Warfarin Sodium and inr

I am a 49 year old male. I had my aortic valve and a part of my aorta replaced 5-1/2 weeks ago. The valve had a congenital defect and it was replaced with an artificial valve. I was able to do aerobic exercise and jog right up until my surgery.

The main problem that I have been experiencing has been numbness and pain in my arms and upper back. This has been present for the last 4 weeks. My right arm has been the worst. Most of my right arm is numb. Muscle strength has dropped in my right arm. Also for the last two weeks, part of my tricep muscle in my right arm does not "fire". I cannot move my arm in some directions. I was referred to a neurologist and he indicated that there is nerve damage. I will be having an EMG this coming week.

I am not taking a lot of medications. I take 100 mg/day of Metoprolo which I have been taking for the last two years. I am taking 5 mg of Coumadin, and I take some fish oil. I also took Amiodarone for ten days after surgery and then discontinued it.

Most of my muscle pain symptoms started 1-1/2 to 2 weeks after surgery (after starting Warfarin), and they have progressively gotten worse. Some symptoms can come and go. Symptoms include:
-Sharp pains in my arms, back, and legs
-Left and right arm aches, sharp pains in forearms when reaching
-Numbness in my right upper arm, left and right forearms, inside of my left leg, fingertips of the right hand, left thumb
-Loss of strength in my right arm. Tricep muscle does not fire (3-1/2 weeks after surgery)
-Skin is sensitive and feels uncomfortable on my arms, back, chest, and stomach

I realize that unexplained aches and pains are probably the norm after a major surgery. The numbness and pain in my arms seems to be out of the ordinary and chronic. The surgical doctors have not been able to offer any explanation, they referred me to the neurologist. Since the surgery went well, I feel that they are pretty much done with me. I feel that I am on my own.

I did try switching from Warfarin to Coumadin to see if that would make any difference. That was about 3 weeks ago and it did not seem to make any difference.

The surgical doctors do not think that the Coumadin could be causing my issues. I have read about rare, but serious Coumadin side effects that include muscle and joint pain, numbness. At this point, I am very concerned that I could lose more use of my right arm. I will be contacting my family doctor this week for advice also.

Hi, I have a blood clot in my arm,From mri dye.Since then my life has been a nightmare.On lovenox 2x time daily on my 20 with the shot. my stomach is black and blue and yellow from the shot.And i have big bumps in the stomach area.Now taking 6mg of Warfarin. Must a gain 6 lbs on that drug. I told the doctors about the side affect. They just look at you with a puzzle face.I go for weekly blood test. and my blood is still real thick.

I have been on Warfarin for 12 years and I am only 18 years of age. I was born with a congenital heart defect and have had many operations in the first 6 years of my life, including 3 open heart surgeries.
When I was 6 years old I had my last open heart surgery where they put in a St Judes mechanical valve. I don't know what my dosage was when I first starting taking Warfarin, but I am now on 7.5mg with an INR between 3.2-3.5

Sometimes I feel like I have a little bit of memory loss. I would forget the most basic words.. but I'd slightly remember what it looks like. I'd have to sit and think for a while until it would pop into my mind again. I really do hope that I don't get other side effects such as hair loss :(

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.....

im on warfarin 3.5 mg everyday since nov 2007 because a pulmonary embolism and a second one on jan 2008 while on therapeutic INR. in march 2008 i had a massive bleeding in my ovary and had an emergency operation to remove the blood from my belly. I have serious anemia, 2 years now, and i am feeling that my life is being wasted away!!! I have serious pain on my neck and back and my left arm is really sore i cam barely move it. I have no energy at all and i am surprised of how i have been trying to get extra energy from where there is nothing left!!!.
I am not sure that those symptoms are relted to warfarin, all I know is that I didn't feel this way before!! And I don't really know how bad it is to have anemia and at the same time be on warfarin.

I also want to be me again!!!

i started on warfarin 10 weeks ago for a single medium P.E. on my left lung (this could be because i have had difficulty in moving around for the past three years following spinal surgery). However, at first i felt fine on warfarin, but in the past four weeks i have noticed changes. Sometimes i get fluttering in my chest but only last for about 2-3 seconds then goes away, Doctors told me this is how my body reacts to the clot. I also have some aches in my limbs and back (put this down to the new job). Furthermore, i have noticed hair loss and damaged, fragile hair.
When this P.E. occurred i was walking with a stick due to the spinal surgery. But once i started taking warfarin my back has recovered so much so that i have returned to work after 3 long years. The job i perform now is doing removals and H.G.V. driving.
I am only 34 years of age and i am taking 9 mg of warfarin a day (with a INR of 2.6) and 30mg of Lansoprazole a day for my stomach (you can feel a bit bloated sometimes).

