Warfarin and Bronchitis

[cjune1961]

Hello,last Monday got the flu shot and last week I started a new job and the next day came down with coughing,snorting,sneezing, and spitting up phlegm.Went through the weekend miserably and went to er on Tuesday,called new job and said it was absolutely emergency,said okay. A couple to few months ago I posted a thread on here about spitting up blood traces in phlegm,with this stuff I recently got, I had it pouring out of my mouth Tuesday morning,hence the er trip. Trying to get it treated and get back to the new job. Dr. and nurses said have inflammatory bronchitis,acute rhinitis and other stuff going on,gave prescriptions for allegra-d,flonaise and zithromycin.Dr. and nurses said I may or may not want to take zithromycin to ask coumadin clinic if should because of interaction with warfarin taking. Also said may or may not want to take allegra-d because of problems having high blood pressure,it causes highly increased rapid heartbeat and something else from the suda-stuff in it. The pharmacist also told me to talk to them about these. Going tomorrow for inr reading so will ask. Does anyone else here take these and have been doing okay or not?By the way,that new job let me go while I was at emergency room,called someone else and replaced me that day. Didn't even get a chance to get treated and come back to work.Guess that is the way today of businesses,zero tolerance.Thanks, Carla.

 

[Freddie]

After checking the site (sticky) for interactions with warfarin, you shouldn't have any problems with the Flonaise or with the Allegra, but with high blood pressure I'd be cautious. In most cases, any type of antibiotic will cause your INR to go up - it's one of those things we who are warfarin after to deal with and adjust.

I too get bronchitis and take Clariton and a cough syrup.....forget what it's called. It's O/C and starts with a "Dy", maybe Dylen?? sorry not sure.

I'm surprised that who ever prescribed this meds for you didn't explain them to you and or prescribed them in the first place knowing that you have high BP.

 

[AgilityDog]

I'd use the Allegra, but without the Decongestant. Or use Claratin, no decongestant. The Decongestant will increase your bp. Nothing with sudafed or sudoephedrine in it.

The antibiotic will increase your INR, so be ready for that. You may see a short term increase, and have to tweak the dosage while you are on the antibiotics, then go back to your regular dose.

 

[catwoman]

Carla:

Sorry this has been job-costly.

I get bronchitis very easily. I'm getting over an URI right now that turned into sinusitis and it's getting better. I've been using Mucinex and I think I may have cracked a rib or pulled a muscle in the left ribcage area from all the coughing.
I've tried not to take an antibiotic unless absolutely needed -- not because of INR issues, but because of the problem with bacteria becoming resistant to some of the super-duper antibiotics used today. I generally will try amoxi for about 4-5 days and if I don't feel some relief, I call my PCP for a broader-spectrum RX. I keep quite a bit of amoxi on hand (for dentals and cat bites). Luckily, I haven't had to use it in quite a while.

Several years ago, I had a nasty bout of bronchitis that merited a steroid shot, which did increase my INR.



Here's from the Mayo Clinic's website about antibiotics used in acute sinusitis:

Antibiotics used to treat acute sinusitis caused by a bacterial infection include amoxicillin (Amoxil, Trimox, others), doxycycline (Doryx, Monodox, others) or the combination drug trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra, others). If the infection doesn't go away or if the sinusitis comes back, your doctor may try a different antibiotic.


My 81YO dad, who has interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, an arrhythmia and was DXed last month with moderate dementia, recently had an URI with some bronchitis. My mom called their doctor, who did NOT require an office visit (big mistake in my book with the worsening plumonary problem), but instead RXed a Z-pack. That didn't work, so he RXed a refill. That didn't work either. Still didn't require my dad to come in, RXed Bactrim (one of the sulfa RXes).

 

[Protimenow]

I wonder if you called your former employer and mention EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission), they'd get rattled enough to restore your job. Although I don't want to suggest that taking Warfarin is any type of disability, getting fired because you got sick doesn't seem fair to you, either. I can understand them bringing someone else in to perform your duties - but when you're able to return, perhaps they can use both you and the person they had fill in for you in your absence.

It sounds like the flu shot wound up giving you the flu. I personally don't like flu shots -- the people who make the vaccines have to guess at which flu strains will be a problem in the next season and guess at how last year's strains will mutate, and then develop a vaccine against that guessed strain. So far, I've taken my chances by not getting the shot and being careful about exposure, and haven't had a problem.

However, if your doctor advises you to get one, or you're more comfortable getting a flu shot, don't let anything I say here change your mind. It's entirely up to you and your medical care provider.

 

[Jkm7]

Flu shots cannot give the flu. It is dead virus that is used.
The nasal spray vaccine is live virus.

 

[Freddie]

It also takes 3 weeks for the vaccine to take full effect. So Carla already had "a" bug before she got the flu shot.
The flu vaccine only protects from getting the flu to a serious stage - in other words, you can still get the flu, but it won't be as serious as it could be.

 

[cjune1961]

Warfarin and Bronchitis

Thanks for the words of wisdom everyone. Yes, Freddie, I had something before the shot I guess. But that woman training me was snorting and sneezing all over me probably gave me some germs to mix with whatever it was. I still have the bronchitis,seems better during the day rather than nighttime. I went to get my inr reading today and it was 2.5,bottom of my range. I thought it might be higher with the stuff going on though. The nurse said to take the zithromycin? would need to check inr again after all five pills were taken next week to be on top of it.To think that I would get this stuff so much later in my life,a young 49!I have to deal with the hr stuff with that company on Monday and will call the unemployment office. UGH. Anybody out want to hire a SICK person to work for you,I always thought it would be some bad work performance issue to be let off of the job,not my health,especially trying to get myself better to be at work everyday and on time,not this way.Very disappointed,always after my heart valve replacement was there through thick and thin and worked hard.

 

[catwoman]

cjune1961:

Thought I'd answer your e-mailed question about URI here, since others may have also wondered.
URI = upper respiratory infection

BTW, I took Mucinex DM (600mg guaifenesin & 30 mg dextromethorphan HBr) twice a day from Monday through Friday. It's broken up the congestion in my chest and my coughing has stopped.
The package does not have warnings not to use if you're a heart patient (one of the other Mucinex products did have a warning if you have high blood pressure). Directions say to take 1-2 tabs every 12 hours, but I've only taken 1 tablet every 12 hours. Box does advise consulting a Dr. if coughing continues over 7 days, comes back, or if you have a fever, rash or persistent headache.
I've put 6 tablets in my overnight bag and my rolling carry-on. I also keep a bottle of generic Flonase in my overnight and carry-on. (I travel too much to shift my OTCs and Rx meds around.)

 

[tvmangum]

I too am dealing with bronchitis for the first time this year. After my AVR I had a couple of infections so I knew the antibiotics that I could take with coumadin--Keflex and Ceftin. I can take either one of those without much change in my INR. I do test a little more often when I am on either of those drugs just to keep from having an unwanted surprise.

The PharmD at the Coumadin Clinic said that Mucinex DM was fine to use with coumadin. I already had plain Mucinex and he told me to take Delsym to control the cough but finally had to go to the doc who prescribed Ceftin and Tussionex.