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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
COUMIDIN
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.
COUMIDIN
by JANE-CEPENDA, May 27, 1998 12:00AM
I am 48 years old. I have been on blood thinners for 26 years. I took at 22 years old birth control pills and got pulmonary clots and was put in the hospitol for a month. I was only on birth control 12 weeks! The doctors only tryed once to take me off coumidin and my leg hurt, so now it is 26 years later and I am still on them. I am very sad to stay on 10mg. for so many years. I smoked back then and now for the last three years I have not had one cig. I would like to know what effect this medicine is going to have on my life if I stay on it the rest of my life. Some doctors agree with my doctor to stay and other say it is awful. Just want to know what you think? Or where I could go to get a good evaluation. I get verly tired at times. Oh yes I am very over weight. But I work in a office and go around doing things all the time. I just bleed with just a ***** of something. I am now wondering if this is my only thing to stay on till the end of my life or why can't they try taking me off. Sorry I have gone on so long. Thank you for any help you can offer me.
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Dear Jane:
This is a tough question. Birth control pills and smoking each raise the risk of forming blood clots. Some people also have a genetic predisposition to forming blood clots. Since you are off the birth control pills and no longer smoke, your risk of blood clots is now much lower. If you have no family history of blood clotting disorders, it might be reasonable to stop taking the coumadin after consultation with a hematologist, a doctor who specializes in clotting disorders.
There are no long term adverse effects from coumadin other than the bleeding risks, which increase greatly with aging. Many medications interact with coumadin also.
Information provided here is of a general nature. Specific diagnoses and treatments can only be made by your doctor. If you would like to be seen at the Cleveland Clinic, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE for an appointment with a cardiologist at Desk F15.
