PFO closure

To: Jeff
Thanks again for the re-assurance! I seen a hematologist today because i have thick blood- Factor 5, it's called. Which causes blood clots easily. He said the blood clot came from my leg. The Neurologist said that the blood clot happened because I have a PFO, thick blood and at the time was on birth control, which put me off balance, thus the blood clot going through my PFO and into my brain.

So the Neurologist recommended me taking a baby aspirin every day for as long as I live to thinin my blood. Well the Hematologist was completley shocked to hear that!!! He said  Aspirin won't do anything to your blood- it won't even touch it! He couldn't believe I wasn't immediately put on a blood thinner. Since my surgery is so close he put me on Lovenox for now. He also told me when he puts me on Comaden?? after the surgery I can't eat greens -they contain vitamin K.

So I then went to the anticoagulants unit where a pharmacist showed me how to administer this medicine and she told me that it would be ok to take tonight even though I already took a baby aspirin and to call her to see if I should continue taking my aspirin with the Lovenox ( not wantint to step on the Nuerolgist toes). I said is that safe? If it don't do anything for me-why take it? She said it won't hurt you. Just take it until we talk to the neurologist. I open up the info on Lovenox and it states: Do not take these medicines while on it - Aspirin...??? what? Then she advised me that I can eat greens..?? Talk about way to much stress and confusion 2 weeks before my surgery....... -Amanda

[Jerry_NJ]

Aspirin is not an anticoagulant like Warfarin/Coumadin, but it does give some protection against blood clots.  I think aspirin makes red blood cells more "slippery", which has many of the same characteristics as an anticoagulant, including making it slightly harder to stop/clot bleeding through a cut.  Aspirin is the common first step in the prevention of blood clotting.  Of course, some people can not take aspirin because it gives them stomach trouble, especially if one has ulcers.

I take a half aspirin and 5 mg of Warfarin a day.  I am at high risk of clot formation because of my AFib condition.