09/18/2024 / By Olivia Cook
Blood thinners, or anticoagulants, are used to prevent blood clots that can lead to serious health issues. Doctors often prescribe blood thinners to reduce a person’s risk of suffering from the following:
Despite their intended benefits, severe bleeding from blood thinners like heparin, dabigatran and warfarin is now a leading cause of death in U.S. emergency rooms, according to a Duke University cardiologist.
Although blood thinners are a crucial medication for some, they unfortunately cause serious side effects. Blood thinners come in two main types:
These medications slow down blood clotting by interfering with certain chemical reactions in your body. The main classes of anticoagulants include heparin, newer direct oral anticoagulants and vitamin K antagonists like warfarin.
Warfarin, in particular, can cause severe bleeding in the brain, digestive tract and eyes. Other reported side effects include altered taste, bloating, gas, nausea, stomach pain and vomiting. (Related: Brain bleeding from use of anticoagulant increasing since the 1990s, researchers report.)
Patients prescribed warfarin must be informed of its potentially dangerous interactions with foods, supplements and other medications, including antibiotics, antifungals, herbal products (like garlic and turmeric), vitamin K-rich foods, vitamin E and other anticoagulants and antiplatelets. (Related: Bye bye Coumadin, so long Plavix – Say hello to five natural blood thinners that protect against strokes and blood clots.)
These are medications that prevent blood cells called platelets from sticking together and forming clots. Aspirin is a well-known example of an oral antiplatelet, along with cilostazol (Pletal), clopidogrel (Plavix), dipyridamole (Persantine), pentoxifylline (Trental), prasugrel (Effient) and ticagrelor (Brilinta). Injectable antiplatelets include eptifibatide (Integrilin) and tirofiban (Aggrastat).
The most common side effects of antiplatelet medications include aspirin-induced asthma, blood in urine, difficulty breathing, easy bruising, low platelet count, nasal polyps, nosebleeds and severe stomach bleeding.
Interactions to watch out for include alcohol, diuretics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and steroids.
Here are some key points to consider if you’re on blood thinners:
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Watch the following video to learn more about the potential risks of using blood thinning medications.
This video is from the Daily Videos channel on Brighteon.com.
Blood clots: Everything you need to know (and ways to prevent them.)
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