Stopping Warfarin again

A lot of this is repetatative from my other postings on UK Health. I had severe joint pain when taking Warfarin for 14 months. After  three months with AF after having an AVR I had a cardioversion that put me back into sinus rhythm . The surgeon said that I could stop Warfarin after six months but the cardiologist insisted that I continued with it.

My joint pains increased and after 15 months I stopped taking it. Within three weeks my joints were back to normal for my advanced age:-)

Very good knees for a 78 year old the orthopaedic consultant said.

I again went into AF due to another medical procedure (colonoscopy) in November and had so start Warfarin again. It was not long before the joint pains re-started. I have now been back in sinus rhythm for three months and will have to stop Warfarin again due to severe joint pain in feet, knees and hips and lower back. The pains are now beginning to join up from my back and hips and is now travelling down my thighs to connect with the knees. Pain killers are of no help and sleeping is difficult.

I stagger and bump into people when getting up to walk after being seated outside or on trains until I get back into gear again.

My doctor tells me that my theory of bleeding in the joints is wrong as that would result in massive swelling and be a major emergency.

So yesterday was my last Warfarin. When I previously stopped it my GP sad that I was the third patient that week to stop taking it.

How have others here fared when stopping it?

Personally I fear that a brain bleed from Warfarin is just as likely as a blood clot without it.

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