The most common anticoagulation drug prescribed after heart valve surgery is warfarin (Coumadin). The newer blood thinners are apixaban and dabigatran, also known as Pradaxa and are expensive. The main concern is that specific antidotes for bleeding are available for warfarin but not yet developed for the new drugs.
Hope this helped and do keep us posted.
Futher to discussion re warfarin & eyebleeds (bleeds in eye), I have fairly frequent eybleeds which I find rather scary! The bleed usually continues for at least 2 days & takes over a week to clear. They have become worse & more frequent since I started on warfarin 2005. My INR tends to fluctuate & on 17/12/08 was 2.37. My current warfarin dose is 8 mg daily. Does this problem get worse over time?
I don't know about "normal," but if the regimen of warfarin and Plavix is working for you, then great. Your goal is to find something that works. Have you been tested for clotting disorders? Your story makes me wonder about that, especially if the stroke happened to be due to a clot.
- why a clot should form in my heart when the muscles were damaged six years back and considering that I am on aspirin+clopidogrel which too have anti clotting function.
- warfarin may be slightly better as compared to aspirin+ clopidogrel, but in my case with no AF, does it makes sense getting into this risky business of conatantly monitoring of INR and fear of bleeding.
- I have seen on net some other drugs in market which are equally good as warfarin with lower risk of bleeding.
The other option is Coumadin which we have used for years and are most comfortable with but you have blood monitoring at least once a month and more often in the initial time period when you first get started on it. Dabigatran (Pradaxa) at 110 mg twice daily is equivalent dosing to Coumadin and actually there was less bleeding in the trials as compared to Coumadin. 150mg twice daily has higher bleeding risk so I wouldn't use that dose in you.
t answer your question but I had a PVI ablation for afib in February and have been on Warfarin for the past 2 months. When I went to get my initial IRN check, the nurse explained to me that there were different classes of drugs (I think 8) that worked on coagulation. Heparin was one, aspirin was another, then Coumadin/Warfarin, Plavix, etc. She explained that I had to be on the Warfarin and aspirin while healing because these were the drugs best suited to my condition.
Given that yesterday he said to not take the warfarin he was changing me from the genertic warfarin and putting me on the brand name of the med coumadin. Said some folks do not tolerate warfarin well but do well on coumadin and i am to start the coumadin today. I would be lying if i didn't say i am a bit gunshy at this point. This med has made me absolutely miserable and today is my 43rd bday...
continue warfarin therapy, withhold warfarin therapy for a period of time before and after the procedure, or temporarily withhold warfarin therapy and also provide a "heparin bridge" during the perioperative period. Which management option to follow is primarily determined by the characteristics of the patient and by the nature of the procedure.
This is really a question only your doctor/s can answer - they know your complete medical history, other meds and know the risks/benefits of either med. So please contact your doctor for their advice.
Best of luck!
heparin is used because it acts immediately. Warfarin might be given, but it takes a day or two to begin working.
But heparin is given by injection or instead usually by IV, so it's not practical except when the patient is in the hospital. Warfarin is oral.
IV is better because the dose that is delivered to the bloodstream is more sure. Injecting heparin into the body can results in variable dosing, depending on the nature of where the heparin is injected (e.g.
Recommended
