Coumadin and Hair Loss

Anyone losing their hair while on Coumadin?

Does it grow back?

Thanks!

Ron
Denver

I have been on coumadin since Aug. and have been losing my hair. I'm hoping to be off this drug in March....I'm hoping my hair comes back.

Hey guys, have you have your thyroid checked - that is one of the main reasons for hair loss. A simple blood test can check to make sure your Thyroid is working properly. Im sorry but I never had a patient lose their hair while taking Coumadin so I dont have another answer for it.

Laurie - not to go against your advise, but almost every other forum I go to for Coumadin, all the patients experience hair loss, including myself.

http://www.robprince.net/dvt/forum.asp...

and

http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp...

My hair was thin before, but is really thin now. I have been on Coumadin since Aug07 and my haircut just keeps getting shorter and shorter because of it. It's sad, but I do have hair at least. I'm thinking about hair extensions if it gets any worse. No thyroid issues either.

I hope this helps Ron, you are not alone. Most of us have this issue at some point.

I hope you are doing well.

Ron,
I was on coumadin too, just got off it a couple days ago. I had such thick hair before that I had to keep it long (almost to my fanny)- any way... After 6 months of losing it - every day - it falls out - and is still falling out... I now have short hair, and it is quite thin - I was told that it is the coumadin - NO... not anything else - have had all my blood tested and all sorts of other tests, and it did start with the coumadin. Any way... I hope it grows back... I'll try to check back in a while and let you know. One thing more important than the hair though is the bleeding. You all be careful. I had to go off coumadin because my body just couldn't handle it. I was bleeding inside and out - bruising... you name it. My mom had the same genetic heart condition I have and she was on coumadin for a year or so - she died... I was on it for only 7 months, and I was really getting ill. Tired, weak, and bleading... So just keep an eye on your levels and your body. Take care and God bless.

I am on Warfarin since last year beacause of Afib. The dosage is either increased or decreased depending on the ptt/inr levels. I am on 4mg per day. I have been advised not to eat any green vegetables for now. The last inr level was 7.8, now it's a 2.1 reading. I just went for a blood test on 8/22/08. The doctor will call to let me know what the results will be on Sat., 8/23/08. When the inr levels start to rise I start to cough while I am sleeping. I'll spit blood, the inside of my cheeks might a bruise or two, my throat becomes soar and feel that something is stuck in the back of my throat. I just had this episode one week ago. Luckily, my family doctor sent me to an ENT the same day I was experiencing a problem with my throat. The ENT thinks it's a throat infection. I was on antibiotics and steroids for a week. Whatever was in my throat is gone. I experienced the same episode in the month of Feruary of this year except that the problem was worse than the second episode. I could not swallow and when I looked at my throat in the bathroom mirror I noticed dark red to blueish black colors. I rushed to the hospital immediately. I was prescribed antibiotics and steroids. And to make my life miserable, my thumb and right hand swelled about 1 and 1/2 times the reg size. I could not move my thumb and right hand for about four hours. My hand and thumb was in pain. Then to top it off, from my wrist to about 6 inches of my hand bruises began to develop. Other areas of my hand had small bruises. I attribute all this to the Warfarin. My family doctor agreed with me 100%. I also take: Atelenol 75mg, Plavix 75mg, Enalapril 2.5mg,Simvastatin 20mg, 1 vitamin per day. As long as I have AFib I have to continue to take Warfarin. I developed a bad case of AFib in early January of this year. My Cardiologist referred me to another Cardiologist at the hospital for consultation. The doctor at the hospital is considering having me admitted to have my heart zapped with electricity to bring the heart back to regular rhthym. At this point the doctor increased the dosage of Atelenol from 50mg to 75mg to slow the heart rate. The doctor performed a EKG. The readings show 100 beats per minutes. The doc says my heart should be beating about 70 beats per minutes while I am resting. I do get winded when I walked up and down the stairs or go for a long walk.

