Although he had his numbers checked as ordered, when he was admitted for rectal bleeding he was at 5. They also determined he had a mild heart attack and stroke at some point in the recent months that we were unaware of so the drug did not prevent that from happening. No matter how valuable you think the drug is there is no logical reason to me for someone who is 84 and skin and bones to be on coumadin.
Ok, esme15, you are describing multiple problems here.......wish that I had those degrees that my husband had after his name, but I don't. So here goes: The bruising or blood spots usually come from the diaretic drug....such as Lasix(Ferosimide) or HCTZ. You can expect to see these "red spots" on the arms, maybe the chest. This is called "weeping". This may be painful for you to look at, but it is not really harmful to the pt. Another problem you mentioned is thinning blood. Unfortunately this is necessary: the Coumadin ( Warfarin) is keeping him from further strokes (Ischemic). This is a necessary drug. So, he should have it. If you are worried about his nutrition, you can give him Boost with 2% fat milk (I prefer the powdered Boost so that you can control the amount he drinks. This is in addition to the hospital food or daily trays. Keep him well-nourished. You don't want a starving patient. If he starts to refuse food/drinks etc., you should keep his feet warm with a hot-water bottle on both feet under the sheet or an electric heating pad....a common treatment in the UK. This may sound trite, but it is important, especially if he rolls ups in a ball or fetal position. My opinion only: You may want to request the CESSATION of the STATIN DRUG. If he's not getting any cholesterol in food, then why the statin? Keep monitoring: The BP, the heart monitor, the Pulse Ox, and watch out for the effects of the diauretic such as vomiting, diarrhea, liver, kidney failure.. check the Thyroid, the Adrenal gland (for Addison's) and signs and symptoms of hyponatremia. This develops very slowly in older adults. It appears that you are trying to do the right thing. Good Luck and God Bless you. Do not take him off the heart monitor, no matter what...even to go to the potty if he does not have a Foley. ( catheter). Be somewhat assertive with the caregivers ( tech's, nurses and even dr's.) Make sure someone is there day and night......If you are not there, don't worry, they'll call you.
Thanks for the hug. Neglected to say that he is also on a statin drug, afib drug, antipneumonia et al. He is paper thin (they both are.) He has bruises up and down his arms for no apparent reason, and he generally walks around in a daze when he does get up. If the blood is being thinned then it is taking something out that needs to be there and not just the bloodclots, namely valuable proteins. Not having any fat reserves on your body not only looks horrible but is dangerous. He is beyond anorexic. Those proteins are vital to your brain, etc. Tell me I'm wrong. Death by "possible" bloodclot, starvation, chemical poisoning, which one would you chose? Its so frustrating watching him fade away and none of his drs. seem to really care. When the cardiologist was asked why all the drugs, HE asked which one we should take him off. Maybe just maybe this drug isnt for everybody. Also I have seen the relevance of this drug to dimentia on other websites. Check it out.
As to Leyton's comments above, I have a father-in-law and an uncle that are both on blood thinners namely Coumadin and are experiencing dizziness, mumbling, etc. as well as loss of weight and appetite. My father-in-law, age 84 has been on it for about four years and my uncle, age 72 for two years. My father-in-law had valve surgery just prior to being put on the drug. Both complain of being cold since they were put on it. Ironically the more my FIL tries to excercise the weaker he becomes, though his blood tests are "in range". He now sleeps 3/4ths of the day. Isn't there another alternative such as cod liver oil? What about a naturepath? I have also suggested the cardiologist as above. I am truly sorry for Reba. Isn't there anyone out there that can help before its too late? When my mother had an ischemic stroke and passed away we found that her gp had her on THREE pages of meds including statin drugs, hbp, etc., none of which saved her.
