Lovenox/Coumadin and Chiropractor

[shopgirlok]

Hi all - I am really getting desperate for some answers and hope you don't mind my posting. My dad had two valves replaced in Dec '02 and is on Coumadin (of course). He recently began having severe pain in his upper right arm. After ruling out several things, the doctors decided to do a "dye" test to investigate possible rotator cuff deterioration. He switched to Lovenox a week before (terrible bruising from the shots on his stomach). Meanwhile, he developed bronchitis and was put on antibiotics. The test uncovered no rotator cuff problems (wouldn't you know). Last week he also started having pain in his hip and decided to go to the chiropractor. After an adjustment on Friday he began having unbearable pain in his hip. My mom checked his bp Saturday morn to find that it was 80/35 and so of course we called the ambulance. Since he has been in the hospital he has received 6 units of blood due to what appears to be blood loss in his hip/leg/etc. The bruising is unbelievable. They did an upper GI and found ulcers in his esophagus - not bleeding though.

I can't seem to ever manage to be there when the doctor visits him and my mom doesn't ask the questions I would. Should we be concerned about the 6 units of blood with little improvement in his blood count? Is he slowly leaking? What other tests should we ask for? Has anyone else heard of chiropractic treatments causing hemorrhaging?

I so appreciate anything anyone could tell me.

 

[jeffp]

Its possible that the adjustment tore a vein adjacent to the hip joint (but VERY unlikely). With that much blood loss there would have to be a torn vessel (vein vs artery; with torn artery at that severity, he'd be at risk of bleed out), just muscle and ligment tearing wouldn't do that. If there was a severe leak, there would be more that bruising, he'd have pooling (like a giant deep blood blister). An Xray would show this, as would more clearly a venogram. Have a vascular specialist look at him.

 

[Cris N]

Unfortunately I don't have any answers for you on the bleeding issue. Regarding the questions you would like to ask but aren't there when the dr. comes... write out a note for your dad to sign that gives them permission to discuss his condition with you - or whatever procedure the hospital has for this Then you might have a fighting chance.

I pray that all goes well with him and that they discover the cause for the blood loss. Sounds like you might be the advocate he needs.

Cris

 

[Ross]

I agree with Jeff and with Cris. There is something more then meets the eye going on here. He needs a vascular specialist and someone to keep the staff on their toes and answer questions.

 

[catwoman]

Shopgirlok:

Have your dad give your name to all his doctors -- your mom should do this too. Then perhaps you could get the information straight from the doctor as to what's going on.

 

[Guest]

Ask the nurse to put a note on the chart to have the doctor call you.

I have never heard of this happening from a chiropractic treatment. I did see a young woman who got an adjustment of her neck by a chiropractor. The sharp twist of the neck caused a dissection of the vertebral artery. Think of a doughnut made from material like a croissant. The layers of the wall of the artery came apart exactly when he twisted and she immediately lost the right side vision in both of her eyes. This is a true medical emergency, but the chiropractor told her to go home and put an ice pack on her neck.