Going off Coumadin

[Guest]

Neither is heparin.

 

[RandyL]

Well I hate to write this but I will. I made the appt with my Cardiologist as recommended by most here and saw him today.he did a 3 month check-up, the usual, listened to my heart and did an EKG. Everything fine. I asked him about my procedure, coumadin, lovenox bridging, and so on. His answer was for me to only stay off coumadin as little time was necessary. When I started asking him about bridging on Lovenox he said let me call the Doctor at the lab and see what he says. I sat there and waited for him to call and consult with the lab Doc. He came back to me and said I had to go off the coumadin 5 days before the procedure and there would be no Lovenox bridge. I asked him what about after the procedure, do I start coumadin right away, what should my dose be,what about Lovenox bridge while my coumadin was working its way toward therapeutic? His answer was ask the Doctor at the lab how to proceed after the procedure. As you can see I am not getting much help from my Cardio but I guess I will take his advice and not bridge with Lovenox since I don't know how to do this on my own. When I go for the procedure I will ask the lab Doctor how to continue my coumadin like my Cardiologist told me to.

Well, I went for my epidural today didn't hurt to much. I asked the lab Doc how I should resume my coumadin. His answer was to check with my Cardiologist. Boy, passing the buck sure is common when it comes to this topic. My heart surgeon was the only one to step up to the plate and tell me what to do without heming and hawing. I started my coumadin as soon as I got home and I will taking my Lovenox shots starting 24 hours after the procedure twice/day(60mg) until I test therapeutic with my coumadin. It was an eerie feeling being off the coumadin for 5 days but they didn't even want me to take an aspirin. Anyways thats the good news. The bad news is I have to wait 2 weeks and do the whole process over again. That really sucks.
will prolly take me a week to get therapeutic and then I have to stop again. Oh well what can I do? That tissue valve is looking better and better all the time. Too late now.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Glad you made it through Randy.

I'd call your Surgeon back, tell him they want to do it again in two weeks, and ask HIM if he would recommend (or at least support) Bridge Therapy BEFORE and AFTER the next procedure.

Then I would ask the Surgeon for a recommendation for a Good CARDIOLOGIST, citing the complete lack of support your current Cardiologist gave you for this procedure.

Based on your 60 mg of Lovenox, at 1mg per kilogram (=2.2 lbs) I calculate that your weight must be 132 lbs (or close to that). Is that correct?

YEP, everytime one needs an invasive procedure, the idea of a tissue valve is VERY APPEALING

'AL Capshaw' (AVR with St. Jude Mechanical Valve)