Itching rash while on warfarin?

I have now been taking warfarin 5 to 7 mgs. for about two years. After seven months I developed rashing and ithching all over as well as in my ears ,eyes and lungs. Allergy tests were negative. Dr. thinks its the warfarin. Moving me to lovenox temporarily. Has anyone else experienced anything like this.I am desperate.

Robert I managed hundreds of patients and didnt have anyone with your symptoms. Coumadin can however cause itching in rare cases. I would follow your doctors orders and try switching to Lovenox to see if it helps.

I have been on warfarin for approx 7 years and developed a rash. I had patch test done by the Derm. Doc. and nothing showed up . I am having the same type of itching as Robert is reporting. My thoughts is to try to go off the warfarin for a while try lovenox to see what happens.

robert o wrote:

I have now been taking warfarin 5 to 7 mgs. for about two years. After seven months I developed rashing and ithching all over as well as in my ears ,eyes and lungs. Allergy tests were negative. Dr. thinks its the warfarin. Moving me to lovenox temporarily. Has anyone else experienced anything like this.I am desperate.

I am taking my mom to the doctors tomorrow because after being on Coumadin for the past 6 years, she has developed itching beyond what she can handle. She has tried creams ect but the best thing that has been helping is lemon. The itchness is still there though. We will see what the doctor says tomorrow

I sometimes have itching to my calf and shin areas,and occasionally have night sweats .I believe these are side affects of warfarin I currently take 3mgs a day.

I have been on Coumadin for the past 5 yrs. Was recently bridged with Lovenox so I could have a colonoscopy. Took Lovenox for 2 days, had the test, continued Lovenox and Coumadin for 5 more days, then just Coumadin. On the last day of the Lovenox I developed a rash between my fingers. Since that day (May 4th) I have been miserable. My skin feels like it has been severely sunburned, rashes appear and disappear only to reappear somewhere else. I've had a Prednisone shot as well as the 6 day pill treatment. Nothing helps!!! No doctor likes to blame this on Coumadin, but I'm thinking strongly about flushing it.

I have heard that medications can cause an auto immune reaction such as itching, rash, etc. I have been on coumadin for almost 2 years. No itching yet. Could be drug interactions with other medications or food.

The only new things that we can remember are: the drugs they gave me for the colonoscopy, which the dr. said was fast acting and should have reacted immediately; the Lovenox in combination with Coumadin; and Diazinon (chemical on corn seed) which the Center for Poison Control says that my symptoms don't match at all.

I have been on warfarin for several years. For the past seven or eight months, I have experienced uncontrollable itching all over my body. Most affected areas are the back, shoulders, neck and stomache. The doctors recommended benedryl, zyrtec, lortadine but none of them help and no creams help either. I have lost sleep over this itching as I cannot relax and I am very uncomfortable. I have not developed any rash. Has anyone had my symtoms?

Pattie, unfortunately,, I dont believe that if the rash is from the coumadin that anything will make it go away except for maybe time. Also, do not use benadryl as it will increase your INR.

Laurie wrote:

Pattie, unfortunately,, I dont believe that if the rash is from the coumadin that anything will make it go away except for maybe time. Also, do not use benadryl as it will increase your INR.

Laurie you are blinded by the bureaucratic and bogus medical system. the proof is in the pudding.

Of the Earth. Yeah you're right - here's a thought why dont you read some of my other comments and see how on the medical systems' side I am. I love you people who pop in here, have no idea what is going on or anything about managing coumadin and yet you're the experts. One thing about me, I never say I'm always right or that I know everything - but you people - you know, and that's amazing to me.

Laurie wrote:

Pattie, unfortunately,, I dont believe that if the rash is from the coumadin that anything will make it go away except for maybe time. Also, do not use benadryl as it will increase your INR.

Just wanted to make a correction. Benadryl (diphenhydramine) does not affect the INR. Many cold/cough medications can, however, so you should always check with your doctor or pharmacist as to what is safe being using.(I am a pharmacist who works in an anticoag clinic, just wanted to offer my input.) Thanks.