I stumbled onto this site while trying to find a reason for these headaches I get sometimes for no" apparent" reason. Imagine my surprise to find your testimonies about your lives on warfarin sodium.At 38, I had surgery to repair a congenital defect of the aortic valve and had to have a hema-shield graph to repair an aneurysm of the aorta. That was in Oct.2002. Warfarin has been a part of my life since then. I was also put on anti-depressants because my family Dr. thought I was depressed since I repeatedly complained of not feeling well.(I took myself off the anti-depressants a couple of years ago.) Extreme fatigue , serious memory issues, thinning hair,dizzy spells and numerous other ailments continue to plague me.Add to that a large weight gain ...and, well, you get the picture. If anyone knows of an alternative to taking this "poison", PLEASE, PLEASE let me know. I just WANT MY LIFE BACK!!! I actually cried after reading this blog. As I explained to my husband, I suppose it was from the sheer relief of knowing I was not going insane!!!

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 body is weak my neck hurts I cant keep my inr up My eyes and nose leak water and my face and left hand and foot stays swollen. PE and Dvt and Factor v homozygous and cushings syndrome. Nausea I lost over 20 lbs in one month tachycardia all the time. CANT CONTROL BLOOD SUGARS I HATE THIS DRUG. I AM 41 FEMALE

I had surgery two months ago and on 4/8 developed a Pulmonary Embolism. I am now on two shots of Lovenox per day and 10mg of Warfarin. My INR is only at 1.9 after 3 weeks. I have recently developed pain in my left leg starting in the hip and radiating to the knee. Is this normal? Also, I have one hard lump in my stomach most likely at an injection site. Is this normal?

Needless to say, Warfarin almost killed me. I was put on it after an apendectomy gone wrong which then turned into a bowel resection. In between the two surgeries I ended up with pulmonary emboli. I was put on Warfarin and also had a vena cava fiter put in. I'm a 40 year old female and have never felt so sick in my life. I was exhausted, constantly throwing up and had chronic diarrhea. Also my INR elevated to an 8 after constant vomiting causing the need for a plasma transfusion. Ugh! I kept telling my Drs. that I thought it was the coumadin but no one seemed to listen. As a result of my last hospitalization (7 admissions since 12/5/2008) they finally took me off of the coumadin (Warfarin) and now I am a totally new woman. The stuff took a week to get out of my system but thankfully I feel great. I hope this is helpful to anyone suffering.

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.

The hair loss is the worse thing. I have also noticed a change in my skin in additional to extremely soft toe nails. At this time I am off Warfarin - (developed mysterious blood clots) so was recommended to take it for six months. The hair loss occurred after 3 months of treatment. However, I have a friend who has taken it for years with no side effects. As long as I stayed the course with my dosage (10mg) my INR was on mark. Not sure what to expect now that I am off of it but I will say I am extremely paranoid about every feeling I have in my legs.

I, too have been losing my hair. I always said to myself, "I may not have much going for me but I do have good hair and good teeth." Now my scalp is showing, and I'm pretty bummed out about it. I'm also having nausea during the morning hours, and then headaches that wake me up from my sleep.

I am 27 year old female I lived a very active life went to the gym 5 times a week for 2hrs.I been on coumadin Since Feb. I gained so much weight. almost 50lbs.I had a disection of my right artery (one of the main veins in your head). I have no idea what caused it the doctors in Houston have no idea. I had 2 strokes.I take 15 Mg of coumadin my INR is never stable I range from 13-15 Mg of coumadin. If any one can help please let me know Im tired of being fat.

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 :)

I've been on Warfarin since Feb/04. I had 2 blood clots form in my leg and traveled in my lung and was dignosed with APS. At first I was on 12mg a day for about a year, now I am regulated at 10mg a day. For the last 2 months my INR count has been high (blood too thin) and was on 5 mg for 2 days in July/07 and then back to 10mg. This month Aug/07 my dr took me off my meds for 2 days, then back on reg 10mg. I will go back and check my INR in a few weeks.
I haven't experienced hair loss, but I have experienced migraines, weight gain (a lot!), blurred vision, black out with vision, and slight memory loss. And I am only 40 yrs old. Just wondering if you or anyone else has experienced any of these side effects.

so glad to read these comments as most of my doctors have told me warfarin has no side effects. mine are increased sensitivity to cold, foggy brain, memory problems, persistent itchy rash on my leg, clumsiness, lightheadedness, frequent fatigue.

on 9mg, Protein S deficiency. my INR also bounces all over the place too.

