Blood In Urine While Taking Coumadin

OK, for about a year I've been getting a really bad pain in my upper left quadrant. Also my blood count is continuously low .... Sometimes very low where I have to receive blood. So, just recently I started to have this really bad pain in my ULQ so I had no choice but to go to the ER. At first the doctors thought it was my spleen (and that's what my own doctor has thought for the last year), BUT all the test they do shows my spleen to be "normal". Well, this time in the ER, they said that I had a lot of blood in my urine ... So, obviously, they thought I maybe had a kidney stone ... All the tests said "negative". So then they all agreed the blood in my urine was from me taking coumadin. BUT they said it was nothing to worry about!!! To this day, I continue to get a very bad pain in my LUQ, and I continue to have blood in my urine. Plus I continue to have a low red blood count. So, what's up??? Don't you think they should take me off of the coumadin since it seems to be giving me problems .... Especially since I continue to have to get blood transfusions every few months??? I think it's ridiculous, BUT my doctor says that I CANNOT come off of the coumadin ..... I have serious vascular problems, and have had numerous blood clots in my leg, and also 2 blood clots go to my lung (PE).

What should I do??? What should I ask??? What is causing the pain in my LUQ??? This is all very frustrating to me.

Kappy, I am only a coumadin "patient" and not of the medical profession, but my advice is, PLEASE go and get a second or even third opinion. This just doesn't sound right to me. If I ever have blood in my urine my doctor demands to see me to treat it. It could be from the coumadin or it could be from a bad Urinary tract infection, or whatever else might be.

From what I can tell (again, I am not a doctor or nurse) it seems that you would want to stay on the coumadin, but please go and see another doctor. I had a friend who went through several doctors and a year of excruciating pain to finally find out his pancreas was the culprit. But it took that long to get to the root of it.
Please do worry about your health, and please find a good doctor.
Your ISP says you are from LA...what hospital do you go to? I heard excellent things about both UCLA and Cedar Sinai.

Good luck to you and please keep us posted how you are doing.

Angela wrote:

Kappy, I am only a coumadin "patient" and not of the medical profession, but my advice is, PLEASE go and get a second or even third opinion. This just doesn't sound right to me. If I ever have blood in my urine my doctor demands to see me to treat it. It could be from the coumadin or it could be from a bad Urinary tract infection, or whatever else might be.
From what I can tell (again, I am not a doctor or nurse) it seems that you would want to stay on the coumadin, but please go and see another doctor. I had a friend who went through several doctors and a year of excruciating pain to finally find out his pancreas was the culprit. But it took that long to get to the root of it.
Please do worry about your health, and please find a good doctor.
Your ISP says you are from LA...what hospital do you go to? I heard excellent things about both UCLA and Cedar Sinai.
Good luck to you and please keep us posted how you are doing.

That's just it .... All of my doctors, including my internal medicine doctor, are all from UCLA AND Cedars Sinai. The ER I went to was UCLA. Trust me, I usually absolutely love my doctors ... they are some of the best at, both, UCLA and Cedars .... BUT, for the life of me, I can't understand "WHY" they wouldn't be concerned about the blood in my urine. Especially, like I explained before, I keep having to get blood transfusions ...?????.. And even though they've ran numerous tests, including x-rays and CT scans, they still can't figure out what is causing the pain in my ULQ. I'm not talking a little pain, I'm talking severe, breath-taking, excusiating pain that comes and goes.
I guess I can understand why they don't want me to quit taking the coumadin .... BUT then again, if the coumadin is what's causing blood in my urine, and I keep having to get blood-transfusions because my blood count drops too much, well, I guess the question is, which is worse??? A person can only receive so many blood-transfusions before the body starts reacting negatively to them ... SEVERELY!! Well, I've had 35 transfusions. That's a lot!!!
I guess there's no real answer. I'm kind of screwed if I do, and screwed if I don't!!:(

This seems so weird to me - 35 transfusions and they say nothing to worry about? I couldn't guess what it is, but something is definitely not right here. I wouldn't settle for it....I know you are probably all "tested out" and "doctored out", but try to see others to get to the root of it. You have too many issues going on at the same time for them to say all is well with you and just to deal with it.

Anyhow, that is what I would do - I wish you all luck with this and hope they find and fix whatever it is that's not right with your health.

Please let us know ....

Kappy,

I am a nurse and I can tell you that I dont understand what your doctors are doing. It is not normal for you to require blood transfusions and to remain on coumadin. There has to be something wrong and if I were you, I would definately seek a Hematologist that will find out why you are having these symptoms. Do NOT settle for this type of treatment even if you like these doctors, they are not specialist and that is who you need to see. Please seek one out Kappy.

