Coumadin and Stroke medication

[Missy]

I heard on the news that the medicine they give one within three hours of a stroke to reverse and prevent damage is very dangerous as it may cause hemorrging in the brain.
I was wondering about us that use coumadin or other anti-coagulants or blood thinners or even just aspirin.
Does anyone know what they do for coumadin users that have had strokes? Do we get the medicine also? We are high risk for stroke and l have afib also and worry about things like this or what to do if it happened.
Also do they use this medicine on hemorraging strokes or just clot strokes?
I can't remember the name of it but I have heard about it and had a friend who had it.
Thanks.

 

[Guest]

Fortunately warfarin cuts the risk of having a clotting-type stroke by up to 80%. So few will have to deal with this.

The drug is TPA - the so called clot buster that is also given for heart attacks. Yes, it has a high risk of hemorrhage.

This should go (at least) after #100 on your list of things to worry about.

 

[Missy]

Thanks Al,
I was hoping you would say that.

 

[Blanche]

Missy:
To answer some of your questions, the drug Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator (rTPA) can cause brain hemorrhages. It can not be used by folks who take Coumadin/Warfarin nor can it be used by people who suffered brain hemorrhages. There are also important questions about the qualifications for doctors who administer the drug.

There was a recent thread here that addressed TPA and included some links for further information. http://www.valvereplacement.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13920

Hope this is of assistance to you.

Blanche

 

[Guest]

For the right people it is miraculous. One of my patients was at her daughter and son-in-law's house when she stopped in the middle of walking across the room and froze. Both d & s-i-l are physicians and they recognized that this might be a stroke. They took her to the ER where they are both on staff. They got her on the TPA after appropriate tests. She was OK within an hour and went home the next morning. She says that she felt the stroke come on and felt it go away. She only had some numbness in her little finger but that has gone away over the years.

 

[Blanche]

It is interesting that the neurologists and other doctors say that stroke victims will recover all that they will recover within 18 months to two years. Like the person you spoke about, Albert continues to regain all sorts of things over the years. Seems like a tribute to the human spirit to me.
Blanche