Here's dangerous warfarin side effects long term your doctor won't say...
...and how to avoid them!
The serious long term effects of warfarin depend partly on your age. Here’s what researchers say are the long term side effects of warfarin:
- Bleeding strokes, or brain strokes. (hemorrhagic strokes)
- Calcium build-up in the arteries and narrowing of the aortic valve that goes from the heart and carries oxygen to the body. (aortic valve stenosis)
- Alzheimers and dementia are higher in users of Coumadin long term. Especially if warfarin is used for heart irregularities, or AFIB.
Doctors usually tell people that taking warfarin can cause bleeding. But they may not tell you that brain bleeding strokes are among warfarin sideeffects!
- Warfarin is used to prevent strokes due to clotting. Such strokes, (ischemic) are much more common.
Instead, however, your risk of getting a bleeding stroke is increased!This type of brain bleed stroke is less common but these are also more deadly! And more likely the older you get!
Warfarin suppresses your body's normal ability to make blood clots. This is good, to prevent an unwanted blood clot on lung or legs -- or blood clots in brain -- which can cause a heart attack or stroke.
But warfarin can also prevent NORMAL clotting needed to heal a wound or injury!
Normal clotting is needed for healing a wound or injury - either internal or external. So if a weak blood vessel in the brain leaks or bursts it is more likely to cause a stroke. How?
- If blood leaks out it can cause pressure in or around the brain, depriving it of oxygen.This causes brain damage and a stroke, or bleeding stroke because the brain cannot work normally anymore.
Bleeding strokes are much less common than strokes from blockages, but these are more dangerous and more likely to be fatal!
The problem is that as you get older, the risk of getting one of these bleeding strokes increases dramatically!
Dangerous Warfarin Side Effects
Following is research for the main long term side effects of blood thinners causing bleeding strokes and hardening of the arteries.
But the list of unwanted warfarin side effects is growing!
- The risk is diabetes is higher with the use of these blood clot meds.
Also, an increased risk of Alzheimers and dementia is now among the side effects of blood thinners -- especially warfarin side effects.
The Stats on Warfarin Side Effects
University of Cincinnati researchers published a study in the medical journal Neurology, saying that:
- There has been a skyrocketing number of strokes due to bleeding in the brain in the U.S.
The majority of this change can be explained by increasingwarfarin use, according to researchers headed by Matthew Flaherty, a UCneurologist. 1
Yes, warfarin helps to prevent stokes due to blood clots, especially for people with heart irregularities, or AFIB, but appears that this is not the end of the story.
The number of brain strokes jumped five-fold in the 11 years between 1988 and 1999, when the use of warfarin quadrupled in the USA.
But it gets worse:
- For people who were over the age of 80, this rate for getting a brain stroke increased to an astounding eighteen-fold increase!
And also, these people were more likely to die with this type of stroke if they were on warfarin.
The researchers found that bleeding into the brain while takingwarfarin was more likely to result in death than for people with asimilar bleeding stroke who were NOT taking warfarin.
Also, there is a high rate of both death and disability for brain strokes caused by warfarin. These are offically known as "warfarin-induced intracranial hemorrhages."
Warfarin Side Effects: Hardened Arteries
Which warfarin long term side effects will your doctor not likely know about?
- German researchers found out in 2005 that long term use ofCoumadin produced increased calcium in the aortic valve and coronaryarteries when compared to patients not taking Coumadin.
"Hardening of the arteries" is therefore one of main Coumadinside effects, and this is more dangerous than other known "riskfactors." 2
Dangerous Warfarin Side Effects, WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
“Every patient on Coumadin is increasing the calcium content of all vascular tissues.
The calcium content of arteries is now proven to be moredangerous than diabetes, elevated cholesterol or hypertension -- we mustnow try to educate patients," says Dr. Garry Gordon, who wrote "TheOmega - Miracle."
Fortunately, there is help.
The new kid on the block, Vitamin K2, say researchers, plays animportant role in PREVENTING calcium from building up in the arteriesand even dissolving plaques!
(Not to be confused with vitamin K, the "clotting" vitamin, which has to do with warfarin, vitamin K2 is in charge of getting calcium into your bones rather than your arteries!)
New research is showing vitamin K2 to be one of the most important nutrients against heart disease. Why?
- Vitamin K2 helps regulate whether dietary calcium ends up in your bones rather than getting deposited in your arteries. 3
How to Avoid Warfarin Side Effects Long Term?
If you are taking the blood thinner medication Coumadin, you needcareful monitoring. If your INR is 3 or over you are at very high riskfor getting bleeding stroke that is fatal.
