstairs and brought me ice right way to put on my head and took me to the emergency. I remember while rolling down I put my hands around my head trying to protect it. Luckily, I had no internal bleeding, no concussions and was sent back home. Of course I had bruises ALL OVER my body, ached everywhere mainly knees, and discovered after a month that I had partial-rotary-cuff-tear in my left shoulder.
But, I’m still around! My time is not over!

After this, my husband installed a chair-lift you see on the right side.

Just curious: when you started down the stairs, did you put your hand on the rail and keep it there?
 
If you're taking coumadin/warfarin, and have a head injury, when you go to ER, tell them this - and tell them that, because you take warfarin, you're concerned about a brain bleed. They should take you right away and do a CT or MRI to rule this out.

In 2010, I was working at an electronics retailer, and helped a customer put a dishwasher into his car - he let go of the box, and the thing hit me in the head. I was seeing double, and a bit dizzy.

I mentioned this to a supervisor, and was taken to a hospital (maybe urgent care), they took me in right away, assessed my injury, did a head x-ray (yeah, there WAS something inside - but not a bleed), determined that I had a concussion, and sent me home - with a note that I could take three days off.

Because you're on warfarin, you may not want to fool around with this -- determining that there's a problem, or confirming that there isn't one, is better than waiting to find out that you should have gone in for testing hours or days earlier.

(There's the other issue - cost. My insurance has a $90 co-pay for E.R. visits if you're not admitted - this forces me (and probably others) to carefully consider whether to go in or not).
 

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