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Can Warfarin cause night sweats?

Posted , 9 users are following.

lee_54830
lee_54830

Hi Everyone

Six years ago l had an aortic root and valve replacement surgery as result of a massive aneurysm (8.8cm), I now have a false root and a mechanical valve (St Jude Conduit).  Roughly soon(ish) after this, terrible night sweats appeared out of nowhere, I still have them every night, frequently severe.

Over the years I have been tested for everything, hormone imbalances, Bacterial Endocarditis and loads more, I have been taken off certain drugs such as Amlopidine yet the night sweats still continue.  I sweat at no other times, nor is it any more warm or colder than my bedding was prior to my surgery (nor do I feel hot or cold but kinda prickly when I wake sweating) and then, I never sweated at night. It simply started out of the blue sometime soonish after my surgery, I'm baffled and frustrated and haven't had a decent nights sleep for years. Waking in the middle of the night with wet bed sheets make it impossible to sleep again.

i do suffer from anxiety but take no medication for this. The only medication I take is Warfarin.  I am a 48 year old man, I have read that although uncommon, night sweats have been recorded by some taking the drug, I'm also aware some drugs do different things to different people however uncommon these instances may be.  I guess I'm trying to see if I'm barking up the wrong tree or could this be a possibility? Do any others have this problem? Was Warfarin ever identified as the cause?

Over the years I have blamed or believed these night sweats were caused by something, addressed the issue, yet the night sweats continue so I was wrong, am I wrong again? I'm at my wits end trying to work this out. I'm currently thinking of changing to one of the new NOACs such as Apixaban or Rvaroxaban, any advice on this would also be appreciated, I have a GP appt booked for 15 June to discuss moving from Warfarin to see if this may be the cause of these night sweats.

Thanks for any help

0 likes, 21 replies

21 Replies

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  • nigel0151
    nigel0151 lee_54830

    Posted

    Hi Lee,

    Thanks for sharing your experiences.

    I have heard from a variety of medical personnel (including Consultants), that Warfarin can affect people in a variety of different ways. Warfarin gave me terribly itchy legs!

    During a recent emergency admission to hospital, a Registrar told me that, with the introduction of the NOAC's, there was a push switch patients away from Warfarin due to the potential side effects.

    I am on lifelong Anticoagulation and moved from Warfarin to Apixaban many months ago, without any side effects at all.

    My advice would be to try Apixaban as it is documented to have a much lower risk of internal bleeding that Rivaroxaban and is just as effective.

    Good luck with it all!!

    • lee_54830
      lee_54830 nigel0151

      Posted

      Thanks Nigel, that's really helpful, the more I read and hear, the more I'm leaning towards Apixaban. Like you, I'm lifelong anti coagulation thanks to my noisy mechanical valve (boy, you can hear it clattering away when laying in bed at night).

      Warfarin is definately suspect number 1 in regards to these night sweats. I've been tested for everything and Warfarin is the only drug I take. I don't even drink alcohol since my surgery, I think it's definately worth seeing if they continue when I change, I think I'm going to ask my GP if he backs this, if he does, I'm going to push for Apixaban.

      thanks again

    • nigel0151
      nigel0151 lee_54830

      Posted

      Hi Lee,

      There is a lot of information out there for patients to consider!!!

      I have found this forum to be invaluable with regard to the sharing of information.

      I wish you the very best of luck!

      Do keep us posted!!

  • rob60599
    rob60599 lee_54830

    Posted

    Hi Lee, I've been on Warfarin for just over 2 years and will have to take for the rest of my life due to having a couple of nasty DVT's in my leg. I have talked with other warfarin takers at my clinic who have had excessive sweating at night, they reckoned it was due to anxiety.

    The one thing I have noticed about taking anticoagulants is that there does seem

    to be side effects that only some people get but others don't. Also think carefully about changing to something else coagulant wise as I changed to Rivaroxaban briefly but had to change back because it caused other side effects (bad headaches in my case) and the lack of antidotes for the newer anticoagulants is a bit of a negative too. I hope i've been a bit of help.

