Is anybody a coumadin user?

[londonpenguin]

Does anyone out there take coumadin? I was put on it this past May for various reasons, and I'm wondering if anyone else experiences the same "side effects" I do. I say "side effects" in quotes because I'm not sure if they're really side effects or just coincidental.

For example, I swear my body temperature has gone down since going on the coumadin. I used to turn into a little puddle if it got hotter than, say, 70 degrees. This summer, Seattle had several days of upper 80s and low 90s, but I was fine. Now, it's in the low 60s, and I'm freezing!

Also, I seem to be having a lot more vivid dreams.

Anyone else experience this?

 

[tiggersmom2]

I'm not a coumadin user but my Dad is. One of his main complaints is being cold all the time. He used to keep his house FREEZING, now I burn up when I step foot in it. I don't know about the his dreams.

 

[snoopy]

I'm no doctor, but since coumidin is a blood thinner, I can see why you feel colder.

I'm not on it, but my grandmother is. I'll have to ask her about the dreams.

 

[Dan Murphy]

You might want to do a thyroid check also. Low thyroid output can make you cold.

 

[londonpenguin]

I'm glad it's not just me who's experiencing the cold factor!

Who knows, the vivid dreams could be a side effect of too much Splenda-sweetened ice cream.

 

[Jeafl]

My dad's been on it for over 20 years, since his heart valve replacement surgery.

He is ALWAYS cold. The rest of us could be dying of heat and he is freezing. Don't know about the dreams though.

I do know that you have to be very careful not to cut yourself, because you bleed like a sieve. Also, he has to take antibiotics for 4 days before seeing a dentist for a cleaning because of the high risk of bleeding and infection. It is definitely serious stuff. Many over the counter medications interact badly with it, so be careful. Also, I've read that eating broccoli is not good with it either. I think it exacerbates the blood thinning or something.

 

[wtpclc]

Do you check your levels regularly? My dad's been on since April and he has not had these problems. Also, if you keep your levels right, the bleeding shold not be a big issue.

Avoid leafy greens, broccoli, olive oil, and green tea. Or, eat them consistently and decrease your coumidin intake. These are all thinners that could make it worse. Good luck!!!

 

[MickeysMommy]

My dad is on it and he's cold all the time too. It drives my mother and I nuts because he is constantly telling people that he's on it and he has thin blood so he gets cold easy. I know this is true but to hear it a billion times gets a little annoying after a while.

Not sure about the dreams.

 

[tinkerbell of winter]

Just a clarification, leafy greens and broccoli will not increase the blood thinner effect of coumadin, they actually counteract it. Vitamin K is the antidote for coumadin and flucuations in the intake of these vegetables can affect your levels. Just eat a consistent amount each day to avoid decreasing the effectiveness of the medication.

 

[londonpenguin]

Carrie:

For the first month or so, I had a weekly blood draw. Now it's down to once a month. I'm at 8.5 mg daily, so I do tend to bleed like crazy, which is so annoying. I also avoid most greens, including salad, which really wreaks havoc with the South Beach Diet, let me tell ya!

I'm just so relieved that other coumadin users are cold too. I thought it was just me, and I hate it when that happens!

 

[wtpclc]

Tinkerbell - thanks for the clarification.

londonpenguin - holy cow that seems bad! You'll have to talk to my mom about South Beach. She bought it to try and vary their diets, as my dad is diabetic too. She was NOT happy with the number of salads. My dad's cartiologist is the one who said to eat greens consistently and just regulate teh coumadin. His regular doctor, though, told him to cut out salads. He recently started gettign his presc's through the VA, though. You meet with the pharmacist every time you go. They were able to help him. They were having fits trying to get it regulated. That's when they found out about teh green tea and olive oil! Yes, it makes perfect sense that if you are on that much, you would be cold. Glad it's not just you!

So, this should mean that if I increase the vitamin K, I won't be the coldest one. Hmm..... Or, maybe I should just start slipping coumadin to my co-workers! LOL

 

[piratesmate]

My mother takes it also. She's never complained about vivid dreams, but the cold?!?!?!?!? Oh my!

Shortest way to tell you - she was showing a picture of the entire family from a birthday taken in February & the doctor couldn't stop laughing. Mom was in a sweatsuit with a sweater also & a blanket across her legs. The rest of us were in t-shirts, shorts & barefooted.

 

[AmazingGrace]

I was on Coumadin for about a year and a half, and ended up going off of it because of the side effects. I was ALWAYS cold, and had monthly hemorrhaging. It was a nightmare.