I have been taking warfarin for about 10 years for A-fib. I admit that I am poor about having my blood tested on a regular schedule. I know when my count is too high when I start peeing red. I usually self medicate and stop the warfarin for a few days and have the INR checked. The first time I bled, I had both a cat scan and a cystoscopy (or something like that). My wife is convinced that I should get off warfarin and incorporate blood thinning foods into my diet, along with garlic suplements and the like. I have unusually low blood pressure, and am in overall good health at 62. Any thoughts from fellow bleeders would be appreciated.

patras, I think you NEED to monitor your inr's like you're suppose to. You cant mess around with coumadin or you put yourself at risk - as well as if you took double or triple doses of your BP meds and never had your BP checked. If you arent willing to monitor your INR's as expected, you also wont eat foods or take supplements -- by the way, you cant monitor how thin or thick your blood is that way anyhow :)

Hi Patras,

I take warfarin myself for afib and am constantly looking for alternative treatments. I came across a website the other day about a clinical trial opportunity that you may find helpful- www.researchforafib.org . I found it very interesting and am considering it for myself! Best wishes to you and your family!

Thanks to Sue and Laurie for your comments, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.

I am also taking wefarin, and last test 2 weeks ago was 3.4 barry under too thin rang is 2.5 to 3.5. I have blood in my urin on and off. Some time only dark urin color, and some time blod red. Lately the blood come out very often with block of jelly like blood from 1/4" to 1/2" strip. Especially when I am sitting in a rest room. I kind of worry and dring lots of water, and pee more foten. I see a specialist(DR.) who senme to MRI but have not seen him on the follow up yet. Shld I stop Wafarin for few days?

I have been on warfarin since February and also gone through drug cardioversion. Currently I am on sotolol, amlodipine, and lisinopril. I have blood in my urine which is bright red and pain in my right side and mid back. I went to the doctor previously for an episode of this which disappeared after one day, but now it is back with more blood than the last time I visited the doctor. I am really concerned about this since I have pain in my back. Why do doctors think this is nothing to worry about???

Shucks, no replies to this thread for a long time! I was avidly reading these posts for any comments because I have been peeing a reddish brown urine for 2 days. No other symptoms except swollen ankles the past week. I am assessing whether it is one more "common" side effect of warfarin or if I'm in danger any minute of renal failure or something. I'm a couple thousand miles from home and not due to return for one more week. I will call Kaiser's warfarin clinic tomorrow to glean any reaction from them. I am betting on the risk being low if I wait until I return to get myself to the lab for blood and urine tests. I have been on warfarin for 10 months, after PEs and a DVT and am diagnosed antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (or "Hughes" or sticky blood.) Warfarin for life, baby. So when I hear others flipping out for being on it for the next 6 months or 1 year -- it could be worse. Happily, I am a warfarin poster child: never swayed from the 2-3 range, usually 2.3-2.6 and that is after drinking 1-2 glasses of wine quite frequently. I am trying to cut that down to "occasionally," but after much research, feel it is low risk. NOW I get dark pee.... so maybe it is my body's way to warn me not to get too complacent on this stuff and cut out the wine. At least I did stop the rum and margaritas 10 months ago! I still enjoy life, and quickly passed thru the head trip games phase where you think you're going to bump your brain or bleed out on the road any minute. I choose to take the risk of an occasional motorcycle ride, and if there aren't crazy young snowboarders around, I will ski again (I'm very conservative; I rarely fall.) But that will be when my feet and ankles aren't too swollen to fit into boots-- and when I really have the urge since I must admit, I easily feel cold these days. The doctor suspects secondary Reynaud's, which is common to go with the antiphosopholipid crapola. I'm a happily married 56 year old whose kids are finally starting to fly on their own, and I'm ready to get back to the freedom of the fun "young" years before kids, and this warfarin mentally and physically seems to have aged me 10 years. January, 2010 was when I suddenly turned old. Some achiness and tiredness along with the swollen ankles and feet. And my skin tone has changed; a bit blotchy. But instead of bemoaning the fate of how warfarin has changed me, it should mentally be good for me to think that my risks of dying from a blood clot are so much less now. I've got a lot more living to do.

I am 39 yrs old and suffered a pulmonary embolism in july 2010.After much tests and referals to a hemotologist i found out that i was positive for the lupus anticoagulant. That means my blood clots alot and need to be on coumadin for the rest of my life. Bummer! If i come off coumadin i am 90% likely to develope another clot in my lung.It has dramatically changed my life but having good doctors and nurses to monitor your INR helps too. There is always a concern that I can bleed internally but if you follow your doctors orders there should be no problem. It is good to that there is more people out there that is going thru the same situation.Other people who suffer the same situation understand more than your family. Sometimes I feel I dont get enough support from my husband. I just wish he understood more but he just turns his head the other way and forgets it ever happened. Sometimes get depressed about the whole situation. Please comment and tell me what I can do to make this situation more tolerant. If it were not for my children I would have given up.

