I have been put on Coumadin for an indeterminant amount of time post AVR tissue to protect against AFIB. Doctor said over 50% of his patients have AFIB after surgery. So I may be on it for 90 days or the rest of my life depending on how my heart remodels. Would any of you be willing to share your experiences on Coumadin? Helpful hints, problems, etc.? Thanks so much!
Put on Coumadin - looking to hear your personal stories (short version) on Coumadin
- Thread starter canon4me
- Start date
Help Support Valve Replacement Forums:
Did you have episodes of afib post-op? I have read that some surgeons regularly place their patients on coumadin, even with a tissue valve in anticipation of possible afib, but mine did not, and I had no problems. I know this doesn't answer your question, but I'm curious as to why the duration of usage is so open-ended.
My experience with Coumadin/Warfarin has been, pretty much,uneventful. It has impacted my life and lifestyle only slightly. My ONLY real problem with the drug happened many, many years ago and was primarily due to my non-compliancae by not taking the drug for an extended period of time. My only advice is to take the med as prescribed and test routinely.....and you should have few, if any, problems. BTW, I have several golfing buddies on warfarin for afib(all old men).....with no problems as far as I know.
Yes, I did have many periods of AFib post surgery. I was having my discharge exam with a nurse practitioner yesterday. I had an EKG probably 15 minutes prior to my appt with her and it was clean. As I came in her office she looked at the clean EKG and I coughed deeply. She then listened to my chest and immediately told me I was in AFIB and told me to get downstairs quickly and do a repeat EKG. It was then picked up her and she contacted the surgeon and the lead cardiologist and made the decision to re-admit me. I felt crushed. Another nurse practitioner came in to my hospital room last night and said no food after midnight because they were probably cardio convert me in the morning. That scared the crap out of me. Well, I went into sinus rhythm and slep all night and they made the decision not to cardio convert but rather to discharge me on Coumadin. I also ate a Popsicle and promptly went into AFIB. Mostly when I was on the cusp of the arrythmias medicine wearing off they tended to happen which sounded logical. But the deep, deep,coughs and trying to hold them back stimulated my Vegas nerve and put me into AFIB quickly.
I think the issue of open ended ness was due primarily on the outside chance that the afibs were permanent.
Then the decision to put you on coumadin, and not predict how long you might be on it, was right on! Best wishes going forward.:smile2:
Oilman
Well-known member
I developed arrythmias and PVC's two years or more prior to valve replacement. I suffered a TIA two year before surgery, that was my first health scare, lucky no damage or symptoms were permanent. At that point my doctors where unsure if the bicuspid valve and arrythmia's created little clots or a piece of calcium broke free from valve, the valve was still in the moderate range, we will never know I guess. At that point I was placed on warfarin to protect from clotting just in case.
Last sept I suffered my first and only AFIB attack, woke up one morning with a HR of 180, went to the ER and was cardio verted back to sinus a few hrs later. I then had all the testing done, and had my valve replaced 2 months later.
You are right about the heart misbehaving after its been touch, cause mine did right away also, it bounced around so much in ICU they thought it was AFiB and tried two cardio versions, that never changed anything....that scared the crap out of me, i thought they just fixed everything and now they wanted to hit me with the paddles. On day five I was given 150mg of Metropolol and that idle my heart resting from 100 bpm to around 80 bpm. Away I went home, started to walk as much as possible.
Today at just over 6 months Out, I still get PVC's but only for a second or two, it can be annoying, hope that will get better with time, but i have my resting down at 60 bpm and that feels better.I have the mechanical valve, so warfarin is a must, its no problem. I switched from a twice a day beta blocker to a one a day just this month for the arrythmia's, it helps keep things in check. Now that the plumber has done his thing, i may have to see the electrician down the road, time will tell. I am keeping with the exercise, ride my cycle hard 5 hours a week, with a max HR of 145 bpm on the climbs, my avg is 120 bpm, no sign of Afib, so that's all good.
