A Clearinghouse for Information about Blood Clots (DVT/)PE) and Clotting Disorders (thrombophilia) provided as a public service by the University of North Carolina Blood Research Center

Tag: warfarin

  • Hair Loss on Warfarin

    How common is it? Hair loss is a known side effect of warfarin, but has hardly been studied [ref 1]. Solid data on how frequently it occurs, on its time-course, and on treatments are  not available. Mild hair loss appears to be common, severe hair loss uncommon, complete hair loss has not been reported.

  • Hair Loss on Warfarin

    How common is it? Hair loss is a known side effect of warfarin (Coumadin®, Jantoven®), but has hardly been studied [ref 1]. Solid data on how frequently it occurs, on its time-course, and on treatments are  not available. Mild hair loss appears to be common, severe hair loss uncommon, complete hair loss has not been…

  • Dental Work on Warfarin

    A number of dental procedures can be done safely withouthaving to discontinue warfarin. A clinically helpful table is can be found here: Dental procedures and Warfarin (from ref 1).

  • Xarelto® – Good News

    Summary Good news. A major study published in December 2010 in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) shows that the new oral “blood thinner” Xarelto® (=Rivaroxaban) is (a) as safe and effective as warfarin in patients with acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and (b) is quite effective in preventing recurrent blood clots (DVT…

  • Safe Pain Medications on Warfarin

    Certain pain medications increase the risk of bleeding in patients on warfarin (coumadin®, Jantoven).  Two mechanism can be at play: (1) non-steroidal pain medications (NSAIDs = non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) may lead to gastritis which can lead to bleeding into the stomach, made worse by being on “blood thinners”, and (2) pain medications taken on a…

  • INRs that Fluctuate

    Background and summary Quite a few patients on warfarin have unstable, i.e. significantly fluctuating INRs, making warfarin therapy quite cumbersome.  The cause of such fluctuations is often not clear.  However, the following causes should be considered. Solutions how to deal with fluctuating INRs are also listed below.

  • Dental Work on Warfarin

    A common question from patients and dentists is whether warfarin needs to be interrupted at times of dental procedures, such as cleaning or pulling of teeth or root canals. Medical publications and recommendations from the dental community outlining best management of patients on warfarin exist (ref 1-6). However, even though evidence suggests that stopping warfarin for…

  • Warfarin therapy made easier

    Background and Summary Patients on warfarin can test their own INR (International Normalized Ratio) at home with small, handheld INR monitors, similar to diabetics checking their own blood sugar. A very large, well conducted study published on Oct 21, 2010 in the New England Journal of Medicine (ref 1) shows that patients can safely and…