Blood in the urine?

[Rebecca Havel]

Could taking coumadin cause that? About a year ago the doc told me I had a bladder infection so he gave me anitbiotics. A few months after that he send me to a specialist because he was concerned that there was still blood in the urine, okay went to see that doctor and he suggested a procedure (can't remember the test) but they put me to sleep and the results were that I had an infection and that I should take MORE antibiotics...Okay its been a little over a year and this past Christmas Eve I started experiencing back pain on my left side where my kidney is, and so I'm thinking I pulled something since I tend to pick up my 4 yr old, and its not painful, but uncomfotrable. I also notice that on my left side I have some brusing that looks like someone beat on my arm & leg, to make long story short I went to see the doctor today only my family docotor is on vacation so I was told to see his partner, and my PT/INR came back to 4.7 (wow) and she gave me my therapy and told me that I have blood in the urine (again) so what I wondering is if any of you guys & gals out there have experienced this, because she thinks the blood in my urine is caused by me taking coumadin? Would appreciate any responds, Thanks for taking time to read this~~Becky

 

[Karlynn]

4.7 isn't a wow, it's more of an uh-oh. If I see a 4.7, I take it as a great excuse that have a big spinach salad.

If you have blood in your urine, Coumadin isn't causing it, but if you have an issue with infection or something else, it can cause the bleeding to occur more quickly. Al Lodwick tells of patients of his who's bleeding because they were on Coumadin signaled medical issues that could have gone dangerously untreated had they not bled.

You may want to bookmark this site www.warfarinfo.com It's Al Lodwick's site and has tons of information on the use of Coumadin (warfarin).

 

[Creed3]

Hi Becky!

Hi Becky!

In November I had an episode of blood in my urine. You could really see it. There was no doubt that it was blood. The first thing I did was to have my INR tested. Mine was 3.0, that was fine. Next they thought I might have had an infection. The did a urinalysis and it came back negative. I didn't have any pain or anything like that. The bleeding continued for about five days. As the days passed it became less and less. My pcp told me that he sees this quite often with patients who take coumadin. Usually a blood vessel or something breaks in the bladder and because you are on coumadin you will bleed more than the average person. One thing to remember, which Karlynn mentioned, is that coumadin does not cause blood in the urine. My urologist told me the same thing. My pcp sent me to see a urologist but told me that out of all of the coumadin patients he treats, he sees alot of blood in urine and they end up never finding a reason for it. I went to see the urologist. They checked bloodwork to make sure that my kidneys were functioning properly. They also did another urinalysis. I was sent to have a cat scan as well as a cystoscopy. Everything came back just fine. They couldn't find a reason for the blood in the urine. Eventhough most of the cases of blood in urine with coumadin patients end up not being serious, you should always get it checked out with a urologist just to be safe. There are many different causes for blood in the urine. My urologist had asked me if I had had any injury to the bladder or kidneys. You mention that you have a bruise in the kidney area. That could be the cause but I would think that that type of injury you would remember having. I had had a bruise down around my bladder area at the time of my blood in urine. Another thing to remember is that sexual relations can sometimes cause blood in the urine. I think it would be best if you get it checked out. Most reasons for blood in urine end up not being serious but you should always make sure. There is always that small chance that something else could be going on. It could also be possible that you may have a kidney stone. Let us know what you find out.

Take Care!
Gail

 

[tobagotwo]

I believe a couple of people have reported Coumadin-related blood in the urine, but I recall it as being from much higher INRs than that.

It is more likely that the cause is something other than your warfarin. Check out Al Lodwick's site as Karlynn pointed out, to see what he has to say about it.

Please seriously consider getting a second opinion, perhaps from a urologist.

Best wishes,

 

[jkn2kids]

I went to the ER recently and had a CT scan that indicated that I had a kidney stone in my right kidney.It has not caused any pain or blood in my urine, but I"m scheduled for a procedure from my urologist.He told me if I waited until my heart surgery and got on coumadin,I would always have blood in my urine as long as that kidney stone was present.Having had 5 kidney stones now,I know the symptoms pretty well with kidney stones.Sometimes you can have blood in your urine without any pain because it could be small and stuck in your kidney instead of your urethra.You need to have a x-ray done of your kidneys to determine if a stone is present.Good luck!!!

 

[Natanni]

I thought I remembered reading a post by one of our long term coumadin users that back in the early days of ACT, if one urinated blood their INR was too high....

Keep us posted on what you find out Becky....and take care....

 

[Rebecca Havel]

Thanks for all the replys and concerns. Also thanks for the useful website. Sometimes I feel like a big ole goof ball because I didn't do ANY research before my surgery (didn't have internet at the time) but I did not do any reading I just said okay do the surgery and then the coumadin was explained to me afterwards and 5 yrs later I still am very clueless. Thanks for being very patient with someone like myself. I will keep ya'll posted. Have a blessed day~Becky

 

[Karlynn]

We were all in the dark at some point in time. This site is here for the purpose of shedding light. I wish it was around 14 years ago when I had my surgery. This site, the people here, Al and his site are the reason I feel much more secure and in control of my Coumadin therapy.

 

[Mb]

hELLO:

jUST TO BACK UP WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID.

aBOUT 5 MONTHS out of surgery, my husband had a high amount of blood in his urine. Coumaden INR level was IN range. Had lost of procedures done....all came back AOK. The urologist said the same thing. Check it out, but it is probably AOK. Hasn't had an inssue since. (3-1/2 years). Go figure.

Interestingly, last week, while we were shopping, he came over to me and showed me the back of his hand. PURPLE!! bruising like crazy. Had NOT injured himself in any way. Outside, packed it in snow....helped a whole lot. Had his INR checked same day and it was 2.7 - Go figure.

It just keeps us on our toes!........but softly.

Marybeth

 

[liza]

What odd timing! I had blood in my urine yesterday! I'm not on coumadin, but....

Just a word of caution...when I had endocarditis (and it wasn't diagnosed yet) I had an emboli to my kidney from the crud on my valve. It caused a nasty kidney infection! It wasn't until a few months afterwards that all the pieces of the puzzle came together and we figured out the cause of the kidney infection. I have always been prone to bladder infections, but that was the first time I had a kidney infection.

What's strange is that with the two bladder infections I've had since then, they have involved blood in the urine. I'm going to a urologist to get things checked out in a few weeks though. I hope everything is well for you, and I don't want to scare...but a kidney infection was an early sign of endocarditis for me. Just wanted to give you something to think about!!

Take care,
Liza