Low INR, in the hospital, warning: girl stuff

[halleyg]

I hate to post my personal business but I have been in the hospital all day and so bored. Plus maybe my post will benefit another woman somehow.. And it is hard to explain why I'm here to all my "non-valve" friends... I had my IUD removed last Wed., dr. said to expect some spotting maybe. But since Friday it's been way more than spotting, I've just been taking my iron and dealing with it and dr. was kind of at a loss. Some days have been better than others. I was just living my life but noticing I was tiring way more than usual. Then had my INR checked Monday and it was 4.1 but still with the gyn. issues, so cardio had me hold warfarin Monday night. Didn't really make a difference and started back up Tues. and Wed. night with normal dose. Went in today and INR was 1.5! Plus, still having the issue, lots of blood loss, found out low hemoglobin... long story short, Gyn. doesn't know what to do for me besides put me on the pill, which increases chance of clotting of course (plus I don't want to go that route anyways), and cardio wants me on heparin drip and have to see Gyn. in the hospital... it's basically a catch 22, not happy to be in this situation at all! Plus I love the July 4th holiday/fireworks and it looks like I may be here the whole time. Ugh. Really not happy but of course I always say, things could always be worse. Just glad my mom is in town to keep my girls and my sister came by earlier and had me laughing for a little while... glad I grabbed my iPod and laptop before I came here, it's gonna be a long night.
I was wondering if anyone else ever had an issue with an IUD? Because right now I would say if you're on coumadin, don't get one!

 

[suerose]

Hmmm.

Why did they HAVE to take out the IUD? My gyn raised the question that it might have to be removed prior to surgery. My surgeon & cardio said they didn't see any reason for that. Hallelujia 'cuz I spotted for about 9 months when they put it in 2 years ago, and dammit, I had 3 more years to go!!! lol
I would've been really upset if they had to remove it because I really like it for my birth control choice.

Feeling your discouragement on this one sista, but don't have any advice.

 

[Karlynn]

So sorry to hear your issues wound you up in the hospital, but maybe they'll get it figured out for you.

I thought the fact that we are on warfarin make the concern of clots from birth control pills a non-issue. Bu I don't know for certain. The new cardio I just saw wasn't too concerned about me being on BC pills.

Your INR for your mitral valve is 2.5 - 3.5. A 4.1 shouldn't cause any noticeable increase in your bleeding, but I understand how you felt like you should follow the instructions just in case.

Wishing you the best!

 

[suerose]

another thought...maybe instead of the pill...('cuz I feel the way you do, would rather not be on it), now would be the time broach the topic with your significant other that he "take one for the team".... and have a vasectomy! You've certainly been thru enough!!!!!

 

[halleyg]

I had the IUD removed - didn't really want to - b/c I have been having back pain since having it put in. But my back still hurts, so it looks like all that for nothing! Although it's only been out a week, who knows. I was actually supposed to be at the orthopedic surg. today. I don't need it for BC, husband had a vasectomy, I was using it for heavy AF since being on warfarin. Spotting 9 months, yikes, that's awful. I only had it for a few weeks.

Karlynn, the pills were just an issue for right now while my INR is low... I know, skipping that one dose turned out to be a mistake, right? Now I remember why I usually come here for advice!

 

[halleyg]

another thought...maybe instead of the pill...('cuz I feel the way you do, would rather not be on it), now would be the time broach the topic with your significant other that he "take one for the team".... and have a vasectomy! You've certainly been thru enough!!!!!

LOL, guess we posted at the same time - he did a while ago! I was tired of all the BC stuff a long time ago. Shoulda stood my ground and steered clear.

 

[sue943]

Ladies, ladies, you could always use the best method of birth control available with no risk of bleeding, thrombosis etc - ABSTINENCE! Come to think of it, you might suffer severe bruising when the old man gets physical when frustrated! As you were, back to BC.

 

[kfay]

Halley, have you talked to them about doing an endometrial ablation? It would pretty much eliminate periods going forward. When I was having heavy bleeding problems a couple of years ago (not on coumadin) this was an option that was given to me. I instead choose to have a hysterectomy instead, but I have friends who have gone the ablation route and have been really happy with it.

By the way, I had an IUD years ago and I bled an unbelievable amount while I had it.

Hope they get you sorted in time to spring you for the fourth.

Kim

 

[lisou]

Hi Halley, hope everything turns for the best, and you get to enjoy the 4th of July, cross our fingers. But just wanted to say that I had an IUD I would say 19 years ago a lot of cramps when put in no spotting but got pregnant with twins at that time, then the complications started. Hang in there, thinking of you.

 

[Megan]

halley-im sorry you are in thehosptial- hopefully you get everyone on the same page-as for the back pain- give it some more time but have you ever seen a non cracking chiro? i had low back pain for a year and went for like 5 weeks and it went away! as for the iud- its prob best its out now in any event since its not needed. ive heard of the ablation as a good thing. as for me. im going thru the first monthly right now since starting coumadin and im biting my nails worrying about the next week. happy fourth!