The researchers who sounded the alarm about the increase ofbleeding stokes due to warfarin side effects, found that the danger wasless for people with an INR of less than three.
An INR between 2 and 3 was safer.
They suggested that anyone with an INR of more than 3 getmonitored very carefully, because at 3 your blood takes a long time toclot.
INR, or international normalized ratio measures how quickly yourblood clots. Normal clotting without warfarin is 1, so that at 3 yourblood clots much more slowly -- the higher the INR the longer it takesfor your blood to clot.
You will want to know the signs of a mini stroke, and be prepared to go to the emergency.
No More Side Effects of Blood Thinners - Naturally?
How do you weigh the benefits and the dangers of warfarin?
- Strokes due to bleeding in the brain are increasing as a leading cause of death for strokes world wide. By comparison, there are fewer fatal strokes caused by blood clots.In total, bleeding stokes are more dangerous!
Why add natural heart supplements?
Warfarin has been used since the 1950's and 60's before the FDA required rigorous testing.Since then, there have been discoveries of safe Coumadin alternatives that can stop heart disease.
But because these are "natural" discoveries they cannot be patented by pharmacuetical companies for profits, so you may not have heard of them:
- U.S. scientists won the Nobel Prize for the role of Nitric Oxide in blood vessel healing an preventing blood clots.
- They also found that l-argininestimulates the body's own production of Nitric Oxide. But there was a catch!
Arginine on its own is not safe. It needs to be balanced with citrulline and antioxidants.
Dr Harryworked with the Nobel Prize winning doctor to develop this POWERFUL formula against blood clots and strokes.
Safe to take with or without blood clot meds!
SeeVIDEOS & ARTICLESby Dr. Harry: how to prevent anddissolve blood clots SAFELY and naturally.
Find out about Dr. Harry's ENHANCEDcardio formulato stop heart disease and stroke as aCoumadin alternative for dissolving blood CLOTS!
Can You Stop Taking Warfarin?
You can decrease your dosage and gradually stop usingit by increasing natural blood thinner foods and natural blood thinners supplements, while your doctor providesfeedback.
Stopping cold turkey is never a good idea because there is someevidence that Coumadin can have a “rebound” effect if you stop taking itsuddenly.
A "rebound" INCREASES your risk for blood clots for a month or so AFTER YOU STOP suddenly.
But the good news is that:
- There are many foods that act as natural blood thinners and many supplements that improve circulation and dissolve EXISTING blood clots, which warfarin does NOT do.
What to Know About a Restrictive Warfarin Diet
Because of Coumadin food interactions people often think they shouldnot eat greens – the very foods needed for staying healthy. But that’snot so. Why?
A proper diet for taking Coumadin simply needs a constant amount of greens and vegetable high in vitamin K. Why?
- Your green veggies -- high in vitamin K -- need to beCONSISTENT and kept at the same level, so as not to cause problems withyour coumadin dosage!
- The vitamin K in your diet simply needs to be kept at a constant level.
If greens go up or down suddenly you risk the dosage not beingright -- a Coumadin overdose is relatively easy because Coumadin has anarrow "window" where both over or under cause problems.
But because greens like lettuce, spinach, and other green leafyvegetables keep you healthy -- especially your arteries and your eyes -- you will want to find out more about thelevels of Vitamin k in foods from your pharmacist.
- Warfarin Side Effects: Coumadin and Alcohol?
To get to know the MANY Coumadin drug interactions, e.g. Coumadinand alcohol, Coumadin food interactions -- you'll want yourpharmacist’s long list of do’s and don'ts for warfarin side effects.
- A Coumadin alcohol reaction is typically a worry, but studies don't suggest a great concern.
So get moderate exercise and add healthy foods and natural supplements to improve your heart health and prevent strokes.
How can Warfarin "cause" a stroke?
Let us explain the puzzle of Warfarin. How can something you are taking to PREVENT a stroke, cause one?
You are taking Coumadin to PREVENT a stroke, yes?
So, how can bleeding strokes be among the side effects of warfarin?
This is because this blood thinner medication has, what’s known as a “narrow therapeutic range.”
This means that it is easy to take either too much or too little of it, with the “middle” being the “safe” range.
- With TOO LITTLE Coumadin dosage you get unwanted blood clots causing a stroke, but with TOO MUCH, amounting to a Coumadin overdose, you are instead in danger of another type of stroke called a “bleeding stroke.”
That is why your doctor regularly takes your INR, and recommends a warfarin diet – a warfarin vitamin k diet – to keep your vitamin K1, the “clotting vitamin” in a SAFE RANGE.
