# Blood Thinners



## Lon (May 5, 2015)

I have been taking a blood thinner for some time now and what a pain in the ass it is. The slightest nick or cut and you bleed. Glad I don't have a rose garden. This morning's shaving resulted in a couple of nicks that a sceptic pencil wouldn't stop and then just pinching my finger trying to open a medicine bottle resulted in a bleed. Added now to my morning attire are band aids on my face and fingers. I sure would not want to get into a serious accident.


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## AZ Jim (May 5, 2015)

I take two thinners including Plavix.  I have had two TIA's (Mini strokes).  I am like you, I bruise easily and bleed at the slightest little nick.


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## Lon (May 5, 2015)

AZ Jim said:


> I take two thinners including Plavix.  I have had two TIA's (Mini strokes).  I am like you, I bruise easily and bleed at the slightest little nick.



I just take one Xarelto daily. Have you seen the TV Ads by Lawyers that have brought a Class Action suit against Xarelto. That really gives one confidence in taking a prescribed med doesn't it?


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## ndynt (May 5, 2015)

I take Plavix, along with a blood thinner injection, daily.  Adding prednisone to that mix....my arms and legs are so bruised, I look like I have been beaten.   And, of course, the bleeding is so annoying.    Agree with you Lon re prescribed meds.  I took Brilinta, prior to the Plavix...with absolutely horrible side effects.


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## Falcon (May 5, 2015)

I know that many folks take an aspirin  (or a half, or a baby aspirin) every day to ward off a possible stroke or heart attack.
Actually aspirin is hard on your stomach, SO, since I found out that alcohol ALSO thins the blood, I have a vodka and club soda almost every evening
while I watch the moon rise. SO much tastier than pills. Ya might want to look into this.  BUT, DON'T abuse it !


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## ndynt (May 5, 2015)

Falcon said:


> I know that many folks take an aspirin  (or a half, or a baby aspirin) every day to ward off a possible stroke or heart attack.
> Actually aspirin is hard on your stomach, SO, since I found out that alcohol ALSO thins the blood, I have a vodka and club soda almost every evening
> while I watch the moon rise. SO much tastier than pills. Ya might want to look into this.  BUT, DON'T abuse it !


Reminds me of when I was last in the ER.  A friend was with me.  MD asked if I drank or used street drugs.  My friend spoke up and replied, "No she doesn't....but, I think that she needs to start."


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## Josiah (May 5, 2015)

I was on warfarin for about ten years but a year ago I switched to apixaban (Eliquis).


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## AZ Jim (May 5, 2015)

Josiah said:


> I was on warfarin for about ten years but a year ago I switched to apixaban (Eliquis).



Warfarin is now frowned upon by medics.


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## Don M. (May 5, 2015)

My old Dad had a minor stroke back in the late 1990's, and the doctor put him on Plavix.  He did ok for 2 or 3 years, then woke up one day with severe pain.  He was rushed to the hospital where they found massive internal bleeding.  It seems that the Plavix had helped turn his innards to Mush.  He was soon gone. 

I like Falcons approach...and have a nip of flavored vodka every evening about an hour before bedtime.  It seems to help keep the system functioning properly, and I get a real good nights sleep.  

If you check on many of the prescription drugs, they seem to follow a pattern.  The drug is approved, the TV is inundated with Drug Ads, large numbers of people start taking the stuff....then 5 to 10 years later, the side effects start killing people, and then the Lawyers take over with their huge Class Action Lawsuits.  It all seems like a massive racket designed to make the drug companies and lawyers rich.


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## Josiah (May 5, 2015)

AZ Jim said:


> Warfarin is now frowned upon by medics.



That's interesting Jim, I frowned upon Warfarin because it messes up how calcium is metabolized in the body but I could never get any doctor to take me seriously when I talked about calcium deposits on soft tissue. Warfarin is still one of the most commonly prescribed drugs.


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## ndynt (May 5, 2015)

I was on Warfarin/Coumadin in the hospital and was still throwing clots.  Tried a couple different injectables...until they could stop the clots from forming.


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## AZ Jim (May 5, 2015)

I've been on Plavix for probably 7 years and I'm still kickin...


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## Pappy (May 5, 2015)

Lon. I too take Xarelto and have to be careful of cuts. My arms bruise very easy and at times my arms are covered with black and blue marks. I just recently bought a bracelet that says, "taking Xareto."


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## Josiah (May 5, 2015)

The one disadvantage of the "new" anticoagulants (Eliquis, Xarelto) is that there is no way their blood thinning effect can be quickly reversed. So if you're in a serious accident it would be very hard to stop the bleeding. Warfarin/coumadin on the other hand can be quickly reversed with a shot of vitamin K.


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## ndynt (May 5, 2015)

And along with that Josiah, with Warfarin/Coumadin your diet is pretty restricted.  At least for me it would be....for I more or less live on greens.


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## SeaBreeze (May 5, 2015)

There are natural things that are blood thinners, like Omega3 fish oil, vitamin E, etc., but you can't take any of the possible alternatives if you're already on blood thinning meds.  As with any supplements, if you wanted to consider using them, you must check with your doctor first, and research all side effects and drug interactions.  Might only be a good option for those who have no serious illnesses or heart conditions already, and who have never been on blood thinning meds.  My mother in law was on coumadin, I heard it's merely a rat poison, used to kill the rats by bleeding them out.


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## d0ug (May 7, 2015)

Most blood thinners are used to stop blood clots. Omega 3 fatty acids prevent heart attacks and strokes do to blood clots and it is not rat poison. Also if blood clots are present nattokinase which is from natto a Japaneses cheese will dissolve them better than drugs and last longer in the blood stream.


