Please help my mum

[jessieandme2]

Hi Im wondering if there is anybody out there who can advise me. My mum has just been diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation and has been put on Warfrin, prio to this she was on Aspirin but has a slight stroke. She started her Warfrin on Monday and the first day was fine. However yesturday she could not keep awake, not just tired but had trouble pulling herself out of the deep sleep she had fallen into. She said her body felt about twenty stone, she was dizzy with blurred vision. She felt so ill, she thought she was going to die. She went to the docs and told him and his reply was 'stress and anxiety', she read the leaflet that came with this medication which explained that a serious side effect was some of which she was experiencing. It also said not be taken with hypertension and she has suffered from unstable blood pressure for the last few months. Please can anyone help with any advice or their own eperiences. Is there an alternative? Thanks Jane

[ryan_1984]

The only common side-effect of warfarin is hemorrhage (bleeding). The risk of severe bleeding is small but definite and any benefit needs to outweigh this risk when warfarin is considered as a therapeutic measure. Risk of bleeding is augmented if the INR is out of range (due to accidental or deliberate overdose or due to interactions), and may cause hemoptysis (coughing up blood), excessive bruising, bleeding from nose or gums, or blood in urine or stool.

also another sidaffect is:

Warfarin necrosis, This rare reaction occurs usually between the third and tenth days of therapy with warfarin derivatives

Another rare complication that may occur early during warfarin treatment (usually within 3 to 8 weeks) is purple toe syndrome. This condition is thought to result from small deposits of cholesterol breaking loose and flowing into the blood vessels in the skin of the feet, which causes a blueish purple color and may be painful

so i dont think it could be the warfarin i would get a second opinion though just to be on the safeside xx

[kwicky]

This is a web site giving many details of your Mum's condition and also using Warfarin for the problem

http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/booths /AF.html

[taliesin238]

I am sorry to hear about your mum! I have got atrial fibrillation and i have had two cardioversions. I am 29 years old now but my condition is due to a congenital heart disease that i have but people can get fibrillation from different things. Sometimes the heart just goes out of rhythm wihtout any real clue why. I was on warfarin for a whole year but did not have any side effects. the atrial fibrillatin itself can cause the most frightening and strange sensations itself. I had panic attacks, sudden feelings of giddiness and fainting, sudden tiredness, pins and needles, shaking, palpitations, the list was endless. I can only suggest that it is the actual condition that is making your mother feel like she has been. the amount of times i took myself to casualty because i kept on thinking i was having a heart attack i cannot count! But they always reasured me and told me that i was not going crazy or turning into a hypocondriac! I would recomend that you keep explaining to the doctors just how your mother is feeling! Dont ever feel afraid to keep hastlening the doctors for reasurance!! that is what they are there for!! Hope this is of some help to you!! All the best for the future!!

[jessieandme2]

Thankyou all so much for your replies. You have helped me understand what my mum is going through. The feelings she was experiencing was because she had a very low blood pressure. I suppose I just paniced. But thankyou anyway for all of your support. I wish you all well. janex