 

[halleyg]

Thanks, ladies, for the support, it really means a lot to me right now! I tend to blame myself when things go wrong with my health, which I know is silly and a waste of time. But it's helpful to hear of others experiences so I know I just didn't make some really dumb decisions. I suppose I thought they were what was best at the time. Megan, I do go to a chiro, pretty much weekly. I think I may have actually hurt my back during a workout, but already having discomfort from the IUD and it seemed to intensify the pain.
My dr. suggested the ablation first thing, but I was too afraid to bridge for surgery.. which now seems like it would have been a dream compared to sitting here in this really uncomfy bed, waiting.
Thanks again, I'm hoping really hard to be leaving here tomorow! Don't want to have to tell my kids that mom is in the hospital and the kid in me REALLY wants to see those fireworks! My favoite place to watch does it on the 3rd every year... but then we still get to see more on the 4th!
Oh, and Sue, that would be no fun now would it? LOL... not that I'm having fun at the moment!

 

[Lisa in Katy]

I don't think you'd need to bridge for ablation, especially since you're already bleeding. I had several episodes of bleeding after going on Warfarin - two were stopped with a D & C until they finally decided to do a hysterectomy after about 2 years. My INR was 2 with one, so they didn't worry about it. The other was an emergency, so I don't know what it was. I didn't have a problem with either.

Hope you're out soon! I was in the hospital on the 4th of July after my surgery so I watched fireworks on tv. We're in such a drought, they've banned them here, so I might be watching TV again!

 

[pamela]

Hi Halley
I had some bleeding in the middle of April and I was passing clots along with the hemorrhage. The coumadin and low-dose ASA I take was discontinued and I was given 500 mg tabs of cyklokapron (tranexamic acid). What was happening is that my clotting was fragile and the ACT therapy was causing them to dissolve instead of forming properly and readying for reabsorption.

Our blood chemistry can be very wonky, especially as our hormones cycle (those of us in menopause can relate to the hormone thing) causing even maintenance dosages of ACT to do some unusual things.

The amino acid took around 4 doses (18-24 hours) to begin working and my bleeding stopped in 3 days. I don't know if you still have Afib or artificial implants to cause concern over stopping your ACT for a couple of days but maybe a Lovenox bridge until they get your lady-bits back healthy would allow the tranexamic acid to work.

Take Heart and I hope you can get this resolved.
Pamela

 

[COLLEEN S]

Sorry you ended up in the hospital Hallie! Thinking of you! I got nothing for ya though, never did the IUD. But yeah, whoever held your dose...rollercoaster! I get those days too, then I remember later that I should have questioned their reasoning.

 

[sue943]

No, no fun at all.

After I had my first child I tried an IUD, in fact I tried three! Within hours of them being fitted I had partially expelled them and a nasty sharp piece was sitting waiting for a 'visitor' - had that happened 'the visitor' would have been lacerated! Now you gentlemen who have strayed into this thread you might well wince. After I expelled the third one my doctor gave up and told me to either go back on the pill or to use another method. I went back on the pill.

 

[halleyg]

No, no fun at all.

After I had my first child I tried an IUD, in fact I tried three! Within hours of them being fitted I had partially expelled them and a nasty sharp piece was sitting waiting for a 'visitor' - had that happened 'the visitor' would have been lacerated! Now you gentlemen who have strayed into this thread you might well wince.

That's what they get for not heeding my warning!

 

[Ross]

Hi Halley
I had some bleeding in the middle of April and I was passing clots along with the hemorrhage. The coumadin and low-dose ASA I take was discontinued and I was given 500 mg tabs of cyklokapron (tranexamic acid). What was happening is that my clotting was fragile and the ACT therapy was causing them to dissolve instead of forming properly and readying for reabsorption.

Our blood chemistry can be very wonky, especially as our hormones cycle (those of us in menopause can relate to the hormone thing) causing even maintenance dosages of ACT to do some unusual things.

The amino acid took around 4 doses (18-24 hours) to begin working and my bleeding stopped in 3 days. I don't know if you still have Afib or artificial implants to cause concern over stopping your ACT for a couple of days but maybe a Lovenox bridge until they get your lady-bits back healthy would allow the tranexamic acid to work.

Take Heart and I hope you can get this resolved.
Pamela

In your case, I don't understand why they didn't give you fresh frozen plasma or Vitamin K? I think it would have been interesting to see what would have happened had they done so. ACT will not disolve clots, it simply increases the time it takes for them to form.

 

[halleyg]

The heparin has me therapeutic, but my INR is still low, 1.7. I have been taking 7.5 mg the past three nights. The cardio just came by and said if it goes up past 2.0 I can go home today. Getting tested again at 3 pm. Is this even likely? I really wanna go home! It's so beautiful here today, temps in the 80's, clear blue sky.. perfect night for fireworks!

 

[Ross]

Excuse me, but I forget what your normal dose was before this all began.

 

[halleyg]

You mean you don't keep all of our dosages catalogued in your brain?

Regularly it's 7.5 5x/week and 10 2x/week.