How does anticoagulant drugs work

Call your doctor if you notice any of the following symptoms while taking any anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs:. Because of the side effects of these types of drugs, certain people have an increased risk of complications when using them. If you have bleeding disorder, diabetes, high blood pressure, balance problems, congestive heart failure, or liver or kidney problems, talk to your doctor.

Warfarin may increase your risk of complications from these conditions. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, do not use warfarin. Doing so can increase the risk of fetal death and harm to your baby. Some drugs and dietary supplements can further increase your risk of bleeding, so tell your doctor about all of the prescription and over-the-counter products you take. The risks and side effects of these drugs can be serious.

If you have certain conditions, your doctor may prescribe a blood thinner medication. Blood thinners can work to lower your chances of having a heart…. Blood thinners are drugs that prevent the blood from clotting. Blood clots can block the flow of blood to the heart or brain. A lack of blood flow to…. For You Patient Handouts. You may take a blood thinner if you have Certain heart or blood vessel diseases An abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation A heart valve replacement A risk of blood clots after surgery Congenital heart defects There are two main types of blood thinners.

Start Here. Diagnosis and Tests. Related Issues. Statistics and Research. Clinical Trials. Women who take warfarin must switch to heparin or low molecular weight heparin before they become pregnant, since heparin or low molecular weight heparin Lovenox, Fragmin do not cross the placenta into the fetus. Do not smoke or drink alcohol while taking anticoagulants. Smoking increases the risk of blood clots and cardiovascular disease, and cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in people with lupus.

Alcohol can interfere with the effectiveness of anticoagulant medications, can be harmful to your liver, and can irritate your stomach gastritis , causing bleeding. Warfarin is the most widely used anticoagulant, but because everyone differs in their physiological make-up, dosage requirements differ from person to person.

Blood clotting is a natural protective mechanism employed by the body to seal off damaged blood vessels; any medication that alters this natural protective mechanism must be carefully monitored. People taking warfarin must obtain a blood test every weeks to ensure that their blood is thinning to the correct degree without bleeding complications.

This test the INR, discussed below may be requested several times a week at the beginning of your treatment to ensure that you are started on the correct dose. In actuality, Prothrombin time is the test used, and INR is simply a standardized way for medical institutions to report consistent values for Prothrombin times. The INR ratio is calculated based on comparison of blood tests against a known standard, and your physician will monitor your warfarin levels based on this INR ratio.

Generally, an INR of 2. Heparin works faster than warfarin, so it is usually given in situations where an immediate effect is desired. For example, this medication is often given in hospitals to prevent growth of a previously detected blood clot.

This medication is also recommended for pregnant women in whom antiphospholipid antibodies have been discovered, since warfarin can be harmful to an unborn child. Anticoagulants are medicines that help prevent blood clots. They're given to people at a high risk of getting clots, to reduce their chances of developing serious conditions such as strokes and heart attacks.

A blood clot is a seal created by the blood to stop bleeding from wounds. While they're useful in stopping bleeding, they can block blood vessels and stop blood flowing to organs such as the brain, heart or lungs if they form in the wrong place. Anticoagulants work by interrupting the process involved in the formation of blood clots. They're sometimes called "blood-thinning" medicines, although they don't actually make the blood thinner. Although they're used for similar purposes, anticoagulants are different to antiplatelet medicines, such as low-dose aspirin and clopidogrel.

The most commonly prescribed anticoagulant is warfarin. Newer types of anticoagulants are also available and are becoming increasingly common. These include:. Warfarin and the newer alternatives are taken as tablets or capsules.