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Too Many Blood Thinners - Can The Effects Be Reversed?

My fiance had a heart attack in 1998. They put him on blood-thinners, among other medications, for several years and just discontinued them about a year ago or less.

I am very worried because he STILL bleeds too much from minor cuts and sometimes gets large dark red blotches under his skin (Particularly on the backs of his hands and upper arms) from what I imagine are broken blood vessels.

What scares me is the thought that if the blood vessels in his hands and upper arms are THAT fragile and break that EASILY, what about the blood vessels in his brain, his heart, and other areas where a broken blood vessel could be critical or even fatal?!?

I am afraid his doctors at the VA have overprescribed these pills for way too long and put him in some serious danger by doing so.

(My father was permanently crippled by a cerebral hemmorhage when I was 12 years old, and I saw a co-worker collapse and die of one when I was in my late 30's - so you can understand WHY I am so concerned!)

Update:

Our resources are EXTREMELY limited, so we pretty much can't afford to consult a private doctor. I know that all sorts of people answer these questions and just hoped a doctor might be among the group that sees this one - or maybe someone who has experienced and solved a similar problem

5 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    DONT take herbs of things over the counter. Tell your doc at the VA these symptoms and ask him to check his INR, PT and PTT.

    Dont worry too much........many people have these same symptoms. That doesnt mean he is or will bleed internally.

    Source(s): RN
  • 1 decade ago

    yes there is treatment. however first you should have a doctor do a blood test.

    1) a PT (Prothrombin time which is a blood test that measures the time it takes for the liquid portion (plasma) of your blood to clot. avg is 11 - 13.5 seconds ( time also may vary from lab to lab slightly)

    2) PTT (Partial thromboplastin time- blood test that looks at how long it takes for blood to clot. It can help tell if you have bleeding or clotting problems (The normal value will vary between laboratories. In general, clotting should occur between 25 to 35 seconds. If the person is taking blood thinners, clotting takes up to two and a half times longer.)

    3) INR (International Normalized Ratio - measures the time it

    takes for blood to clot and compares it to an average. is about 1.0)

    Some natural substances have blood-thinning properties. A possible risk exists when taking such a product while also taking Coumarins (coumadin-like substances), salicylates (aspirin-like substances) and anti-platelets (substances that prevent blood cells from clumping together) as these are all considered blood thinners. Too much blood thinning can lead to excessive bleeding.

    Herbs containing coumadin: angelica root, arnica flower,anise, asafoetida,celery,chamomile,fenugreek,horse chestnut,licorice root,lovage root,parsley,passionflower herb,quassia. red clover rue,sweet clover

    Herbs thought to contain salicylates: Meadowsweet,poplar,willow bark

    Herbs with Anti-platelet properties: bromelain,clove,onion, and turmeric

    hope this helps a little and is not to confusing. I work in a hospital and on a ambulance adn tend to over do it sometime.

    thie main thing would be to consult a doctor....

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Try iron supplements and eating dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach or kale. Collard or mustard Greens all helps. Review all of his medications with the pharmacist to see if there is an interaction occurring. Go to the VA and be a squeaky wheel till you get a full and complete answer to his condition. I used to work in a VA, would not go there myself.

  • No one
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    Have him see a doctor different from the VA doctor for an evaluation and for a second opinion. People on this site are not qualified, trained, or licensed to give medical advice that a doctor can. I don't blame you for worrying, and your questions are excellent!! However, ask a doctor.

    Chow!!

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  • 1 decade ago

    if the doctor leave that way the blood it will kill the infection and the salmonella Also the salmonella are in the food like the food borne it have diseases and the some doctor help the people and fight with diseases that people have and they do there best and broken blood vessel is danger

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