Getting your Coumadin dosage right is very tricky, but with a warfarin diet your risk of a Coumadin overdose causing bleeding, is less likely.
But there’s more…
Even if you get your Coumadin dosage right, here’s the kicker…
- Researchers also found that when people take Coumadin over an extended period of time, there’s MORE of a build-up of calcium in their arteries than in people who are NOT taking Coumadin to prevent blood clots.
- Now, in case you don’t immediately catch the irony of this situation of warfarin side effects…
A build-up of calcium in your arteries is a leading coronary heart disease, or hardening of the arteries!
This build-up of calcium causes a rigidity in, and a narrowing of your blood vessels, and this is likely to cause an unwanted event such as a heart attack or a stroke. How?
Calcified arteries are more likely to get blocked, and this can stop the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart or the brain, causing a heart attack or a stroke.
- If you are beginning to wonder if you can avoid warfarin side effects long term, such as a build-up of calcium, here the other half of the story you need to know…
Warfarin Side Effects: Bleeding & Spinal Cord Injury
My father is a case in point. Healthy, at the age of 83, he slipped and fell one day, and as a result never walked well again.
Why? Spinal cord bleeding caused damage -- the side effect of Coumadin -- that he was taking!
- As a result of these unexpected warfarin side effects, henever fully recovered.
My father, in his early eighties, faithfully took his prescriptions and followed his doctor’s orders to the letter.
While we were on a family road trip with him, he tripped on arise in the floor at our B & B, and he fell. He was not badly hurt,but he began to feel progressively worse.
We took him to two different hospitals where he was cleared for fractures.
Yet his condition worsened, so we took him to a bigger hospital.The emergency doctor there took one look at the list of meds he wastaking and said “we will have to operate within the next few days, or hewill never walk again.” Why?
There was bleeding in his neck, or spinal cord, causing seriousdamage. The doctor recognized bleeding as one of the warfarin sideeffects of Coumadin.
It was difficult to watch my father's abilities deteriorate, andto discover first hand these warfarin side effects -- of his Coumadinmedication.
Sensitivity Test for Warfarin Side Effects?
If you are concerned about the long term effects of Warfarin, youcan talk to your doctor about taking a a warfarin sensitivity test.
- About a third of the people who take warfarin are at a higherrisk of bleeding because their genetic makeup is more sensitive towarfarin.
If you're worried that you might be more sensitive to warfarinbecause a family member experienced side effects of blood thinners, talk to your doctorabout taking a warfarin sensitivity test.
- The test can tell if your genetics might increase your risk of bleeding.
This can prevent your getting a Coumadin overdose, improveyour chances of your doctor setting the right Coumadin dosage, and less worry about long term side effects warfarin for YOU!
Long Term Side Effects Warfarin: Natural Blood Thinner Supplements vs Side Effects of Blood Thinners
We hope our postings about warfarin side effects long term are helpful.
Hopefully you'll find a Coumadin alternative that suits your needs. Adding home remedies for blood clots may have more health benefits than you think!
There areCoumadin alternatives based on improving circulation, healing blood vessels and DISSOLVING existing blood clots!
With natural heart supplementsyou would no longer need a restrictive a warfarin diet -- a warfarin vitamin k diet, or a proper diet for taking coumadin.
If you are tired of folllowing a warfarin diet -- a warfarinvitamin k diet -- and worried about warfarin interactions, a possibleCoumadin overdose or stroke...
- And if it is hard for you to guard against Coumadin food interactions(coumadin and alcohol) as well as Coumadin drug interactions -- or justfind it hard to follow a proper diet for taking Coumadin...
- If you have mini stroke warning signs or simply want to find a healthy Coumadin substitute...
Be assured that science can help to make blood thinner medications safe. Taking proven supplements as home remedies for blood clots based on science are now possible!
You may ASK US:
About:
- Safe, natural blood thinners supplements for less worry about warfarin interactions.
- Research about dangerous warfarin side effects long term: calcification of the arteries, bleeding strokes, diabetes, Alzheimers and dementia.
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SOURCES:
1. The incidence of anticoagulant-associated intracerebral hemorrhage quintupled in our population during the 1990s. The majority of this change can be explained by increasing warfarin use.
2. Koos R et al: Relation of oral anticoagulation to cardiac valvular and coronary calcium assessed by multiple spiral computer tomography. (Amer J Cardiol.2005;96(6):747-749
3. Heart health benefits of vitamin k2 for preventing hardening of the arteries.
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