I hope your heart will behave from here on out. It does get better with time. Take care.
Last sept I suffered my first and only AFIB attack, woke up one morning with a HR of 180, went to the ER and was cardio verted back to sinus a few hrs later. I then had all the testing done, and had my valve replaced 2 months later.
You are right about the heart misbehaving after its been touch, cause mine did right away also, it bounced around so much in ICU they thought it was AFiB and tried two cardio versions, that never changed anything....that scared the crap out of me, i thought they just fixed everything and now they wanted to hit me with the paddles. On day five I was given 150mg of Metropolol and that idle my heart resting from 100 bpm to around 80 bpm. Away I went home, started to walk as much as possible.
Today at just over 6 months Out, I still get PVC's but only for a second or two, it can be annoying, hope that will get better with time, but i have my resting down at 60 bpm and that feels better.I have the mechanical valve, so warfarin is a must, its no problem. I switched from a twice a day beta blocker to a one a day just this month for the arrythmia's, it helps keep things in check. Now that the plumber has done his thing, i may have to see the electrician down the road, time will tell. I am keeping with the exercise, ride my cycle hard 5 hours a week, with a max HR of 145 bpm on the climbs, my avg is 120 bpm, no sign of Afib, so that's all good.
I hope your heart will behave from here on out. It does get better with time. Take care.
pellicle
Professional Dingbat, Guru and Merkintologist
Hi
well this was my 3rd OHS and now I have a mechanical. I too had picked up on the background 'fear' that surrounds it. My take on it now is that such fears are equal to the boogie man under your bed out of a Stephen King novel. Warfarin is like any other drug, it has a range in which it is theraputic (gives benefits) and a range where it causes problems.
Previously knowing this dose was a bit difficult, because individuals respond differently to it and it is metabolism based.
We now live in an age where clinics to monitor your bloods are available in most cities, and the tools required to monitor your reaction are within your grasp and quite affordable to most westerners (if you wish to do this / live in an regional area where its impractical to visit a clinic).
Much like becoming a diabetic (which can be at any time, especially after a surgery or illness) being on Warfarin simply requires you to take a medication and check your metabolic responce to it.
As long as you are the kind of person who can learn to adapt, learn new behaviours and new habits then you will be able to adjust to the pattern of testing and dose adjustment (or not adjusting as the case may be).
The historical 'fear' of warfarin was largely based on ignorance (of the facts) and failure to properly dose (which is also based on ignorance of the facts).
Essentially warfarin is one of the safest anti-coagulants around, particularly in light of:
1) its long term usage and detailed exploration of its effects
2) the ability to back out the anti-coagulation effects simply in a hospital (unlike some of the more modern ones like Pradaxa )
I've been on it for since Nov 2011 and have found no extra bruising, no hassles and no significant changes needed (except for my weekly testing and nightly taking of a drug). I came from not taking anything at all, so the introduction of taking something forever came as a shock.
Probably it was a shock because subconsciously I had known that old people take drugs regularly, and young people don't. This then made me "old", which I didn't like. At first I found that it was irritating because I had to remember to bring my medications with me, and I worried about "oops I forgot a dose".
Experience with it has fixed that and I have mechanisms in my life where I can get around the need to carry it (store some in the car) and I don't worry about missing a dose as I just take most of it in the morning. No problems.
Now I'm so accustomed to it and have no issues with it that I look querulously at the agitated panic I see in so many others who remain afraid of it.
well this was my 3rd OHS and now I have a mechanical. I too had picked up on the background 'fear' that surrounds it. My take on it now is that such fears are equal to the boogie man under your bed out of a Stephen King novel. Warfarin is like any other drug, it has a range in which it is theraputic (gives benefits) and a range where it causes problems.
Previously knowing this dose was a bit difficult, because individuals respond differently to it and it is metabolism based.
We now live in an age where clinics to monitor your bloods are available in most cities, and the tools required to monitor your reaction are within your grasp and quite affordable to most westerners (if you wish to do this / live in an regional area where its impractical to visit a clinic).
