Warfarin/coumadin side effects

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lsquared18

Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2023
Messages
17
Location
Montreal
HI All simple question do any of you who are on warfarin/coumadin have any side effects besides the anticoagulation aspect of the drug? Thanks
Lawrence
 
No Side effects that I have noticed, and have been on it since March of 2000.
More side effects from my BP meds.
 
If only warfarin was the only med I took. As others have said, no issues. It’s the other meds to worry about (IMHO). Once you’re on the “cardiologist radar”, they throw a bunch of different meds at you.
I have/had a simple response to this problem. I just said "no"! I also have Ankylosing Spondilitis, so have to take some serious stuff to keep my spine from fusing, so am VERY cautious about taking ANY meds that I feel are not absolutely necessary. I found that cardios love throwing drugs at you. So just say no, and thats that!! As to side effects from Warfarin? None here.. So go ahead - push back - if you don't want the meds. You're likely to do better by having emotional peace than anything else.. It is a GREAT healer in itself.
 
... if my INR is (way) out of range
I'm curious, how do you "feel" if your INR is out of range?
I've heard stories from people here who use a lead sinker on a thread like a water diviner so I"m curious. To the best of my experience and knowledge asid from "wow I'm getting bruises on my shins" I'm unable to feel the difference.
 
I've never been able to devine if my INR is out of range. Whenever I've thought "hmm, I couldn't do X or Y or I feel tired.. must be my INR" it turned out to not be the case. I've had measurements ranging from 1.2 to ~6.2 and didn't know it before I took my INR.

Now, if I find my INR is, say 4.5, then I feel it has an impact on me.. So, maybe psychosomatic or perhaps an actual physical impact.. will take more research. The things we do for science!
 
Only medication I take, no side effects other than my.. umm.. "performance" being off if my INR is (way) out of range. Not a regular occurrence, mind you, just one of those things I hear other guys might experience. :p
If you don't have a meter, this is probably as good a way as any to tell if your INR is too high.

Get a meter.
 
I'm curious, how do you "feel" if your INR is out of range?
I've heard stories from people here who use a lead sinker on a thread like a water diviner so I"m curious. To the best of my experience and knowledge asid from "wow I'm getting bruises on my shins" I'm unable to feel the difference.
More than a decade ago, I was convinced that I could 'feel' when my INR was out of range. I don't remember what signs I was looking for (it wasn't extra bleeding or bruising IIRC). I was even involved in a very contentious, often insulting, thread on a different valve related site.

I haven't worried about 'feeling' out of range since I got my first meter (a Protime) and started self testing and self managing in April 2009.

So - Pellicle, I can't really answer your question. I don't remember the signals that I thought had something to do with a change in INR. And, for now, I really don't care - I much prefer KNOWING my INR rather than trying to guess based on some mysterious physical symptoms.
 
Now, if I find my INR is, say 4.5, then I feel it has an impact on me.. So, maybe psychosomatic or perhaps an actual physical impact.. will take more research.
given how many members over the years have discovered they were INR of greater than 8 and didn't notice I'm sort of surprised.

https://www.valvereplacement.org/threads/my-monty-python-moment.42094/
https://www.valvereplacement.org/threads/highest-inr-you-have-heard-of-or-experienced.889201/
I'm not going to encourage you to experiment in that way though, and frankly you shouldn't really be "finding yourself" over 4 very much at all (especially if your range is supposed to be 2 ~ 3

Not judging, but just recommending that perhaps your INR control isn't what it could be. A not unusual sort of year

40873782713_011eba4766_b.jpg


Best Wishes
 
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I'm staying in-range for the most part this year, nothing outrageous or dangerous. The couple of weeks above 4 were unexplained, of course, with no clear source for the spike. I did stop drinking in June which, perhaps surprisingly, did not seem to dramatically alter my INR. I do see variation after that time so maybe I need to revisit my dosage. On the plus side, my EP pointed out last week that the incidence of arrhythmias (primarily PVC) was cut in half after I gave up sweet, sweet beer.. so I got that going for me.
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