Menstruating on Coumadin

[vboesen]

My daughter, who is 19-years, just had a valve replacement with a St Jude mechanical valve. She is now on Coumadin. Surgery was on 7/11/05 and she was home in 7 days. Her Protimes/INR have been excellent, 2.7. She started her period on 8/12/05 for 6 days then stopped and started again today. Can any of the women on coumadin offer any insight on this?

Valerie Boesen

 

[vboesen]

menstruating

menstruating

My daughter, who is 19-years, just had a valve replacement with a St Jude mechanical valve. She is now on Coumadin. Surgery was on 7/11/05 and she was home in 7 days. Her Protimes/INR have been excellent, 2.7. She started her period on 8/12/05 for 6 days then stopped and started again today. Can any of the women on coumadin offer any insight on this?

Valerie Boesen

 

[geebee]

Valerie,

Welcome to VR.com. Before my hysterectomy, I had problems with long periods and very heavy flows. However, I always had regular periods and not stop & start situations.

This could just be a trauma issue. Her body is still recovering and is a bit confused. I would talk to her gynecologist if it continues but I wouldn't worry about once.

 

[twinmaker]

I've been on Coumadin for 24 years and the Coumadin has made my periods heavier than what's considered normal. They also lasted a little longer. I was 29 when I started on Coumadin. Now that I'm 53, I'm in perimenopause, and this definitely has been the worst. Just because of the fact that I'm in this time of my life, my periods are terribly heavy, irregular, and last about two weeks. My GYN says some of this is because of being perimenopausal, but we can also attribute a lot of it to the Coumadin. Anyway, hopefully, your daughter's periods will straightened out as far as regularity, but they may be a little heavier. And she has a long way to go until the menopausal stuff happens. Also, after my first OHS, my period was very irregular for a couple of months. I had always been like clock-work where that was concerned, but my doctors said that the stress of OHS can mess up your periods. Hope this has helped. Linda

 

[vboesen]

Thankyou!!

Thankyou!!

Thank you so much for writing! She did say it was lighter and I was thinking the whole stress thing. Heart Lung machine time was 2 hours and surgery was 10, lot's of scar tissue. Hopefully it won't happen again.

Valerie

 

[vboesen]

Yes, it helped!

Yes, it helped!

Thankyou.....you have had your valve for 12 years? Excellent! Love to hear that! Alexia's surgeon said this one should last 25-30, sound right? Does your valve "clicking" seem louder when youa re laying down. Forgive me, but this is all new to me.

Valerie

 

[twinmaker]

Actually, I've had my valve for 24 years. Mine was implanted before the St. Jude mechanical valve had been approved by the FDA. There were a bunch of us that got them before official approval and it has been the best decision that I've ever made. I had to sign a lot of paperwork before the surgery and felt at that time that I might be signing my life away. But as you can see, the Lord has blessed my decision and the surgeon was right on the money by advising me that this would be the valve that he would put into his wife or daughter if he had to. Just think...your daughter has a NEW St. Jude's valve. I know they haven't made too many changes in them since I got mine 24 years ago, but your daughter could get more years than they told you. Wouldn't that be great!!! Linda

 

[twinmaker]

Sorry, forgot to answer your last question. Yes my valve does sound louder when laying down especially when the room is quiet like when you're falling asleep. It does seem to quiet down as time goes on or maybe it's just that you get used to the sound and in time, don't even really hear it. I'll be happy to answer any other questions that I can. Linda

 

[vboesen]

I wouldn't complain!

I wouldn't complain!

We have gone through too many surgeries to have to do it again! Her homografts only lasted 7 years. The surgeon gave her a choice, mechanical or pericardial tissue, she came home and studied and dwelled and asked the doc and he said he would do the St. Jude. So there you ahve it. 24 years! I am sorry I read the date wrong. Do you hear the "clicking" and is it louder when you lay down or swim? It is a very interesting piece of mechanic.

Valerie

 

[twinmaker]

We must have been posting at the same time on the last question and our paths crossed at the same time. I do hear my valve clicking more when I'm doing any kind of exercise. We have a swimming pool and I can hear it under the water and I also play tennis and bike and I can really hear it when I get my heart rate up. Linda

 

[bvdr]

Valerie, welcome to this forum.

I just wanted to mention that sometimes just the fact of undergoing OHS, with all the necessary medications, procedures, and anesthesia, is enough to make periods very irregular for a period of time. Many of us have also had some drenching night sweats as the chemicals work their way out of our bodies.

In your daughter's situation I think mechanical was a good choice. I hope she has a very long life with very few complications along the way with anticoagulation. She is so young that I'm sure that in her lifetime something will come along to replace warfarin that will be as efficient and require less vigilance. It's not that being on warfarin is so difficult but it is something that can't be taken hit or miss.

 

[Lynlw]

Thank you so much for writing! She did say it was lighter and I was thinking the whole stress thing. Heart Lung machine time was 2 hours and surgery was 10, lot's of scar tissue. Hopefully it won't happen again.

Valerie

Hi Valerie, I'm glad you found it, I knew they would be helpful, I think they were discussing this last week or so under the inr heading. hey at least you just tld me something.I won't have to worry about ) Lyn

 

[vboesen]

Oh, you are lucky and the attitude that goes with it!

Oh, you are lucky and the attitude that goes with it!

Thanks for the post about Wendy and Andrew. Fortuantely, if he has the Defrib placed it is a fairly easy procedure (hubby told me). Any other news from them? He is stable right?

Valerie

 

[vboesen]

I hope it was the right choice. The surgeon swore it would be perfect for her. How often do you get your levels checked? We are up to every month now, it had been pretty consistant of 2.7 or 2.8 since hospital stay.

My daughter also had Atrial Flutter for the past couple years as well as after surgery, she is on a home dose of Amiodirone. We see her Electrophysiologist, 9/7, to get her back on the Sotalol.

Thanks

Valerie

 

[LLJ]

Valerie: I'm not on coumadin and I got my period 2 days after surgery (just what you want after OHS) and I swear it was on and off for almost 6weeks. The cardiologist had no clue about why. I'll go with the trauma theory. Eventually it went back to normal.
Laura

 

[Karlynn]

Valerie,
I've had my St. Jude mitral valve for almost 14 years. I was 32 when I got it. Up until the last few years (which I attribute as the lead up to menopause) I did not have very many abnormally heavy periods. I do know that some women do though. I'd be interested to see a study done on women's periods prior to and then after surgery to see if there are any pre-existing issues that contribute to some women experiencing heavier/longer periods.

My guess is also that her cycle is probably pretty messed up right now. She is still in the early recovery stage.

Welcome to our site. This is a great place for information. With your daughter being on Coumadin, this is an excellent place to come to because we have a great warfarin (Coumadin) expert as one of our members, Al Lodwick. He has a site www.warfarinfo.com that is a great resource for Coumadin users.

 

[vboesen]

Thanks for the info! My daughter started her period right after coming up to ICU after being on the heart lung machine. It started 28 days later and started again. I think you are right about the trauma.

Thanks for your help,

Valerie

 

[vboesen]

Thank you! I will check out the website. It is a learning process. I think after a few months her cycle will become "regular" again. She is doing great. And I love to see how long you have had your valve! No signs of leaking for you?? Are you doing well?

Thank you

Valerie

 

[nia]

Dear Valerie,

I'm glad that your daughter is doing well. I was 21 when I replaced my mitral valve with tissue valve. I'm not on coumadin, but after the OHS, I completely skipped one month, and then the next month it came back at the most random time... But ever since then, my period has been very regular. Actually, more regular than it had ever been.