Much like becoming a diabetic (which can be at any time, especially after a surgery or illness) being on Warfarin simply requires you to take a medication and check your metabolic responce to it.
As long as you are the kind of person who can learn to adapt, learn new behaviours and new habits then you will be able to adjust to the pattern of testing and dose adjustment (or not adjusting as the case may be).
The historical 'fear' of warfarin was largely based on ignorance (of the facts) and failure to properly dose (which is also based on ignorance of the facts).
Essentially warfarin is one of the safest anti-coagulants around, particularly in light of:
1) its long term usage and detailed exploration of its effects
2) the ability to back out the anti-coagulation effects simply in a hospital (unlike some of the more modern ones like Pradaxa )
I've been on it for since Nov 2011 and have found no extra bruising, no hassles and no significant changes needed (except for my weekly testing and nightly taking of a drug). I came from not taking anything at all, so the introduction of taking something forever came as a shock.
Probably it was a shock because subconsciously I had known that old people take drugs regularly, and young people don't. This then made me "old", which I didn't like. At first I found that it was irritating because I had to remember to bring my medications with me, and I worried about "oops I forgot a dose".
Experience with it has fixed that and I have mechanisms in my life where I can get around the need to carry it (store some in the car) and I don't worry about missing a dose as I just take most of it in the morning. No problems.
Now I'm so accustomed to it and have no issues with it that I look querulously at the agitated panic I see in so many others who remain afraid of it.
Agian
Well-known member
You look like an outdoors-type person, Dick. Are cuts and scratches an issue on Warfarin? You know, the type you get from throwing things around in the back yard.
Hi Aquian and welcome to this very helpful forum. I don't want to hijack the thread, but to answer you question....No, cuts(including a few cuts that have required stitches) have never posed a serious probllem and where usually taken care of with a bandage.....with NO excessive bleeding. I raised two sons, including little league coaching with no problems. Used to do a lot of home remodeling, including building a lake cabin. Had a ceiling fan hit me in the back of the head while installing ceiling tile at the cabin....forteen stitches LOL, but no other problems. I have had some "blue/yellow bruising that where embarrassing for a week or so, but no lasting problem.
Agian
Well-known member
You're an inspiration Sir. What's your INR range?
Officially 2.5-3.5......but I don't get uneasy until it is >2 or <4
Agian
Well-known member
Thanks :biggrin2:
My INR range as set by the doc is 2.0-3.0 for atrial fib only. He said mech valve pts get 3.0-4.0.
In the past, I have operating a chainsaw a lot, so until i end Coumadin, I will be buying all my firewood or trading something for it.
In the past, I have operating a chainsaw a lot, so until i end Coumadin, I will be buying all my firewood or trading something for it.
I would not be overly concerned IF you are comfortable around chainsaws. I have worked with rotary "skil" saws a lot, before and after surgery, with no problem. Getting cut with any kind of power saw is a no-no.....on warfarin or not LOL.
Per "He said mech valve pts get 3.0-4.0" that is incorrect. The published literature is 2-3 and many mech valves, like mine, are 2.0 to 2.5.
Warfarin is no problem. I cut off the tip of my thumb on Saturday. INR was 2.6. It bled but didn't need anything but a lot of gauze, tape, antiboitic ointment and home first aid. Stupidly I forgot to use non-stick pads of gauze, so when I changed the bandage, it bled again.
I'd not be leery of the chain saw just because you are on warfarin. The only thing I do different is I wear a helmet on my bike, but never did before.
Warfarin is no problem. I cut off the tip of my thumb on Saturday. INR was 2.6. It bled but didn't need anything but a lot of gauze, tape, antiboitic ointment and home first aid. Stupidly I forgot to use non-stick pads of gauze, so when I changed the bandage, it bled again.
I'd not be leery of the chain saw just because you are on warfarin. The only thing I do different is I wear a helmet on my bike, but never did before.
