Contact Sports

Hello everyone! just wondering if anyone has participated in any contact sports after coumadin was prescribed? I started taking coumadin in Sept. 2006 due to a pulminary embolism...my doctor has warned me to avoid any contact sports. I enjoy snowboarding & was wondering if I should avoid it completely or just be extremely cautious? I asked my doctor if snowboarding was ok as long as I wore a helmet. He said that was "fine" since he thinks i'm going to go out and do it anyway. Has anyone gone out snowboarding or anything related to that sport?

I'm curious as well. i was diagnosed with a PE after 4 days of skiing.
going to gym but having problems breathing. let me know what you found out. thanks
peter
pw1955@aol.com

It's really about mitigating risk and how much you are willing to risk. I have been on warfarin for 8 years and continue to ride my bike and run marathons. Up until last year I was still racing my bike competitively but quit at the urging of my spouse. With 2 young kids, it was not worth the risk of getting in an accident.

Hello,

I have been on coumadin for about 8 months now following pulmonary embolism. I have been heavily training in the Martial Arts, but after starting the coumadin, I stopped doing any contact activities. However, I am contuing with all the other training.

I just do not feel it worth the risk of bleeding to death. Even though everyone in my school knows my condition and can't be hit, especially in the head, accidents have a way of happening, so best thing not to put yourself into harm's way.

I don't think your quality of life will decrease drastically if you avoid heavy contact.....

Good luck and let me know how your are all doing.

Angela

Thank You all for responding!!! I think BikeZen had a really good point about how much risk a person is willing to take while on coumadin. I took that into account and although I didn't stop snowboarding I did buy a helmet! I took a couple of good falls but nothing to bad & I steered clear of trees. I think as long as I take it easy (no crazy stunts) I will be fine.Oh, and since I live in NM there is no more snow, so snowboarding season is over for me (at least for this year!)

I have been on coumadin for eight mo. and I have been dirt biking since,and have been in 1 hare scramble,but I fell 3 times and bruised the hell out of my leg,so I am giong to stick to trail riding for now.I do not get fatigued at all, but I also take some testosterone every other day,I get more muscle aches and cramps and other effects.I'm 59 and this stuff is a pain in the ass.I do work out every day and it beats the alternative.I had a p.e.Hope this helps.

Angela, you had a pulmonary embolism around the same time I did... What have the doctor's told you about the warfarin treatment? I was told that i should be on warfarin for a whole year then in Sept. of this year I will be taken off of it for a month to figure out if I in fact have a blood disorder (w/ the warfarin the doc said that it's really hard to know for sure). So, i'm supposed to take this Dopler exam (or something like that)after the year is up. is that what you were told? Also, i have another question....do you ever get uncomfortable little pricks in your chest? I was told (by my doc) that it could be the after "shocks" of the clots dissolving but according to him, my clots were supposed to dissolve within 3-4months after they were detected. It's been 8months and every now & then I get these little nagging pricks...anything you can share would be appreciated. THANKS!!!!

Hi Mel,

I hope you are doing well. My story is a long one, so I hope this won't be too boring....

After the original diagnosis the doctor said I would probably have to be on coumadin for 6 - 12 months since they thought I had the PTs due to a very minor foot surgery and then did some traveling.
I made the mistake of going to the Stanford doctors and clinics. They are supposed to be the best and perhaps they are, but they certainly didn't have my best interest in mind......it seemed they were mostly interested in whatever research they were involved....

Anyhow, after a whole host of tests, which by now I don't think were all necessary (especially the heart catheter), the hematologist there said I didn't need the coumadin any more after the 6 months and was told to stop.

At first I was kinda happy about that because this meant that I could go back to doing full contact Martial Arts and stuff, but after about ten days I started having chest pains which got worse by the day. It felt like I had another PE, but when I went to the hospital they didn't find anything. I was in the hospital for 4 days but nothing. I was discharged without any recommendation or any help.

My husband suggested I go back to the doctors and suggest taking coumadin for a month to see if the pain would go away.

I went back to the hematologist but he insisted I didn't need it. I was sent back to the pulmonologist who said I didn't need it. I got sent to a gastroenterologist who said I didn't need it.

Meanwhile, the pain got worse and worse by the day. I had no energy and felt miserable and not myself. I guess constant pain does that to you.

Thank God my husband kept insisting I go to another doctor altogether and do something about this.

At Stanford I was told to go to a pain management clinic because there was nothing else they could do.

I went back to my old cardiologist and after looking at all my previous records shook his head and said he couldn't understand why I was taken off the coumadin in the first place. He put me back on it and within about 10 days I was pain free.

