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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Re: WARFARIN
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.
Re: WARFARIN
by CCF CARDIO MD DLB, Jan 01, 1995 12:00AM
Posted By CCF CARDIO MD - DLB on December 24, 1998 at 09:16:29:
In Reply to: WARFARIN posted by Claire on December 23, 1998 at 16:00:35:
This isn't really to do with atherosclerosis, but it is related.My mum has been having symptoms of dizzyness and headaches for about a year. She has had 2 MRI scans that have showed several lesions on her brain and has been taking cardiprin -to thin her blood? I think this reduces the risk of build up in her aterioles and capillaries so she doesn't have a blockage or a stroke. It has been suggested to her by the doctor to consider taking warfarin. What are the side effects and dangers of this drug? How exactly does it thin the blood? Does it react somehow with the blood cells? Does it prevent strokes? Does it affect the heart in anyway? My mum is 49 years old. I would appreciate anything you can tell me about the drug and how it interacts with the body.
Thanks
Claire
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Dear Claire
Warfarin is called a blood thinner, but what it really does is interfere with the bloods ability to form a clot. It does this by interacting with certain clotting factors. This can be useful in people that have a tendency to form blood clots (such as in preventing strokes). Unfortunately, it can also lead to bleeding episodes. A fall and a hit to the head can become a fatal event because of bleeding into the brain; this would be especially a concern in someone who is dizzy and might fall. If you are on warfarin, you need to have a blood test every 1-2 weeks to make sure the dose of medicine is neither too high nor low. The medicine does not harm the heart.
I hope your mother has had a thorough evaluation by a neurologist. If she has already had several strokes by the age of 49, the future does not look bright for her. I assume in addition to the MRI, her doctors have looked at her heart and carotid arteries as a source of the stroke.
I hope this has been useful. Feel free to write back with further questions. Good luck.
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.
In Reply to: WARFARIN posted by Claire on December 23, 1998 at 16:00:35:
This isn't really to do with atherosclerosis, but it is related.My mum has been having symptoms of dizzyness and headaches for about a year. She has had 2 MRI scans that have showed several lesions on her brain and has been taking cardiprin -to thin her blood? I think this reduces the risk of build up in her aterioles and capillaries so she doesn't have a blockage or a stroke. It has been suggested to her by the doctor to consider taking warfarin. What are the side effects and dangers of this drug? How exactly does it thin the blood? Does it react somehow with the blood cells? Does it prevent strokes? Does it affect the heart in anyway? My mum is 49 years old. I would appreciate anything you can tell me about the drug and how it interacts with the body.
Thanks
Claire
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Claire
Warfarin is called a blood thinner, but what it really does is interfere with the bloods ability to form a clot. It does this by interacting with certain clotting factors. This can be useful in people that have a tendency to form blood clots (such as in preventing strokes). Unfortunately, it can also lead to bleeding episodes. A fall and a hit to the head can become a fatal event because of bleeding into the brain; this would be especially a concern in someone who is dizzy and might fall. If you are on warfarin, you need to have a blood test every 1-2 weeks to make sure the dose of medicine is neither too high nor low. The medicine does not harm the heart.
I hope your mother has had a thorough evaluation by a neurologist. If she has already had several strokes by the age of 49, the future does not look bright for her. I assume in addition to the MRI, her doctors have looked at her heart and carotid arteries as a source of the stroke.
I hope this has been useful. Feel free to write back with further questions. Good luck.
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.
