coumadin and shortness of breath

anyone here get extreme shortness of breath from coumadin? i am on 5 mg a day and i cant even walk up the stairs without almost passing out. i am stopping the med. today. any idea how long it will take for me to feel better?

Hi Tj,

First of all, plesae don't stop the coumadin on your own. Do consult with your doctor first. Also, in order to give you any reasonable answer, we would need to know why you are on coumadin in the first place and how long you have been on it.
Sometimes it seems coumadin is causing the problem, when in fact it is really the underlying condition you were put on coumadin for in the first place.

For example, I had bilateral pulmonary embolisms a couple of years ago and I was certainly out of breath a lot. However, that was due to the embolism and the partial damage that had already occurred to my lungs. So, in my case, the coumadin didn't cause it, but the PEs should did. As I healed, I improved and within a few months I had no getting out of breath problems anymore.

I am neither doctor nor nurse, just someone who has been on coumadin for a couple of years now.

Please reconsider your decision to stop the coumadin and please go see your doctor as soon as possible. I wish you all the best!

Angela

i was put on coumadin due to them finding a blood clot in my left calf. they started me on 3mg daily. soon after taking just 3 mg i noticed shortness of breath. so i stopped taking for a few days and felt better. then told my doctor and he said that it couldnt be the coumadin...after some research i found many people have this side effect. my breathing was fine before coumadin. . . now i cant hardly do a thing without almost passing out. had a catscan/ mugga scan 3 days ago and they show no pneumonia or bloodclots in the lungs.... im 19 and i cannot continue to live my life like this. cannot even go to the bathroom without feeling like i ran a marathon. honestly cant handle this bullshit....

I am so sorry to hear that you got a clot at such a young age. Did they ever find out why? And how long have you been on it?
Have the doctor checked you for other conditions that might cause shortness of breath? And did the doctor tell you how long you would have to be on the coumadin? Many times they take you off after 6 months...
Meanwhile, hang in there! Not sure how you feel about it, but try to drink lots of water and try to go a little further each day...maybe walk the stairs a second time and see how you feel.

Again, I am so sorry you have to deal with this, but give it a try and talk to your doctor.
By the way, welcome to this forum. I hope things get easier for you. And even though I am already 50 years old, I can understand that you want to get back to your "normal" life! Good luck!

TJF, one thing I would recommend is to never stop taking any medication without notifying your doctor first. I am really not sure why you are so short of breathe but the coumadin is working on keeping your blood thinner to help your blood circulate around the clot and to help prevent others from forming. Have you had an Echocardiogram - it is basically a sonogram of your heart to make sure your valves are working properly and that the heart muscle is working right? TJF, dont give up - you are stronger than you think - keep on fighting for your health. If you are having problems - make your doctors figure out whats wrong. I would even recommend they put a holter monitor on you to show what your heart is rate is doing and the rhytm when you are so short of breathe. There has to be an explanation - I know a lot of people on this forum have had this same thing but it truly doesnt make sense for it to be caused from coumadin. I of course cant figure it out though. Stay on your medicine and stay on the forum - you need to understand all you can about being on coumadin - and then it wont rule your life - but you can take control back. Unfortunately this is a big responsibility that most 19 year olds shouldnt have to deal with, but YOU do, so its time to grow up really fast. Im sorry that its you but I believe we can all do anything and deal with anything when we put our minds to doing it. We will all be here to help you and support you. You're to young to be throwing in the towel :)

It is very important that you do not discontinue coumadin (warfarin) without the ok from your doctor. If you were put on coumadin it was for a good reason, to prevent a life threatening clot such as a pulmonary embolism. You should have your INR checked. A possible explanation for the shortness of breath could be that you are anemic, possibly from an active bleed. When you bleeding (such as in your GI tract) you are losing red blood cells which supply your body with oxygen. Please call your doctor before stopping your medication!!!

I am 26 and have been on coumadin for 9 years now and will have to be on it forever. I am currently taking 7.5 mg. I've been trying to look up diff side effects of coumadin in younger people but I'm not finding a whole lot.
One thing I experience is severe acne. I have had it since about age 13 and I cannot get rid of it! I do not have oily skin at all and my acne comes in clusters, almost like cysts. My face hasn't been clear since I have been on coumadin.
I have no sex drive.Also, my urine is very dark. I also have a place on my right deltoid/tricep area, about the size of a quarter. It is a dark spot, sensitive and very indented. It almost looks like the tissue has been taken out. I also feel very tired all the time. I do work 9 hours a day and drive an hour to work and an hour home, that could have something to do with it, but i just feel like i have NO energy what so ever.
I know these effects don't really seem to tie into one another, but does anyone else have similar side effects?

Jessie, you have me concerned - the issues you are describing sound serious and I would highly recommend you see your doctor soon to have them checked. When you say your urine is very dark - is it dark yellow or brownish - depending on the color - it could be blood. The dark spot on your arm NEEDS to be looked at. I dont mean to scare you but these are symptoms that should not be overlooked, get them checked now.

Thanks laurie. My urine is dark yellowish I guess. Kinda hard to tell b/c due to the darkness it kinda looks brown. It also has a strong odor, not really a bad one, just strong. Also, for the past few years I have blood in my stool. And not just in my stool, but (not to be too graphic) also sometimes blood comes out of my rectum while sitting on the toilet. Almost as if it were diarrhea. This seems pretty serious, but I have talked to my doctor many times about it and he seems to think it's nothing, although no tests have been run. I will see my cardiologist this month. I will def bring it up to him. thanks for your help! I don't have anyone to talk to about these issues so I really appreciate it.