I still have pains now and then, but nothing like before. I forgot to mention that I am heterozygous for Factor V Leyden and have a whold bunch more of Factor 8, whatever that is. I was also told by the cardiologist that my blood is clotting faster than anything he ever witnessed.

My current cardiologist said I would be on coumadin for the rest of my life - he said the risk of another PE just wasn't worth it. He mentioned they tend to be a lot more lethal....this was enough to convince me.

Yes I do get more tired, and I get stomach pains now and then. But compared to a PE, that's not too bad.

Also, I am not that easy to regulate, for some reason my body likes to play games with that. For the last two weeks my dose was too low and I could immediately feel that something was wrong - my chest pains returned....at the next check my INR was down to 1.3 - my body seems to need the coumadin to control itself.

That's about it - let me know how you are doing and if there is anything I can do to help

All the best to you Mel and all others out there....life IS good after all...let's enjoy it even with coumadin!!!

Angela

Hi folks,

I am 54 years old and was just diagnosed with PE last week, multiple blood clots having formed in my lungs and found with a CT scan. The only symptoms I'd had was running out of breath much more quickly when running and playing ice hockey and these symptoms only occurred recently and fairly suddenly. No chest pain and a stress test was completely negative.
DVT ultra-sound on my legs proved negative so my doctor is having me tested for Factor V Leyden, etc.(My mom died suddenly when she was only 43 from a thrombosis in the heart back in the 70's so I may have a genetic factor here.) I may also have my abdomen scanned as well. Meanwhile my wife, an FNP, has been injecting me with Lovenox since last week and I started on 5mg daily of Warfarin. We stop the shots tomorrow but will increase the Warfarin as my INR is still only 1.3.

As I mentioned, I play ice hockey, play a lot, but with all I've been reading about Warfarin side effects it appears I'm not going to be playing for a while. My doctor was not ruling it out but I don't want to risk anything so dangerous.

As Angela says, there's plenty of other things to do: biking, running, swimming, hiking, but man I'm gonna miss hockey.

Well, I`m a pro BMX racer and am on coumadin for PE. I haven`t had the typical side effects and have had a very steady INR with generic warfarin.

As far as sports go, I still go to the gym and train at the track, only MUCH more conservatively. I do not race, and will not. I believe my body recently dissolved the last clot as I feel absolutely incredible and FINALLY have my lungs back but I`m on the meds for 4 more months so no racing. Any contact sport carries risk, and injuries tend to be a lot more severe when you`re on coumadin. If you must participate, all I can say is go extra heavy on the safety gear. I now wear full upper body protection even though it`s 100 degrees outside. My doc told me "if you fall and hit your head, no matter how hard or not, even with a helmet on, GO TO THE HOSPITAL. It may be nothing, but it may cause a hemorrhage in your brain. It`s best not to test the odds"

I listen to that kind of advice

I hope this gives hope. I turned 38 last month and have been on warfarin for 31 years (yes - 31 years). The secret to good management is consistency - in everything. Routine diet, exercise, sleep and testing. I eat well - no junk food, soft drink, little alcohol, 2L of water a day, exercise 3 times a week, appropriate work-life balance, monthly blood tests, and lots of love. Regarding sport - I ski (with helmet, but no black runs), cycle (with helmet), enjoy swimming and walking, yoga and pilates. I even did karate for 2 years with all the padding. I have managed 2 masters degrees (Nursing and Public Health). Enjoy travelling (always leave one watch on home Sydney time so I know when to take my tablets). Now I have a home INR testing machine which has changed my life. There is so much I could tell you, but space is limited. If this has helped anyone to see that life can be rich and fulfilling even on warfarin I have achieved my aim. Ask away if you have any questions. Good luck to you all.

I have been on Wafarin for six week after atrial fibrillation. My only sport and interest is riding usually large young horses. I try not to fall off but have not returned to riding yet as no one seem to be able to give me any personal advice. What do you people out there do?

Katharine UK wrote:

I have been on Wafarin for six week after atrial fibrillation. My only sport and interest is riding usually large young horses. I try not to fall off but have not returned to riding yet as no one seem to be able to give me any personal advice. What do you people out there do?

Nobody told me to stop playing hockey while on warfarin but it doesn't take much to understand the risks involved. I've always played in a non-checking league but things inadvertently always happen; falls, unintentional collisions, finding one in the path of a slapshot, etc. I don't want to wonder what the effects of anything would be after it already happened so I've decided on my own to stop playing and believe me it would have to take the threat of a possible internal hemorrhage to keep me away. I never knowingly risk what I can't afford to lose.

HTH

Hello,

As I mentioned before, I am passionately involved in the Martial Arts and have been for 24 yrs.