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## Josiah (May 7, 2015)

d0ug said:


> Most blood thinners are used to stop blood clots. Omega 3 fatty acids prevent heart attacks and strokes do to blood clots and it is not rat poison. Also if blood clots are present nattokinase which is from natto a Japaneses cheese will dissolve them better than drugs and last longer in the blood stream.



I'm a avid believer in the use of nutritional supplements to achieve health related goals and have been aware of the benefits of both omega3 and natto. But after surviving a couple of mini strokes and TIAs I concluded that I wanted to follow the most effective stroke prevention strategy available. I'm currently taking apixaban.


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## Happyflowerlady (May 13, 2015)

About 15 years ago, I developed CHF from my atrial fibrillation. At first they put me on Coumadin, which does have to be tested all of the time, and the amount adjusted. Then, I signed up for a research clinic and was put on apixaban. That was much easier, and you do not have to worry about eating foods that thin or thicken the blood.  It works by making the blood too slippery to clot rather than thinning it.
After my heart procedure last summer, they changed me over to Xaralto, which is about the same kind of medicine, and only one little pill every night. 
You do have to be careful about bleeding; but that is safer than taking a chance on having a stroke. Now that the cardioversion has stopped the a-fib; my cardiologist said they will take me off of the Xaralto once I have been better for a year. 

Coumadin (warfarin) comes from a mold found on grain. It was discovered when cows were fed grain from a silo that had moldy silage  in it, and the cows bled to death internally, and died. 
Once they discovered what was killing the cattle; they realized that it could also cause a rodent to bleed to death, so they made it into rat poison. 
Somewhere along the line, someone decided that if it were regulated, that it could be used to thin blood in people who were at risk of clotting. 
I definitely think that using fish oil, and other foods that naturally keep the blood thin is an excellent idea.


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## drifter (May 13, 2015)

After I had a heart attack and a stint inserted the doctor put me Plavix for one month, then took me off it and said to take a 325 full dose aspirin. I've been on this aspirin regimen since 1999. So far, so good.


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## Don M. (May 13, 2015)

drifter said:


> After I had a heart attack and a stint inserted the doctor put me Plavix for one month, then took me off it and said to take a 325 full dose aspirin. I've been on this aspirin regimen since 1999. So far, so good.



Most medical studies have shown that a daily baby aspirin is a good idea...especially as we get older.  My old Dad had a minor stroke when he was in his late 80's, and the doctors put him on Plavix.  He did OK for 3 or 4 years, then woke up one day feeling really bad.  He was rushed to the hospital where they found severe internal bleeding...seems that the Plavix had turned his blood vessels, etc., into Mush.  He was gone a few hours later.


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## Josiah (May 13, 2015)

There is no question that the extreme elderly (85+) are vulnerable to drugs that are easily tolerated by younger adults. I may be following in your father's footsteps, but I think I'd rather bleed to death than have a serious stroke.


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## ndynt (May 13, 2015)

I agree with you, Josiah. Death is preferable. Having had a stroke, when I was in my late 40's,,,, I now worry that another would result in being unable to care for myself.  Ending up in a nursing home or a burden on my children.


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## QuickSilver (May 14, 2015)

I have never had a stroke or a heart attack...  thank goodness..  however, I take a baby aspirin every single morning and have for years.  I also take CoQ10 the liquid version, and a Krill oil capsule.  It seems a very small thing to do as a preventative measure..


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## Goldfynche (May 13, 2016)

An old thread but I thought I'd pitch in anyway.

I had palpitations for many years, eventually diagnosed as Atrial Fibrillation. After juggling around with various medications I was eventually put on Wafarin. Then I was referred to the heart clinic at St. Bartholomews hospital in London where the head of the department is regarded as the doyen of affairs of the heart in the entire UK. He recommended that I had a Catheter Ablation. A procedure where they enter your body via the groin. Two small entry points. One for camera, the other for a laser. They travel up an appropriate artery direct to the offending heart chamber and sever a few errant muscles. The procedure is not always guaranteed to work first time, as was my case. But second time round my heart is now plodding along nicely at a slow steady rate. I am still on Bisoprolol and Rivoroxiban which I believe is another name for Xarelto. But enjoying a more or less normal steady existence.


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## Lon (May 13, 2016)

Goldfynche said:


> An old thread but I thought I'd pitch in anyway.
> 
> I had palpitations for many years, eventually diagnosed as Atrial Fibrillation. After juggling around with various medications I was eventually put on Wafarin. Then I was referred to the heart clinic at St. Bartholomews hospital in London where the head of the department is regarded as the doyen of affairs of the heart in the entire UK. He recommended that I had a Catheter Ablation. A procedure where they enter your body via the groin. Two small entry points. One for camera, the other for a laser. They travel up an appropriate artery direct to the offending heart chamber and sever a few errant muscles. The procedure is not always guaranteed to work first time, as was my case. But second time round my heart is now plodding along nicely at a slow steady rate. I am still on Bisoprolol and Rivoroxiban which I believe is another name for Xarelto. But enjoying a more or less normal steady existence.



I too had Atrial Fib (Lone Afib) for many years and had a Pulmonary Vein Ablation by Dr Andrea Natale (He Developed this particular procedure. I had this done in 2010 and was put on Xarelto after that as a precautionary measure. I always knew when I was in or out of Afib. It was like turning on or off a light switch. It's nice to be done with it.


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