Stay on blood thinners or not?

How do you know if the clots where still there if you did not have a second ultrasound? Did they find the clots in your leg when you had a PE? Because two things. Blood thinners do not make blood clots go away. Thinners just make it easier for your blood to circulate and not clot while the clots you do have can dissolve back into your blood stream. If they did an ultrasound when you had your PE and they found the clots it's possible the first ones dissolved and you clotted again. No matter how you get a clot, you will always be at some small chance of getting another one. But when unprovoked such as a fall like yourself, my understanding is your percentage is smaller but, if the original clot causeed tissue damage then it's possible that may be why you clotted this time around. Given you do not have a clotting disorder. But I am not a doctor I can only tell you what information I know and my experience. My experience was. I had bilateral pes in November 2016. Was on thinners 6 months. Got off in May of 2017. They believe my pes where due to kicking a door 20 30 times but are not sure as I did not have a clot in my legs. I've had scans and there is no evidence I have ever had a pe or dvt. Thus far I have not had any problems. I have been really lucky. I hope things get better for you.

I had clot(s) in the lung in June this year due to a hip replacement. I was put on apixaban (eliquis) for 3 months, after a month the side effects became so bad I stopped taking it. In August I had an echogardiogram and they said thd blood was flowing normally.

When you came off the warfarin intiallty did you take precautions to keep the blood flowing. Drinking plenty of water and keeping active? There are plenty of supplements and foods that are good for the blood. I take bromelain everyday along with ginger root tea (doctors recommendation), garlic capsule, flaxseed, cod liver oil, magnesium, use cayenne pepper on food along with olive oil. The doctors say keeping active is the most important thing.

Good luck with finding your own path as doctors will leave you on anticoagulants for life as it is easy.

The clots were still there because about a year later I had a PE AFTER being taken off Warfarin. Very common to get a PE from an active clot in the calf. Again, when I was taken off of Warfarin after six months, they should have done another Doppler to see if the clot were still there.

I do use the treadmill 2-3 times per week. The clots finally dissolved. I also just started taking fish oil.

Thanks

I had all genetic testing. Just trying to figure out if I should be on Warfarin the rest of my life. Between exercise, fish oil and a baby aspirin, I am hoping my doctor says yes. Again, just easier to keep me on Warfarin.

Thanks!

However, like you said, it’s easier for the doctors to just leave me on Warfarin. 

Hi Mike,

I recently had the same struggle. Had a PE in late 2016, no genetic factors, one hematologist said to stay on them to be safe, another said "6 months, that's it". I tried the newer stuff, Xarelto, Eliquis, Savaysa, but they all made me feel awful. I decided to get off of them, but then I realized I was constantly worrying about another PE. So I decided to try warfarin. So far, I don't notice I'm even on it, so I've decided to stay on it. I understand what you're going through, it's not easy, and we can't see the future. Good luck!

My understanding..,initially 4-6 months on blood thinners after a first PE unless have a clotting disorder then you need to be on them for life. For me I do not have a genetic clotting disorder. September 2017 developed blood clots , unprovoked. On blood thinners 6 months. I was off the thinners less then 3 months, in June 2018, got sick with bronchitis. I was less active and developed blood clots in both lungs this time. Now I'm a lifer on blood thinners.

From what I understand from my hematologist, once you have more than one episode of blood clots, you're on anticoagulants for life.