    • lee_54830
      lee_54830 rob60599

      Posted

      Hi Rob, thanks, that's really helpful. People have suggested anxiety but I had this prior to my surgery and never sweated then hence why I've been ticking off other suspects.  Your comment regarding Rivaroxaban is very interesting too, I'm now leaning towards Apixaban.

      thanks

  • nigel0151
    nigel0151 lee_54830

    Posted

    Hi,

    Whilst the issue of an alleged lack of an antidote for the NOAC' is indeed a consideration, a Consultant Heamatologist (who transferred me to Apixaban), advised that every UK Hospital is aware of the procedure to follow should a patient on any of the NOAC's be admitted with a severe bleed.

    In addition, an antidote is currently being developed and hoped to be approved sometime soon.

    Yes, such is the power of anticoagulation medication on the human body, the side effects are wide ranging and affect different people in different ways.

    I wish that I did not need to take this medication for the rest of my life, the risk of a further DVT and PE is far too great for me to stop taking them!

  • elfnsafety
    elfnsafety lee_54830

    Posted

    Hello Lee . On Warfarin since Nov11 . No known side effects ,able to control and aware of effects of K .
    • lee_54830
      lee_54830 elfnsafety

      Posted

      Thanks for that, I'm glad all is going well for you. In regards to actual hitting my INR, I do well. I'm kinda different as I manage myself, I have a coagucheck xs machine and my gp prescribes my test strips on prescription therefore, I test myself at home by jabbing myself in the finger with a lancet, drip blood onto test strip and my machine logs all my test results. I simply relay my INR results to my GP once a month and he adds  them to my records. I never have to go to hospital for warfarin blood checks (yippee). It cost me £500 quid as I'm a lifelong dependent (£700 otherwise) but it was worth every penny
    • elfnsafety
      elfnsafety lee_54830

      Posted

      Lee . Got mine for £ 250.00  ( lifelong user ) in 2014 . Also stable INR
    • lee_54830
      lee_54830 elfnsafety

      Posted

      When (or if) I switch to Apixaban I will no longer need it thankfully, no monitoring needed. Got mine in 2010 straight after my surgery, it's certainly done its job, getting test strips on prescription definately helped but I'm definately drawn to switching, 

      Hope everything continues to go well for you

  • kathleen48070
    kathleen48070 lee_54830

    Posted

    I had open heart for mitral valve and 4x bypass. They told me I couldn't have any other thinner because warfarin tests show thinning or clotting , both of which are serious as we all know.   I get terrible sweats and itchy legs and also restless legs .  I can't distinguish which of my (12 ) tablets is causing my problem though . I asked again about ask an and have been told no twice. I have dilated cardiomyopathy. My hubby has cancer and had a PE in October and he has Axiban and no side effects at all. I hope you get sorted Lee. 
  • derek76
    derek76 lee_54830

    Posted

    If you have a mechanical valve you cannot take NOACs.

    There is a similar drug to Warfarin called ACENOCOUMAROL (Nicoumalone) that might just suit you better. It is precribed in Eurpean countries but seldom in Britain

    I had a problem with joint pain and Warfarin. Research pointed me to the E123 (banned in America evidently)  and Amaranth use to colour the 1mg tablets. After stopping the 1mg tablets the joint pain went. 

  • bowman
    bowman lee_54830

    Posted

    Yes. My husband suffered awful side effects with warfarin. The sweats lasted about 18 months.

    He had a lot of other issues with warfarin as well and has now been changed to Apixaban.

  • buddah
    buddah lee_54830

    Posted

    Hi Lee

    Could be the Warfarin. There are a lot of side effects with blood thinners that Drs will say dont exist...however they wrong.

    I was on 0one of the new NOAC Xarelto but terrible side effects. I'm trying Eliquis at the moment but would love not to be on them at all. I experienced a PE while taking Xarelto which my Drs said just couldn't happen??? I was in hospital for 10 days while they tried to find another cause for my PE. Ended up saying it was a spontanious  clot.I'm positive the xarelto caused it.

    Dont be mislead these are dangerous drugs...a Consultant Heamatologist  may say they know just what to do if you have a bleed, but that doesn't mean they know how to stop it. There are no antidotes currently for this drug and many people have died because of this.There are a number of Class actions in the USA because of the number of deaths from the  NOAC's. You just have to weigh up what you feel is right for you and go with it. 

     

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