This is for Anjolee. I too am married to a man that simply doesn't take my illness seriously. I know how you feel. Since I last posted on here I have had my gallbladder removed and now have a cyst on my bile duct that the doctors are watching closely. I am still on warfarin because of a previous blood clot in my heart due to a-fib. my cardiologist tells me I will always be on this drug. There are risk to taking any blood thinner but the benefits far out weigh the risk. Stokes are prevalent in my family so I am thankful for this drug. The back problems I still have but thank God a doctor finally listened to me and I am seeing a spine specialist this week. Personally I think it is not my spine but at least it can be ruled out as the problem. Two and half years ago I was as healthy as a horse and now I am on 5 differnet meds. and feel like crap. Hang in there because there is light at the end of the tunnel. There are people that understand what you are going through.

Been on coumadin for a year (for atrial fib) and after 10 months of being stable (INR between 2 and 3) I suddenly had blood in my urine. Doctor advised stopping coumadin for 2 days (during which there was no bleeding) and then starting again. Within 3 hrs of the coumadin, more intense blood in my urine. Again, stopped coumadin, bleeding stopped. INR was 3.58; urinalysis showed nothing abnormal. Now I'm off Coumadin for 1 week.
1) What causes sudden intolerance to coumadin?(I had been on holidays for 10 days, during which I drank 2-3 glasses of wine every night - not my usual habit.
2) am I at risk of TIA (my initial problem which discovered the A Fib) when I'm off coumadin for a week??

I have been on warfarin for 20yrs Afib 64 hrs old. Always good blood pressures... Had prostate surg about 4 hrs ago to help me sleep through the night instead of taking drugs .i did not like side effects from pee drugs. last yr had blood in in pee, went to doc and he said it was warfarin cause not his surgery.blood came back last week and I was wondering if it could have been from Tylenol or Aleve I take when needed. I will not go back to doc since he did nothing but charge me a big fee. 2nd Question Had any body used the INR home testing what is the cost and will medicare pay when I am 65 . Thanks Bud

well just 5 mins ago i left the bathroom after noticing darker stream than usual which rapidly was turning pink. i am on coumadin and have to thank you all for the comments you posted telling me i am not alone and do not need to make a trip to the er, at least not today. i'll deal with it after playoffs.8=) again thanks

Woke up this morning after being on Coumadin (due to a sprained ankle of all things lol) for the past three and a half weeks. Over the past several days I noticed what I thought was uncomfortable routine back pain from sleeping the wrong way. After the uncomfortable feeling persisted and worsened slightly over the next day or so, I chalked it up as constipation and took Myrilax for the next two days. I felt like the uncomfortable feeling went away and I was fine for another two days. After that, I noticed the pain traveling to my upper right side just underneath the ribs. This went on for another two days with yesterday being the most uncomfortable I've been since symptoms started.

I'm not much of a drinker, but I did partake in two beers last night. The very next morning I had a ton of blood in my urine and obviously freaked out. Don't know what's worse, the panic attacks you get when you think you're dying, or the fact that you're peeing blood and you don't know what's causing it.

I immediately went to the Dr's. They had me pee in a cup, checked my INR levels which were a 3.7 the day before, but otherwise back down to a 2.7 on this day, and then sent me to the hospital for a CT scan.

I now await the results since they couldn't immediately tell me what was wrong. I'm guessing it was from the Coumadin/Tylenol. I'll keep you posted.

I am on 10.5 mg of warfarin. Since my dosage was upped I am experiencing huring under the shoulder blades, and my urine is very dark almost brown looking. I am very very tired, dizzy and fell today from the dizziness. I have been drinking water all day, but the urine is still brown and dark looking. Called the dr and the nurse said the dizziness is probably from the thin blood going to my brain. Could not get in to see the dr today. I take laxis( fluid pill - 80 mg) with it as well as HBP medicaions too. Severe body aches in the knees, arms, shoulders, etc. and Ive had sever headaches all day today too. Just feeling AWFUL!!!! Any Suggestions?

I am also on warfarin and at one point had blood in my urine. The warfarin was causing it (10mg) and the protime lab lowered my dosage. What you are experiencing is not normal by any stretch of the imagination. Personally I would make a visit to the ER and not wait. The fact that your urine is dark brown and you fell from dizziness doesn't sound good to me. I have read that warfarin can also cause body aches. Warfarin is a dangerous drug and needs to be monitored closely. Good luck.