I am so glad to read all of this information. I am a 40 year old female. I have suffered 2 PEs. I have varied from being on 10 mg of warfarin to 25 mg a day. This is the first time I got to go 1 month between INR checks. I'm on 11 mg/day with INR of 2.1. I am having SEVERE recurrent headaches, sleepless nights, feeling tired all the time, and problems with my memory. Drs tell me they don't know what this is from and there are no side effects to warfarin. I have a vena cava filter in and I'm on the medicine for the rest of my life. Glad to hear I'm not losing my mind (just having horrible side effects regardless of what the doctors say!)

Ive been on warfarin for 18 years at 15 mg ,INR 3.2 and in the last 3 years I have doveloped a really itchy rash(below knee) that just wont go away.It often becomes infected and has to be treated with antibiotics.The infection goes away but the rash keeps on itchin! I found teatree oil and grapeseed oil mixed together ease it but i need a cure before I chew it off at the knee.Sometimes I scratch in my sleep ,and the result is a venous ulcer.(the last one took 18 months 2 weeks and 3 days to heal).Any ideas?

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 have noticed changes in my memory, and felt very fatigued when I first started the warfarin.The fatigue has tapered off after 5 months but I notice more changes in memory lately. I get off the med in one more month. I found the best way to control drug levels is to eat at least one frozen meal a day with a lot of vegetables, such as a Lean Cuisine that is advertised as having twice as many vegetables as a regular lean cuisine...then I eat dinner and limit leafy green vegetable intake. I'm also not positive of this, but sometimes it is harder to control when I drink a lot of green tea. Hope this helps someone.

I've been on Warfarin since June, 2004 after having a Pulmonary Embolism. At first no side effects. It took 2 years to regulate INR. I take 6mg per day. In the last year though, severe hair loss, bleeding in my lower legs (skin) when my legs swell. I am not able to store iron according to dermatologist that I saw for hair loss. I've just been diagnosed with APS, anti-phospholipid syndrome.

I've been on Warfarin since Dec 2006. I'm a big guy, 6'2 265. They have me on 12 mg daily to keep my INR in check. Only recently did i get to the one month period between INR tests. I'm 36 years old, likely 40 lbs overweight, formerly very active- played ice hoceky, competitive swimming, baseball, etc. Anyway foot surgery in Nov 2006 caused me to be in a cast which led to extensive DVT's which led to an almost fatal very significant PE in my right lung. Lost 15 lbs on the hospital which I since gained back...think that was just portion control. anyway having a tough time realizing if the warfarin is actually giving me side-effects. Just walking for 45 minutes recently left my whole body sore. Sleep isn't what it used to be and my overall "focus" is not there. Also find my self forgetting things that I've always been quite sharp with. I'm scheduled to be off the coumadin in the coming months if my vascular surgeon says the DVT's are all healed. By the way, when I had the PE I never had real difficulty breathing. The doctors said I had very good lung capacity and that helped me. Anyway, just like some of the other posts I read- Can't wait to get back to being ME !

My second run in with a blood clot resulted in passing out on my way to pick up my 8 yr old daughter and being rushed to the ER because of a PE (near death), I'm thankful to be alive however (no reason for PE and being on coumadin for the rest of my life) I feel so tired now, I don't want to go to work, I can't concentrate, I suffer from dizzy spells, I'm always hungry (weight gain), nausea sometimes. before passing out I was working out, doing Taebo, the balance ball thing, walking. Now I feel like I'm and old woman. I'm 32 yrs old and taking #5 coumadin and I feel so bad the majority of the time and yes the doctors say "it's shouldn't be the coumadin" but I think it is my whole world has changed and I'm just trying to get back to being the fun, outgoing, active me. I miss myself so much, its like I'm depressed. I MISS MYSELF.

Symptoms which were not in existence prior to staring on warfarin although my doctors say they don't think it's warfarin I'm sure it is. I usually need to take around 9.5 to 10mg but my INR is never stable.
Side effects are extreme fatigue, fuzzy thinking, forgetfulness, hot rosy cheeks.

I take 7.5 mg. of warfarin daily, and have been for about 5 years. The biggest problem I have is dizziness, the inabilty to concentrate, vision, and waking up at night, everynight. I am a healthy 54 year old male, and have regular test run twice yearly.

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.

I've experienced extensive hair loss but this may be due to the high dosage I am on (15mg). The quality of my skin, hair, nails etc has also changed considerably since I started taking warfarin back in February. Does anyone else find it difficult to reach their target INR and stick to it? I can manage it for a period of about two weeks and then it suddenly dramatically falls