Will - sorry but your doctor sounds like an idiot. First of all, you can eat whatever you want while your on Coumadin - you just need to monitor the amount of Vita K you take in. Secondly, your INR most likely hit 7.8 because Im guessing the doctors didnt adjust your coumadin while you were on the steroids and the antibiotics which can shoot and INR thru the roof! Third, if your doctors didnt hold your coumadin with an INR of 7.8 OR give you Vita K to bring it down quickly especially because you were having symptoms, they should be slapped. Its easy for the doctors to blame it all on the Coumadin when it is THEIR error and they should go back to school. Another question for you: why are you taking Plavix and Coumadin just for Afib - that is ridiculous! It also sounds to me like you had a reaction to the antibotic - the swelling of your thumb- that is not from coumadin. I hope I have given you some information to really question your doctors about.

Laurie
The INR went up before I was taking the antibiotics and the steriods. I am taking Plavix because of two stents that were planted in the main artery of my heart in 2004. I have been experiencing some weird things ever since I was put on Coumadin. This medicine is rat poisin. The doctor told not to drink no more than 1 glass of wine per day while on coumadin. Before I was taking coumadin I would drink whatever I wanted.

Will - coumadin is rat poison but in small doses as is taken with coumadin it is life saving. Just as many other medications that are on the market today. We live in a world that the cleaning products in our homes contain more toxic chemicals and poisons than anyone is aware and cause more deaths. It is just easier to blame a medication than it is the doctor who is to be regulating it. As with most drugs - alcohol interferes with them and can either enhance or reduce the medications effects - be grateful you can have one a day :)

Laurie from Crown Point - it sounds as if you might be a doctor. I have been on coumadin for 3 years and 3 months with a lifetime to go. Although there are plenty of restrictions and some life style changes - it beats the likelihood of death. I too have been experiencing and noticing hair thinning. Although I have not discussed this with my doctor, a dermatologist insists there is not connection between this and coumadine. I intend to discuss this with my doctor in May when we review everything. If there is a connection, I will certainly ask about switching, if possible.

Will, I was diagnosed with afib July of 2007 and was put on warfarin along with other meds to control it. My doctors here and the ones in Philly cardio averted my heart three times with success that only lasted two weeks each time. Then it went back into afib again then one of my doctors in philly mentioned a procedure called heart ablation which they go in and scar the heart to prevent the afib from coming back I had that done last April and happy to say I've been in sinus rhythm ever since. You may get lucky and stay in rhythm after they cardio avert you but if not the other option would be the heart ablation it's helped me.

Will wrote:

I am on Warfarin since last year beacause of Afib. The dosage is either increased or decreased depending on the ptt/inr levels. I am on 4mg per day. I have been advised not to eat any green vegetables for now. The last inr level was 7.8, now it's a 2.1 reading. I just went for a blood test on 8/22/08. The doctor will call to let me know what the results will be on Sat., 8/23/08. When the inr levels start to rise I start to cough while I am sleeping. I'll spit blood, the inside of my cheeks might a bruise or two, my throat becomes soar and feel that something is stuck in the back of my throat. I just had this episode one week ago. Luckily, my family doctor sent me to an ENT the same day I was experiencing a problem with my throat. The ENT thinks it's a throat infection. I was on antibiotics and steroids for a week. Whatever was in my throat is gone. I experienced the same episode in the month of Feruary of this year except that the problem was worse than the second episode. I could not swallow and when I looked at my throat in the bathroom mirror I noticed dark red to blueish black colors. I rushed to the hospital immediately. I was prescribed antibiotics and steroids. And to make my life miserable, my thumb and right hand swelled about 1 and 1/2 times the reg size. I could not move my thumb and right hand for about four hours. My hand and thumb was in pain. Then to top it off, from my wrist to about 6 inches of my hand bruises began to develop. Other areas of my hand had small bruises. I attribute all this to the Warfarin. My family doctor agreed with me 100%. I also take: Atelenol 75mg, Plavix 75mg, Enalapril 2.5mg,Simvastatin 20mg, 1 vitamin per day. As long as I have AFib I have to continue to take Warfarin. I developed a bad case of AFib in early January of this year. My Cardiologist referred me to another Cardiologist at the hospital for consultation. The doctor at the hospital is considering having me admitted to have my heart zapped with electricity to bring the heart back to regular rhthym. At this point the doctor increased the dosage of Atelenol from 50mg to 75mg to slow the heart rate. The doctor performed a EKG. The readings show 100 beats per minutes. The doc says my heart should be beating about 70 beats per minutes while I am resting. I do get winded when I walked up and down the stairs or go for a long walk.

