Question:
Anyone taking coumadin or blood thinning medications

I am in the process of testing for wls. I read the memorial page and am very concerned about blood clots. Has anyone taken coumadin or blood thinners after surgery . I am so nervous and want this surgery so bad but I guess I shouldn't have read the memorial page. Please I need some encouragement.    — Maureen M. (posted on January 12, 2003)

January 12, 2003
I did! I took them for 2 weeks twice a day. I don't remember the name but I do remember the shots. I never even felt the needle. They were no big deal. I was unable to walk very far after surgery that is why I had to take them. Everything worked out fine. I was down 71pds in 6 weeks.
   — dkinson

January 12, 2003
Standard practice for this surgery is to give you a "blood thinner" pre-op and generally while you are in the hospital--along with wearing anti-embolic stockings. The key is to move around as soon as you able, to keep the blood from pooling thus causing clot formation. Discharging on blood thinners is a whole other issue that would require subsequent bloodwork and follow-up, that would be specific to your needs and health history and not general practice for the overall WLS patient. Hope this helps.
   — Wannabe A.

January 12, 2003
Dear Maureen, I too had the same exact fear after reading the memorial page. I had my surgery on Dec 27th 2002 and one of the things I loved about my surgeon is that he prescribes PLAVIX (a blood thinner)for 30 days following surgery. After the 30 days is up, he said that I could take baby asprin, one per day. He gave a blood thinning shot 2 hours prior to surgery and I received shots for the two days I was in the hospital. I also made sure I walked and walked and still continue to do so. The memorial page is tough, I was obssesed by it for soooooo long. I put my life in God's hands and still pray for a complication free recovery Lisa :-)
   — Pizofret

January 12, 2003
Dear Maureen, I too had the same exact fear after reading the memorial page. I had my surgery on Dec 27th 2002 and one of the things I loved about my surgeon is that he prescribes PLAVIX (a blood thinner)for 30 days following surgery. After the 30 days is up, he said that I could take baby asprin, one per day. He gave a blood thinning shot 2 hours prior to surgery and I received shots for the two days I was in the hospital. I also made sure I walked and walked and still continue to do so. The memorial page is tough, I was obssesed by it for soooooo long. I put my life in God's hands and still pray for a complication free recovery Lisa :-)
   — Pizofret

January 12, 2003
Dear Maureen, I too had the same exact fear after reading the memorial page. I had my surgery on Dec 27th 2002 and one of the things I loved about my surgeon is that he prescribes PLAVIX (a blood thinner)for 30 days following surgery. After the 30 days is up, he said that I could take baby asprin, one per day. He gave a blood thinning shot 2 hours prior to surgery and I received shots for the two days I was in the hospital. I also made sure I walked and walked and still continue to do so. The memorial page is tough, I was obssesed by it for soooooo long. I put my life in God's hands and still pray for a complication free recovery Lisa :-)
   — Pizofret

January 12, 2003
I am on coumadin right now, I also am starting my journey for WLS. I am waiting for my insurance company to approve the surgery. I do not know why you are on coumadin now, I had a stroke from a blood clot I have or had on my heart, and the piece of clot passed through my optical causing me to be blind on the left side of both eyes. I asked my doctor how it would work, and he said that I would have to go off the coumadin for the surgery, usally it is about 3 days before the surgery, and that they would give me heprin so that I would not have blood clots in my legs after surgery, about having to go back on coumadin after surgery he said he would have to see, watch me real close and be sure to take protin test to see what my P/T levels are, there was always a possiblity that I would not have to go back on coumadin. That would almost be as great as having the WLS. Hope that helped.
   — cindy

January 12, 2003
I would offer some advice if you are currently on coumadin or any other anticoagulation therapy. I took coumadin 7.5mg per day prior to my surgery. Because of my history of 2 DVT (deep vein thrombosis) episodes, my surgeon required me to get a Greenfield Vena Cava filter installed. After surgery, we got my coumadin levels back to where they should be, and my doc and I both assumed everything was fine, so we only monitored it once per month. Turns out, vitamin K is a fat soluable vitamin. I lost over 100 pounds in just under 6 months, releasing a ton of vitamin K into my system. Vitamin K counteracts the effects of coumadin. So... while on coumadin, I recently developed a huge blood clot that extended from the top of my right hip inside my pelvis, all the way up to where the filter had been installed in my vena cava. Had my surgeon not insisted that I have this filter installed, I would probably be a dead man now. So the moral of this story is... if you have clotting issues, yes the surgery can be done safely. However, -insist- that your PCP monitor your blood levels weekly or bi-weekly during the rapid weight loss phase, because your weight loss can severley mess with the dosage you should be getting of blood thinners. All is well with me now, and the clot is stabilized and dissolving, but I thank God everyday that my surgeon insisted that I have filter installed. It probably saved my life.
   — Greg P.

January 13, 2003
I'm on warfarin (generic blood thinner) now but was not when I had my surgery. I had my surgery on 7/5/02 with NO complications. However, on 8/29/02 I ended up at an emergency room with blood clots (multiple) in my lungs. Only symptom was EXTREME shortness of breath. I was in the hospital for 6 days on Heparin IV and have since been on warfarin. I've seen a pulmonary specialist and things are good. I'm hoping to go off the warfarin soon. My perspective is to discuss this at length with both your surgeon and your PCP. Make sure you understand what the symptoms are and what to watch for. I was told by the cardiologist at the hospital that the people who die from blood clots are the ones who don't get to a hospital quickly enough. Usually if someone makes it to the hospital, they survive the PEs. I have no history of blood clotting problems, heart problems or anything that would make me a candidate for blood clots other than weight and recent surgery, but I got some. I was very lucky but you can bet I'll be the first one at the ER if I feel funny about anything if I have any other surgery in the future.
   — jutymo