Since my carotid artery dissection (Nov 2006) I’ve been on Coumadin.The doctors that are monitering me for FMD aren’t sure how long I will be on it. Hopefuly after my University consults they will have a better idea and more info to go on. My INR has been so up and down they are still trying to fine tune the dosage.My question is for the people that have had dissections from FMD…Are you most of you on blood thinners and BP/ meds? And if you are is it for lifetime?Hope that makes sense.Thanks in advance for any info.
Lucy
From: sweetcinda fmd-cpt6278@lists.careplace.com
Date: 2007/10/16 Tue PM 02:57:01 CDT
To: adkarmon@verizon.net
Subject: Re: [fmd] Blood Thinners
I had a carotid dissection in 2000. It formed a bloodclot. They put me on Coumedian to dissolve the clot. I was on it for 9 months. It started to affect my liver so I had to go off of it. They were very afraid to use it since I just had a aneurysm rupture. But they had to dissolve the clot. I felt very bad the whole time I was on Coumedian. When I questioned how I felt- they put it off on the rupture. About 2 days after going off of it- I woke up with a weird feeling of something being wrong. I cautiously got out of bed and moved carefully. After a few hrs then I realized the strange feeling was the Coumedian out of my system. Yes- I felt great and that was the strangeness. I hope that I never have to use it again. You need an explanation for being on Coumadian. Do you have a clot? I believe most of us are on aspirin or Plavix. My sugeon admitted he did not know the correct course of treatment. He confered with another specialist out of town. Has your Dr talked with anyone? I am not a medical person but I would find out why he chose Coumedian.
Hi Lucy,
My name is Carol and I’m an RN with FMD of the renal arteries. I was put on Plavix for one month when I had angioplasty and they dissected my right renal artery and had to stent it. Now I just take aspirin. The reason that MDs usually put patients on Coumadin and Plavix is when the risk of a blood clot is very high or a person has a known blood clot. All MDs have a different opinion as to what the accepted protocol is in a given situation. It’s always a good idea to question a physicians reason for prescribing a certain drug, and if they act annoyed-get another doctor!!
Good Luck!
Carol
---- onekidneygal fmd-cpt6278@lists.careplace.com wrote:
Hi Lucy, I have never been on coumadin, but my father and his wife have. They both went off it as they felt so bad. My father has been fine, and it seems the asprin really works for him. He had a tia and has had to endarectomy’s. But his wife went into the hosptial with a minor stroke. She refused the coumadin, then had a major stroke and did not make it.
I agree with Melva, you need to know why you are on it and how long? Seems to me there are quite a few folks who have had the dissections and are only on the coumadin and plavix (for different reasons) for specific time periods. Not usually forever. So ask those questions. I did learn from my fathers wife stubborness though, if I am in the hospital and they fight me to give a drug, they do have the degree so I will take it.
Good luck to your answers!
oxoxoxmimi
Hi! I have been on coumadin since 1994 (age 42) when I had several strokes. The cause was determined to be fibromuscular dysplasia of an artery in the right side of my brain and more than likely congentital.
I was told this was preventative in nature to prevent ever throwing a clot. My dose is not too high and I am monitored monthly or more if my dose is adjusted.
My FMD is not an operable situation and I am grateful to do whatever it takes for a long life that is stroke free!
Cin
I don't know how new this is, but for anyone with anneurysms it maybe an idea. for those who have anneurysms that cannot be reached for surgery. Minimally-Invasive Treatment Coil Embolization or Endovascular Coiling Endovascular therapy is a minimally invasive procedure that accesses the treatment area from within the blood vessel. In the case of aneurysms, this treatment is called coil embolization, or "coiling". In contrast to surgery, endovascular coiling does not require open surgery. Instead, physicians use real-time X-ray technology, called fluoroscopic imaging, to visualize the patient's vascular system and treat the disease from inside the blood vessel.
Here is the link.
www.brainaneurysm.com/aneurysm-treatment.html