warfarin and dizziness

[skrob49]

My wife is on warfarin for three years now, with INR 2.8 (she has AVR and therapeutic range is 2 to 3). She has a sudden feeling of dizziness. Is that indicative of bleeding ?? But I cannot find any bruises.
Thanks

 

[pellicle]

She has a sudden feeling of dizziness. Is that indicative of bleeding ??

I can't imagine so, has she had any falls?
Describe the dizziness? (for instance when she stands, when she bends over, all the time?)
What is her BP ??

MIMS does list dizziness as a possible adverse reaction, but if she has never had it before now after three years it would seem strange for it to occur now ..

That INR seems nice and midrange (it is about bang on with mine) as long as its monitored frequently its unlikely she has had any bleeds.

 

[skrob49]

Thanks Pellicle, Actually she has a physio because of a bad back. No falls. Just rush to prepare dinner and probably did some bending up and down at the kitchen. The dizzy spell just hit her. She has to lie down and avoid looking at the floor
Hope it goes away soon. I did not check her BP.

 

[Bina]

My valve is also the St. Jude Regent and I have been on Coumadin for 8 years now. Dizzy spells do come and go but I can honestly say that I never blame the Coumadin, the culprit
in my case could be my low BP from taking Beta Blockers, or because I have needed to drink more water and eat less sugar
It is always a good idea to check the BP and have routine blood tests during a yearly physical.

 

[Eva]

If she is on beta blockers, her doctor needs to adjust her dose.

If your weather has been hot and she has been active, she may have forgotten to drink enough fluids to prevent dehydration.

Hope her dizziness goes away.

If it doesn't, the doctor may check her inner ear for infection/inflMation, or may order a CBC to check her hemoglobin and mineral levels.

Good luck and keep us informed.

 

[clay_from_nj]

I agree with the others here, classic side effect of beta blockers, most commonly happens when standing up suddenly from a crouching position. I have also had a couple of brief incidents of vertigo, spinning sensation (wibbly-wobbly to you Doctor Who fans). I don't worry a bit, just be aware of it.

 

[Guyswell]

Have the cardiologist check it out. Two years after my first AVR, I started experiencing sudden bouts of extreme dizzyness where I had to immediately lie on the floor to avoid falling down. It was bradycardia (very slow heart beat) and it bought me a shiny new pacemaker. I've had no problems since getting the pacemaker. It paces about 10% of the time and I don't feel a thing. The heart's electrical system can be damaged as a result of AVR surgery since the AV node is so close to the aortic valve. Beta blockers alone can cause this problem in people who don't have bradycardia. However in people who don't have pacemakers, the combination of beta blockers and bradycardia can put them on the floor.