Warfarin and sun exposure ....................

[lance]

The husband of my sister's friend is recovering from a stroke and is now on warfarin "to thin his blood"--try not to gag, I didn't when hearing this.

His cardiologist also advised that when on "blood thinners" he should stay out of the sun. Unfortunately he did not disclose just what the sun would do/not do to someone on blood thinners. I'm trying to find out.

Meanwhile has anyone else heard this?

 

[Ross]

Yeap, your skin burns much easier. Were supposed to minimize our exposure.

 

[lance]

Thanks for the "heads up" Ross

Thanks for the "heads up" Ross

I thought it was just "folklore".

So fair-skinned patients on warfarin have more than one reason to avoid sun overexposure.

Now I know better. Thanks

 

[Ross]

I usually drive with my elbow up on the window sill and I'll be darned if it doesn't get burned.

 

[skeptic49]

Not good news for us beach types

Jim

 

[Bina]

As a young child of European parents, I was not allowed to hang indoors all day, so I always had a nice tan. Nowadays, I'm very careful and I don't go outdoors without a hat. I burn very easily, but I do try to get my 30 minute dose of sunshine/vitamin D, and then I move to the shade. No naked tanning here. LOL
Around here we have to enjoy the sun when we can. November and December are always dismal and damp.

 

[Freddie]

I just got brown - never burned or got red this summer. Never burned and that being outsides 4 to 5 hours a day.
This must be an old wife's tale.

 

[AgilityDog]

I wear sun screen and a hat. I have for years, even before OHS. The warfarin has not made any noticable difference to my burning or not, but I rarely go outside for long without slathering up, so I guess the sunscreen works. If you hang out around here without sun protection, warfarin or not, you're gonna burn big time.

 

[Bina]

Maybe we are just getting older and our skin is thinner.?
My father adores the sunshine, great tan, white hair.....suspicious dark lump on his forehead.
He refuses to wear a hat!

 

[njean]

I've never been warned by my docs to avoid too much sun when on coumadin but since I am on large doses (160mg) of Lasix, I have been advised NOT to be in the sun too long due because of it.

I always wear a hat & a shirt w/long sleeves if I'm gonna be out for a while in the sun.

 

[dick0236]

I've never had a doctor mention this to me. I have always been an outdoor person, golf, fishing, outdoor work. Usually wear a cap , sport shirt and shorts during summer. Very, very, very seldom have I ever used "sun screen"

I did "burn" this summer while in Florida. It was uncomfortable for a few days but did not cause any problems with INR, etc. (as far as I know). I only burned on my back, which normally I keep covered.

Perhaps the person who was given this advice has a very fair complexion who should normally be cautious about sun exposure. I have a darker complexion and sun exposure has seldom been a problem for me.

 

[catwoman]

The only time anyone mentioned avoiding sun to me was immediately post-op, to avoid the incision area from being sunburned until it was "aged," you might say. I was also told to avoid swimming in a pool or lake until about 8 weeks post-op, to avoid bacterial infections.

 

[lance]

Helpful clothing--Sunvail ................

Helpful clothing--Sunvail ................

Last summer an acquaintance at a horse show was wearing jacket, pants and "mitts" that prevent the UVB and UVA rays reaching the skin. Sun screens are messy and not too effective. Neutrogena 30 for sensitive skin promoted tanning when I used it all summer.

I bought a jacket and hand covers--fingerless mitts and wore them a lot over the summer.

With warfarin promoting burning I'm sure glad I did. Too bad there is not a warning on the prescription label.

 

[Ross]

I spent a little time looking around the web and it appears that Coumadin is NOT a problem for most people in sunlight. I did find a couple places that say to be careful, but the sources are shakey at best, so I'd take that with a grain of salt.

Apparently my burning is due to the other lovely drugs I'm on.