blood clots

antcat
antcat Member Posts: 270
in Ovarian Cancer #1
Last year I developed a small blood clot during my oc surgery. For 1 year I was on Coumadin. Has anyone received chemotherapy and been on coumadin? I understand that blood clots usually dissolve within 6 months and would eventually like to get off of a blood thinner. If anyone has had any experience with this please let me know. Thanks.

Comments

  • srwruns
    srwruns Member Posts: 343
    #2
    Yes, I am on blood thinners
    Yes, I am on blood thinners since October 24th (2 wks after surgery). The Dr. will keep me on the regular regime of 6 months. I have been receiving chemo during this time. I have two more chemos to go. I haven't had any problems that have popped up in regards to the thinners, other than the frequent INR checking. Sometimes I get the finger prick test and other times it conincides with my lab work for chemo so they just draw another vial. In early Dec. I had a UTI and at that time it was difficult to stabiize my INR...it went way high, common when you are feverish. Luckily it didn't go so high as to require intervention. It's actually been hard to get me up to the 2-3 range. It's a long story but I was never definitively DX with a clot but they treated me as if I had one anyway. The biggest draw back for me is limiting some of the activities I might do: biking outside; climbing; skiing. The dietary restrictions were no biggies because the foods high in vitamin K I wouldn't be eating huge amounts of them anyway. I too, will be glad to be off them just because of the risk factors. As far as making me physically "feel" a certain way...haven't noticed anything like that.
  • antcat
    antcat Member Posts: 270
    #3
    srwruns said:

    Yes, I am on blood thinners
    Yes, I am on blood thinners since October 24th (2 wks after surgery). The Dr. will keep me on the regular regime of 6 months. I have been receiving chemo during this time. I have two more chemos to go. I haven't had any problems that have popped up in regards to the thinners, other than the frequent INR checking. Sometimes I get the finger prick test and other times it conincides with my lab work for chemo so they just draw another vial. In early Dec. I had a UTI and at that time it was difficult to stabiize my INR...it went way high, common when you are feverish. Luckily it didn't go so high as to require intervention. It's actually been hard to get me up to the 2-3 range. It's a long story but I was never definitively DX with a clot but they treated me as if I had one anyway. The biggest draw back for me is limiting some of the activities I might do: biking outside; climbing; skiing. The dietary restrictions were no biggies because the foods high in vitamin K I wouldn't be eating huge amounts of them anyway. I too, will be glad to be off them just because of the risk factors. As far as making me physically "feel" a certain way...haven't noticed anything like that.

    What Chemo regimen are you on with blood thinners from srwruns
    Thank you for responding. I'm presently on Avastin and Ctyoxan and getting a Fragmin injection. I would rather be on the coumadin but was told that it was safer to be on Fragmin at this time. It's really hard getting injections and I'm hoping to be off of it soon.

    Thanks again.
  • srwruns
    srwruns Member Posts: 343
    #4
    antcat said:

    What Chemo regimen are you on with blood thinners from srwruns
    Thank you for responding. I'm presently on Avastin and Ctyoxan and getting a Fragmin injection. I would rather be on the coumadin but was told that it was safer to be on Fragmin at this time. It's really hard getting injections and I'm hoping to be off of it soon.

    Thanks again.

    Hi. I'm on first line
    Hi. I'm on first line chemo, carbo/taxol, every three weeks. I was on Lovenox injections for the first 18 days and asked to get switched to oral meds simply because of quality of life. I hated the daily injections...didn't really have pain from them, it was a mental and emotional toll of the daily injections. My insurance was willing to cover the Lovenox injections which are expensive, and the medical folks all say that is the "gold standard" as you don't have to have the INR and the constant juggling with dose levels. They didn't indicate that there were different interactions given the chemo regime. If they had said that the oral meds diminished effectiveness of my chemo I would have stuck with the injections. I do not know if there are counter indications of your chemos and oral meds or if it is the same issue that the injections are considered a safer option overall as a blood thinner. Good luck with your options!

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