Has anyone had to be on a blood thinner while being on Avastin

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antcat
antcat Member Posts: 270
edited March 2014 in Ovarian Cancer #1
I'm presently on Avastin/Cytoxan. Last January, during my 3rd ovarian cancer surgery, I developed a small blood clot in my lung. The doctor immediately put me on a blood thinner and when I was released, I was put on Coumadin. I thought I would have gotten off of the blood thinner by now, but since I started on Avastin, the dr. put me on an injectable blood thinner, Fragmin. Has anyone been on this blood thinner while on Avastin? Or any information that could be shared would be appreciated.

Thanks.

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  • clamryn
    clamryn Member Posts: 508
    #2
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    I'm on it
    I am currently on coumadin (1mg) and I just started the Avastin. But I was put on the coumadin because of having the port put in.

    Linda
  • srwruns
    srwruns Member Posts: 343
    #3
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    I am on blood thinners but I
    I am on blood thinners but I am on Carbo/Taxol. I did injections for about a month. It is preferred because you don't have to do all the blood tests to monitor your INR (at least that was the case on Lovenox). It's very expensive (approx $1700 month) so most insurances won't cover it if you can be moved over to pills. I did not notice any day-to-day physical side effects from the blood thinners. However you do need to avoid things where you might get knocked around, bumps on the head. Watch for bleeding gums, stuff like that. Not sure about it's interaction with Avastin, if it is different than Carbo/Taxol.
  • antcat
    antcat Member Posts: 270
    #4
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    clamryn said:

    I'm on it
    I am currently on coumadin (1mg) and I just started the Avastin. But I was put on the coumadin because of having the port put in.

    Linda

    Hi Linda, thanks for responding. Did your doctor say anything that Coumadin had any interactions with the Avastin. I was previously on Coumadin and even though I had to do weekly blood tests, it was much better than these injections.

    Are you on Avastin alone? I'm on Avastin and an oral chemo drug, Cytoxan.

    Thanks.
  • antcat
    antcat Member Posts: 270
    #5
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    srwruns said:

    I am on blood thinners but I
    I am on blood thinners but I am on Carbo/Taxol. I did injections for about a month. It is preferred because you don't have to do all the blood tests to monitor your INR (at least that was the case on Lovenox). It's very expensive (approx $1700 month) so most insurances won't cover it if you can be moved over to pills. I did not notice any day-to-day physical side effects from the blood thinners. However you do need to avoid things where you might get knocked around, bumps on the head. Watch for bleeding gums, stuff like that. Not sure about it's interaction with Avastin, if it is different than Carbo/Taxol.

    Hi, thanks for answering. How long have you been on blood thinners? I've been on for a year now and am going to ask my dr. if I can get off. My insurance covers the injections but because of the injection, I get very black and blue. Are you on Coumadin? I was and for the dr. told me that the coumadin didn't interact with Avastin. But, he did say that maybe after 6 weeks, I could go back on Coumadin. I'd rather not take any blood thinners but if I had to choose between an injection which is given in the stomach or a pill, I'd take the pill anyday, even though I had to go for weekly blood tests with the INR.

    thanks.
  • srwruns
    srwruns Member Posts: 343
    #6
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    antcat said:

    Hi, thanks for answering. How long have you been on blood thinners? I've been on for a year now and am going to ask my dr. if I can get off. My insurance covers the injections but because of the injection, I get very black and blue. Are you on Coumadin? I was and for the dr. told me that the coumadin didn't interact with Avastin. But, he did say that maybe after 6 weeks, I could go back on Coumadin. I'd rather not take any blood thinners but if I had to choose between an injection which is given in the stomach or a pill, I'd take the pill anyday, even though I had to go for weekly blood tests with the INR.

    thanks.

    I have been on blood
    I have been on blood thinners since October 28th. I am on generic Coumadin..."Warfarin". It's not even clear I need to be on the thinners but they will do it until I finish chemo. Ten days after surgery I had some swelling in my left leg and went to the ER. They could not definitively DX a blood clot with ultra sound, but did find via CT scan I had a large post surgical lymphocele which was putting pressure on my ileiac vein and nerve thereby restricting blood flow which could be prime conditions to actually develop a clot. So I will be staying on it until chemo completion. Several other ladies have written about being on thinners while on chemo. While it's not common, it also is not uncommon to be on blood thinners during chemo. Right now with the start of the new year my insurance deductible must be met and those darn 10 minute appointments for the finger prick INR are costing me $200 a pop. The billing is for close to $400 and the insurance will cover $200 until I meet my out of pocket max. Can you imagine $400 for a 10 minute appointment. It's all nuts. I hated the injections too. We got it down to almost pain free but the emotional toll of a daily injection was such a reminder that I'm not well. The baldness bothers me a lot less than those daily injections. Susan

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