I am 29 years old and I was just dianosed with my first DVT... apparently it has been there for months now, following a tramatic injury to my foot where I broke the 5th metatarsal. I just started Lovenox injections for the next 5 days and Coumadin treatment for at least the next 6 months. I am traumatized right now about all the side effects/interactions with this med... is there any advise you can give me about the road that lies ahead???
Concerned in New Mexico
7 Mar 2011
Hi! I am 28 and was diagnosed with a DVT last month in my leg. I did Lovenox injections in the hospital, while also on coumadin and then was sent home on just Coumadin. I go to more doctors appointments weekly then I knew possible for someone our age. I will tell you to make sure you are aware of everything you feel and tell your doctor everything. Luckily I told him I was feeling "slightly" out of breath when I talk for too long or go upstairs (prior to this I was extremely active and athletic) and once I told him this he sent me for a CAT scan of my chest and it turns out a piece of my clot had broken off and gone to my lung resulting in a pulmonary embolism. As a result I was back in the hospital on heparin and I will continue on Coumadin now possibly for the rest of my life. So my advice is ask every question, make sure you report everything you feel and be happy that its only 6 months. As life changing as it is (I totally relate it flips your world around hearing this) it can be worse, but each week you will feel better.
7 Mar 2011
Read up on Coumadin. One of the main things is to watch your diet. Become familiar with foods high in Vitamin K (leafy green veggies and dark green veggies are some) You will need to be sure to eat Vitamin K containing foods in regular amounts. Vitamin K is an "antidote" to Coumadin. Eating a consistent amount of these foods allows the Dr to regulate the dose of your medicine. You also have to avoid a lot of OTC drugs. Taking acetaminophen can shoot your INR off the charts causing your blood to be too "thin", so can certain Vitamins like E, antibiotics are notorious for elevating your INR. INR is the factor your blood test shows to see how the coumadin is working. Your Dr wants to keep the INR in a certain range. Dont be surprised in the beginning if your blood INRs are all over the place-it sometimes takes a bit to beome regulated. The more you know about Coumadin ahead of time the better prepared you will be.
mmbrice
8 Mar 2011
Thank you for the feedback... I am trying to understand all these considerations and it makes me feel good to hear your positive outlook... sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the worries...
Thanks again!
28 Jan 2012
Since you started on Lovenox in the hospital you may want to discuss with your doctor or go see a hematologist about going back on the Lovenox or switching to Arixtra if you are having issues stabilizing on Coumadin. There are fewer side effects and you do not have to watch what you eat and you do not have to go for testing all the time. Make sure that you get a Doppler before the doctor discontinues your Coumadin to ensure that the clot is gone. Some doctors are just discontinuing without the testing and in a fair amount of cases the clot is still there.
28 Jan 2012
I am on warfarin (coumadin) for the rest of my life due to AFIB. I was scared and felt all alone until I found this site and others. I keep a diary of what I eat. Vit K is in most everything. But greens, etc. are very high. I do not eat this. Don't eat margarine and mayonnaise and some salad dressing made with canola or soybean oil. I use Butter. Look up Dr. Gourmet's diet on Coumadin. There is a lot of sites to check out. I take a multi vit and mineral every day that doesn't have vit K. I was shedding some of my hair. Dr. put me on 1000mg of Biotin. Said it would take 6 mos. to see result. I work everyday. I am doing very good. GOOD LUCK!
aramanarao
29 Jan 2012
I have been on Warfarin for about 4 years (after DVT) and my PT-INR is checked every month for dosage management. I have been reassured by my hemetologist that so long as I am on Warfarin, I won't have to worry about clots again. The dietary restrictions are minimal (reduce intake of green/leafy vegetables, etc. However, it is important to maintain a fitness regime (eg. brisk walking for at least half hour everyday) to improve blood circulation. Also you will have to avoid any sport which can result in internal or external cuts/bruises.
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DzooBaby
DemoninDC
Thank you so much for all the information! It is heard to believe that at our age we are experiencing something like this... we think nothing like this could happen... and then it does. I had been sure for months that I had a clot or something in my leg but all the doctors dismissed it as swelling because I had been immobilized... but that was not the case. I am feeling very lightheaded today and very out of it... I hope this balances out with time.
Thanks again!
Hi - I was 33 when I had open-heart surgery to replace a useless aortic valve with a mechanical valve. I also had a large aneurysm that was removed and replaced with a section of Dacron tubing. A mechanical valve requires me to be on coumadin for the rest of my life. I test my blood at home weekly and it's usually in range. I still laugh sometimes when I think about all the people who have told me "you're so young" regarding my heart issues. I turn 39 on Thursday. If I could have "postponed" surgery I wouldn't have because I recovered quickly in my opinion. Be proactive with your health and research on your own. Doing this allowed the Lord to save my life I believe with all my heart.