Every single doctor so far has told me I cannot, must not, should not do any full contact or even light contact sports. I have asked 10+ doctors and they all agree: no sparring, no contact. One doctor pointed out that they have at least one person die in the local hospital per month due to coumadin and the fact that people just don't take it seriously.

Of course I wouldn't attempt to make up anyone's mind, that's not possible. Its a very personal decision each person will have to make. I would imagine that for example, if you are passionate about horseback riding and that's all you want to do in your life, that you would probably be willing to risk a lot more for it.

In my younger years I was almost living on horseback and I could never imagine life without it. And I didn't have calm easy lessons and rides...was into jumping and cross country and got thrown not only on the ground, but into fences, got stepped on and so forth. Knowing what riding can be like, my advice would be: either only ride a horse you know you can fully rely on and would never spook, buck, or otherwise freak out. Better be save than sorry and you can still have a great life.

As for me, I am not sparring anymore. Even though all people in my Do Jang know my condition, and aren't out to hurt anyone anyway, accidents can still happen. That doesn't mean I have stopped training - but nowadays I am focusing on doing my basics and forms (katas) and such things. And of course I do a lot of ki energy training.

I love my life and I am a very optimistic person. If I can't do one thing, my world doesn't fall apart. the world is a beautiful place we have and there is so much to live for.

Good luck to all of us on coumadin!

Hello,

I'm 37 years old and recently got diagnosed with a PE. The most pain I ever felt. I've been involved in sports and excercise most of my life. I'm on coumidan now for at least 9 months but could be longer. I've also been involved in Jujitsu the past five years and have a passion for it. I could probably do some of the less agressive training, but I'm thinking of stopping all together. I also work in public safety so there is some risk there. Anyway it's helpful reading the posts. Got some decisions to make.

Hi John,
Just wondering how you are doing....
as I have said before, I am in Tae Kwon Do and
am still participating - minus the sparring of course. People tend to get too exited....

and Suzy from Sydney, if you are still reading this forum, I would love to hear more from you...especially the home testing machine. I am very interested in that.
All the best,

Angela

Hi Angela, I'm doing fine thanks, and you? I went and paid a visit to my instructor from the jujitsu dojo. Can't wait to work out again although like youself, I will not be able to participate n the more intense training. My doctor, who I do trust says I cant still participate in lock techniques and more scaled down versions. I will only work out with experienced people since they tend not to get excited. I'm going to take my time getting back since it's only been a month since my PE. I did find out i'm on blood thinners indefinately. Anyway, hope you are well.

John

John - why did you get a PE? I was curious since you stated you are on Coumadin for the rest of your life.....hope you are doing well now - Shana

John wrote:

Hi Angela, I'm doing fine thanks, and you? I went and paid a visit to my instructor from the jujitsu dojo. Can't wait to work out again although like youself, I will not be able to participate n the more intense training. My doctor, who I do trust says I cant still participate in lock techniques and more scaled down versions. I will only work out with experienced people since they tend not to get excited. I'm going to take my time getting back since it's only been a month since my PE. I did find out i'm on blood thinners indefinately. Anyway, hope you are well.
John

Hi Shana, after several tests it was discovered I have what is called a prothrombin gene mutation which is a genetic disorder. Since it was found other family members should be tested. The PE just came on one evening there was no obvious reason for the clotting so they did extensive blood testing and found it. figures after 37 years. .f I go off blood thinners, there's a 3-fold increased risk of clotting again. I feel real good and have been excercising regularly again. Anyway, hope you are well.

Hello again! Great to hear from you John and glad you are doing better. I have a quite similar history/health background. ON my recent trip to Austria I found out PEs run in my family (due to hereditary blood factors) and in fact my Aunt just had one a month ago. Alse played a role in my mom's passing away last year. So that is why I myself am on coumadin for good.

talking about my trip to Austria (which was, by the way, a blast and my sister and I had a really great time) however the flights were 12 hours each way nonstop and I was not feeling good at all during them, especially on the way back. Had trouble breathing and had chest pains.

After being back a couple of days it seemed to be getting better so I thought it wasn't anything. But then after about a week of being back I had more chest pains and stuff, so I went to the ER one morning. They didn't find anything obvious, but my doctor seems to think I had some microscopic clots and wants me, from now on, to take a Lovenox shot before each drive/flight longer than 4 hours to make sure I stay "clear". Also had me postpone some medical tests for 6 months because he doesn't want me off the coumadin at all.
Oh and my ankles/legs were swollen, like out of control swollen...even with tight stockings.

So thats my update for the day. I do feel surprisingly well and am working out as much as I can and am enjoying it - just breathing is still a little hard.

Great to see you back Shana, would you mind putting up again the link to your MySpace I would like to visit again.

You all have a great day

Angela