To my knowledge while coumadin is a component in rat poison it is not the only ingredient, it also contains tiny shards of glass which mixed with the coumadin makes them bleed out.

Laurie wrote:

Will - coumadin is rat poison but in small doses as is taken with coumadin it is life saving. Just as many other medications that are on the market today. We live in a world that the cleaning products in our homes contain more toxic chemicals and poisons than anyone is aware and cause more deaths. It is just easier to blame a medication than it is the doctor who is to be regulating it. As with most drugs - alcohol interferes with them and can either enhance or reduce the medications effects - be grateful you can have one a day :)

Laurie wrote:

Hey guys, have you have your thyroid checked - that is one of the main reasons for hair loss. A simple blood test can check to make sure your Thyroid is working properly. Im sorry but I never had a patient lose their hair while taking Coumadin so I dont have another answer for it.

Interesting you said to me that coumadin doesnt effect thyroid and that it was just familial but now you're suggesting to people to see an endocrinologist and checking thyroid...who r u?

I am an anticoagulation therapist and I have patients who have hair loss after starting Coumadin. I also have many patients who have no hair loss. It is impossible to predict who will or will not get this side affect. People who have hair loss from hypothyroidism usually have seriously elevated TSA's. Which is a test used to detect that disease.
Many medications and medical conditions affect Coumadin. Also anticoagulation clinics follow this medication very will. You may want to see if there is one in your area.

I have had afib since 2003. I have been taking coumadin and do experience major hair loss. I lose handfulls when I wash my hair and connot keep up with the hair on the bathroom floor after just brushing. I just had a pulmonary vein ablation to take care of the afib and rid myself of all the meds I take for it! I also experience bruising, fatigue and heavy periods. Afib has seriously effected my quality of life for the last six years - I have had 4 cardioversions which were successful for a time - the last one only lasted 2 weeks. I have severe anxiety from feeling like a time bomb waiting to go off.This is why I was sent for an ablation.

As a person with heart problems since 1997 I feel for all of you about the coumadin. Fortunately, I was bald before and have even more face to wash now. Also I did loose most of the hair on my lower legs and it is not PAD. I have had three ablations and three cardioversions.(Three different doctors in Kansas City and Austin). Still on the warfin until Sept as my last cardioversion was in July only three months after my last ablation. I would suggest to anyone taking meds for anything that you question your Doctor and make him justify each and every one of them and them and let him know that you intend to get an independent second opinion. It's your life and the three minutes that most docs give you on an office visit is just not enough.

susan wrote:

I have had afib since 2003. I have been taking coumadin and do experience major hair loss. I lose handfulls when I wash my hair and connot keep up with the hair on the bathroom floor after just brushing. I just had a pulmonary vein ablation to take care of the afib and rid myself of all the meds I take for it! I also experience bruising, fatigue and heavy periods. Afib has seriously effected my quality of life for the last six years - I have had 4 cardioversions which were successful for a time - the last one only lasted 2 weeks. I have severe anxiety from feeling like a time bomb waiting to go off.This is why I was sent for an ablation.

Susan did your ablation work? I have an appointment for one on both sides of the heart, for a-fib and flutter. Date of ablation is sept 23rd.

Interesting... I have also noticed hair loss after being on coumadin, hence the online search that has lead me here! I'll defenitely be discussing this with my doctor at my next visit!

Today, I asked pharmacist if he knew about hair loss and coumadin. He checked his computer and said there was no mention of it. Come on, get real!! I have already lost a lot of hair over just 3 months.

Yes