Benadryl does effect the INR -- I managed over 600 patients and every one of my patients who took benadryl had increases in their INR's - the pharmacist also told them to be careful because it would. Now, if there has been a change in whats in benadryl over the last 3 years, I might agree with you but I can tell you that I was responsible for managing my patients in a cardiac office of 6 docs and they also would disagree with you that there isnt an increase in INR's because we saw it over and over.

Recently my mom is 82 and a recovering heart patient who went to the Hospital with severe stomach pain and gastrointestinal discomfort. They kept her for a week ran many many tests, adjusted her pace maker, but the only real change in her life was the addition of Warfarin which they tirtrated while she was in the hospital. Since she has been home, her left leg has swollen and needs to be wrapped to keep the swelling down. the leg also weeps out of the pores a yellow fluid. She is getting 3 hrs or less sleep a night because of severe itching on the back and shoulders and there is a red rash which the skin DR took a byopsy which turn out negative. The Quality of her life has decreased so much since being on Warfarin that it has also affected my dad from the stress of losing her. What are alternatives to this very unpleasant drug?

Walt, how long has your mom been on coumadin? It does concern me if they did not find the source of her pain. It also concerns me that she has a swollen leg with fluid weeping --have you shown this to her doctors? Was she started on any antibiotics in the hospital? Sorry so many ?'s but there seems to be a lot going on her and not just the coumadin.

Well after the heart operation 6 yrs ago they said she couldn't be on Heperin so they were using baby asperin daily along with other drugs to help regulate the heart, thin the blood etc. This May she developed the stomach distress and went to the emerg. room and they kept her for 1 week putting her on Coumadin and adjusting the pacemaker. The concern there is that the upper part of the heart was fluttering once in a while and they wanted to get it under control. Since May and the addition of Coumadin which they titrated at the hospital she has developed a rash and terrible itching on the back shoulders and arms. One person on here mentioned Lemon and they tried that on her arm and it did help a little. In researching the drug Coumadin I also found that heart patients often have stomach ulsers from the use of asprin every day so now she is on Prilosec 2x day. There is a new drug from Briton which looks very promising in healing those gastrointestinal ulsers I don't remember the name. Also on June 17th 2009 the FDA approved a new blood thinner(rivaroxaban)which may be an alternative to Coumadin. Today and tomorrow she goes to specialists for Kidney and Thyroid but isn't scheduled for the Cardiologist until Sept. I think they need to rediscuss the value of coumadin since it has drastically lowered the quality of life for mom and dad who are both depressed now.

Laurie, I have been on blood pressure med since the fall of 1999 and between 2003 and early 2007 they had switched my med to something else. There are precautions about being in the sun while taking BP meds. Once a week spring to fall I would be cutting the lawn for ~ 3 hrs in the sun. Each fall about the end of Oct until the following Feb my forarms would itch so bad I would scratch them till I bled I got little sleep and dreaded certain times of the day because I knew the itch would start. I saw 4 different Dermatologist, used a multitude of creams, & pills to reduce the symptoms with no effect. I went on line and found what my arms looked like also known as truckers arm and showed my Dr who agreed. He then started me on Gabapentin and within a week the itch was under control. Two months later my BP meds were switched to two different meds at a lower dose and I was taken off the Nurontin. I haven't had a problem since. The bottom line is familys have much of the same medical history and I was wondering if the Gabapentin would be a solution for mom.

Walt, Im not sure honestly - but I believe there are a number of side effects with this med which may become more of a problem but as long as her doctor monitors her closely - INR's for coumadin, and any other med interactions it could be a possibility. Hope this helps a little. Did your mom start any other meds in the hospital? How is her leg?

Dad says they are still wrapping it but the weeping has dried up some. There is a visiting nurse that comes several times a week to help out and today they went to the Gastroenterologist about her stomach and he is satisfied they have things under control to the point of going to 1 prilosec a day to see how she feels. Oh and the other med they either put her on or she is still taking is Dijoxin. Also dad told me she is still taking aspirin which is supposed to interfer with Coumadin. So I have relayed the info to my sister who goes with them to the Drs to keep track of what is supposed to be happening. If Gabapentin doesn't interfer with what they are doing I think it would be a good way to at least give her a decent nights sleep.