Heparin and warfarin

[Yvonne]

John is in the hospital with a Deep Vein Thrombosis. For the past week he has been on a Heparin infusion and 3 days ago he is also on Warfarin.
I suppose they know what they are doing but they can't get his blood at a 2.5 level.
Surely with all the medicines including EPO can they ever get it right ? is anyone on Heparin or Warfarin that can help please.

 John has a fistula ready for when he has to have dialysis and the nurses keep wanting to do blood pressures and blood tests on that arm. Because he is not in a renal hospital half the nurses have never seen a fistula before.

[Hanify]

I was on warfarin for ages - it didn't seem to have any effe4ct on anything - to me it was just another pill to take.

[Ken Shelmerdine]

Yvonne if he's only been on warfarin for three days then he won't be down to 2.5 yet. It takes about a week to ten days for the dosage to build. I hope all goes well.

[monrein]

It does take time to thin the blood and for the body to reabsorb the clot thus reducing the danger it poses.  I was on a regimen of daily heparin injections at home for three months to deal with my DVT which was in my arm, the result of a PICC line.  That doesn't mean that John will need to be in hospital for ages, but you'll both need to be patient.  Warfarin is often a longer term med to keep the blood thinner.

[dwcrawford]

I wonder?  Seems to be tricky.  In my case the cardiologist monitors the coumadin and they cut down on heprin dosage.  It is really confusing but someone was very right in that it takes a few days for the coumadin to take effect.

[Yvonne]

Thank you once again for your replies.  You have put my mind at rest. They say John might beable to come home today and have weekly blood tests at out Dr's. His leg is still very hard but not so painful.  Thanks again

[billybags]

Good news, Yvonne you both take care.

[Poppylicious]

My Blokey is on warfarin and probably will be for life.  When he first had to start taking it, it took a long time (weeks, really!) to get the levels right before he was on a steady dosage, and it can fluctuate between his visits to the anticoag clinic.  As long as his levels stay within a certain amount they seem to be happy.  It's fab that John might come home today.

*hugs* for both of you.

 

[Yvonne]

Thanks again  Yes John came home on Wednesday. Now we have a whole new set of rules.  Once a week to the anticoag clinic, waiting for a phone call to tell him what doseage of warfarin to take, must not eat any greens that have vitamin K, must not drink his whisky that he liked but can have 2 glasses of wine.  After all that his leg is still hard and swollen Dr. said it could that months to go away.

[Yvonne]

Friday they phoned through John's blood results 2.2 so he stays on a 5mg wafarine.
Saturday John's urostomy bag had blood in urine, clear again by the afternoon.  Anything to worry about???

[Yvonne]

We had to go to the Dr. Wednesday morning for John's blood test, in the afternoon we had a call from the hospital for John and he was told to stop taking the wafarine as his blood was reading 6.2 and it should only be 2.5 he must go for another blood test on Friday.  No wonder he has blood in his urine, I think being on wafarine is more bother than it's worth.

[Ken Shelmerdine]

Friday they phoned through John's blood results 2.2 so he stays on a 5mg wafarine.
Saturday John's urostomy bag had blood in urine, clear again by the afternoon.  Anything to worry about???

I used to get blood in my urine from time to time. It was explained to me that there are some tiny blood vessells in the penis which are very sensitive to bleeding when warfarin is in the system.