Jessie, it could be a hemrrhoid but if you are taking coumadin it could be serious - you should ask your doctor for a colonoscopy. I would also recommend you ask your doctor to test your urine for blood just to make sure. I always recommend taking all precautions when it comes to symptoms that could be related to coumadin. Keep in touch

I too noticed my negative symptoms from coumadin were much worse when I was given the generic warfarin. I tried twice to take this rat poison and both times got the same intolerable symptoms, itching, fatigue, dizziness, swollen hands and feet, diarreah, shortness of breath, headache. cramps in leg and foot, joint pain.
So now I'm taking a 325mg asprin and garlic, omega 3, vitmin E, all natural blood thinners.

And I will be going for a consultation for a procedure to eliminate the atrial fibrilation. Basically, I'm trusting in God to heal me and guide me, and I wish you all perfect good health.

I'm 74 now and during my life I was spared 4 operations as a result of faith in God and prayer for healing.

For the young man TJF, I don't blame how you feel, it stinks and you shouldn't have to feel as terrible as you do. But, I'll tell you trust in Jesus, and if you don't know him, just ask Him to help you, and He wil.

I too am short of breath and very frustrated by this. I had bilateral pulmonary embolisms and am a month out of the hospital. I have had a few days when my breathing is normal but most of the time I feel like I am reaching to get my breath. I am tired and nervous about excersise. I know I need to work out but I am always tired. Why do blood thinners cause shortness of breath?

Joanne - I dont think it is the coumadin causing your shortness of breath - it is the fact that you had bilateral PE's.

my husband has been on warfarin for 2 years because of afib.he had an cather ablation now afib is gone.prob is that for 2 years he has had very bad spell of shortness of breath, he has been checked for everything from lungs to heart to kidneys.nothing is wrong the drS.say he is healthy..we keep saying its the meds. because before all the drugs for afib he had no shortness of breath..now they are slowly removing drugs..he has more good days than bad days..but after looking up warfarin, i think this is it..

Judy - the coumadin should not be causing shortness of breath. What type of cardiac testing did they do? Is your husband anxious or under stress alot?

My husband was given Warfarin after getting blood clots in his arm from a picline. From day 1 of receiving Warfarin he has experienced shortness of breath. Never had that problem previous to getting the medication. It would seem to me if you had a specific date, situation, and medication that you have never taken before and the date has passed, the situation is nonexistent now because both arms and legs have been dopplered and still on Warfarin and still experiencing shortness of breath everyday....should be only one thing to blame the condition on!!!!!!

I am a 21 year old female and they recently found a blood clot in my calf, like the other young man. I have been on 10 mg now for all of 3 days to get me up to a therapuetic level and have been feeling out of breath when I climb the stairs in my house. I am not supposed to do much right now, but if this beginning level causes me to feel exhausted, how am I supposed to keep going when I have to go a further distance?

Has anyone tried anything like an inhaler to help? I suppose I will talk to my doctor, but this is crazy, I feel like an old lady right now. Sorry, no offense to my elders.

Laurie wrote:

Joanne - I dont think it is the coumadin causing your shortness of breath - it is the fact that you had bilateral PE's.

I am a 53 year old male in previously excellent condition. Had arthroscopic knee surgery 3 weeks ago, developed DVT, and got a pulmonary embolism within a week of surgery (confirmed by CAT scan). Have been on coumadin now for two weeks and my embolus is now gone (confirmed via CAT scan). Yet I am still experiencing shortness of breath and light-headedness. I assume that with the lung clot gone that the PE shouldn't be causing these symptoms. So it seems to me that warfarin can be a potential cause of the symptoms described in these posts.

Laurie wrote:

TJF, one thing I would recommend is to never stop taking any medication without notifying your doctor first. I am really not sure why you are so short of breathe but the coumadin is working on keeping your blood thinner to help your blood circulate around the clot and to help prevent others from forming. Have you had an Echocardiogram - it is basically a sonogram of your heart to make sure your valves are working properly and that the heart muscle is working right? TJF, dont give up - you are stronger than you think - keep on fighting for your health. If you are having problems - make your doctors figure out whats wrong. I would even recommend they put a holter monitor on you to show what your heart is rate is doing and the rhytm when you are so short of breathe. There has to be an explanation - I know a lot of people on this forum have had this same thing but it truly doesnt make sense for it to be caused from coumadin. I of course cant figure it out though. Stay on your medicine and stay on the forum - you need to understand all you can about being on coumadin - and then it wont rule your life - but you can take control back. Unfortunately this is a big responsibility that most 19 year olds shouldnt have to deal with, but YOU do, so its time to grow up really fast. Im sorry that its you but I believe we can all do anything and deal with anything when we put our minds to doing it. We will all be here to help you and support you. You're to young to be throwing in the towel :)

Laurie, are you some kind of physician or pharmacist? You seem to know everything about coumadin yet those are all the symptoms they are experiencing. I have them too but still forcing exercise awaiting the procedure for me, I have atrial fibrillation also. Can't wait to have the procedure done so I can get off this rat poison. Anyway, those are all the symptoms as they described, exactly the same ones I have.

I too have the shortness of breath and that is exactly what I put into google, linked with coumadin, and how I found this posting.