Blood Thinners / Anti Coagulants

·        Prevention of deep vein thrombosis which may lead to pulmonary embolism,

·        Patients requiring abdominal surgery who are at risk for thromboembolism complications (e.g. patients >40 years of age, obesity, patients with malignancy, history of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, and surgical procedures requiring general anesthesia and lasting >30 minutes);

•      Prevention of DVT in patients undergoing joint-replacement surgery;
•      Patients immobile during an acute illness;
•      Patients who have an artificial heart valve;
•      Acute treatment of unstable angina or non-Q-wave myocardial infarction;
•      Treatment for heart attack and stoke where a clot is involved

Some common blood thinners are heparin (clexane) and warfarin.

Getting the blood to thin the right amount can be tricky. If it thins too much there is a risk you can bleed, not enough and the blood can still clot. This means you need to have regular blood tests to test the levels and may need to change your dosages.

Side effects to blood thinners are

•      Bleeding
•      Nose bleeds/ Bleeding gums
•      Easy bruising
•      Blood in Stools/ Urine
•      Asthma
•      Rash
•      Hypertension

If you notice any of these symptoms you should contact your doctor. For any bleeding or swelling/ bruising that will not stop, you should go to your nearest emergency department immediately.

Because of the risk of bleeding, you will need to tell and doctor or clinician that you are on anticoagulants. Medications can react against each other, so this needs to be taken into consideration when prescribing other medications. Likewise if you are to have surgery (oral included), then the increased chance of you bleeding also needs to be factored in.

You may need to take your blood thinner for different timeframes depending upon the reason you are required to take it. If it is to treat a blood clot in your legs, it will be until the clot has resolved, usually about 3-6 months. If it is because you have a new heart valve, you will need to take it for the rest of your life. It is best to discuss with your prescribing doctor how long you need to take any medications.