Reba: The prostate gland is not as important as his heart. It's necessary to have his blood checked. Answer to your Q.: Digoxin or "Dig" is used to control atrial fibrillation. It has other names such as Lanoxin, Lanoxicaps, or sometimes Toporal will do the job of controlling fluctuations. Check with the CARDIOLOGIST, not the internist nor general practioner.
shmaren, I was told he could never go off of coumadin. Guess what? He started falling a couple of times a week because of his bad knees. I said I thought he could never get off of it and they said the risk is bad because of the blood being so thin and him falling could cause bleeding. So they took him off of it and put him on 81mg. His bad memory started three weeks after they put him on it. But the damage is done now and who knows what else can cause bad health problems. I believe they use too much medication when it is not needed. If we all would eat right and stop eating foods with so much junk in them. They also put stuff in our food to make us want to eat more. Then they say why are Americans so fat. If I knew what I know today they would never put him on it. Ask your doctor to take her off and put her on aspirin. Safer way is my guess. Tell them other people have said they can trace it back to when the medication was started. Or take her off yourself and give her aspirin. It does the same job.
I also question a possible correlation to coumadin and dementia.
I also question the correlation between coumadin and dementia. Recommended brain foods, i.e.Tthe Mediteranean Diet, are forbidden when one is taking anticoagulants such as coumadin.My mother is presently suffering from AD and I do believe the onset can be traced back to the beginning of her anitcoagulant therapy. This needs to be seriously studied!.
He didn't start the bad memory loss until he had been on them for about three weeks. They said he could never go off of them, Then with his bad knees he started falling a lot. Said the risk was greater of him bleeding inside. Now they have him on one 81mg of aspirin a day. They always over medicate and have killed people doing it. I told the doctors it started then and they said oh no that wouldn't do it. Now he isn't eating very much and this is a sign of the end, one day he will just get up and not eat at all. I believe the thin blood did the damage to his brain. That is the way God make it. He knew just how thick the blood should be to feed the brain and I think the doctors knew this too. After all they don't want us to live long - it is too costly. In the news this week or last they said they found the gene that causes AD. We all have the genes that can cause diseases, just like we have them for cancer. They need to find out what happens when they act up. Most of all I believe they don't want us to live a long life because it cost the insurance companies too much money and a drain on ss.
I am beginning to be suspicious of damage caused by blood thinners as well. Both my father-in-law and stepdad have experienced what Reba has described, further, memory loss has been an issue - both men have been on blood thinners now for quite some time. I think this merits some investigation.
Doxazosin is for the prostate and HBP. It has been given to men and women. They found it did help with the prostate but didn't for Ed because it got very large. I think they are doing the best for Ed. I don't think they want to do any operations on Ed because of his health being so bad.
No, I am not a doctor. You're right, BP must be controlled. Very important. Now for the enlarged prostate, Avodart is the most frequently prescribed treatment, but another treatment you may want to consider is a mild surgery to shrink that prostate. The surgery is called The Green Light, and another is microwave (not recommended here), treatment. Enlarged protate is not life-threatening, but an elevated BP is. As far as the Doxazosin, why not ask Dr. Lynn Harrelson what it does? Again, Good Luck!
They change his medication from time to time. He was on Doxazosin, took him off of that and put him on Avodart for prostate. Sorry but I don't know what Doxazosin was suppose to do for him. I should look it up. He is 76 tho.
Whew! Reba! Who says he needs all these meds? The poor guy is drugged up. Does he really need the first three drugs? A drug that can control Atrial Fibrillation is: Digoxin 125 MCG. and some others.
He has a pace maker - never heard of a drug that would take care of the fibrillation. They put that in so he could take enough meds. to keep his blood pressure down. His heart rate would go down into the 30s with all the medication he is on when he was sleeping.
One tablet - Klor-Con- M10 ER AM One tablet - Aricept 10mg. AM One tablet - Tekturna HCT (300mg./25mg per tablet) AM One tablet - Bystolic 10mg
Warfarin 1Mg - 1 ½ once a day
as needed – if BP is up One tablet – Nifedical XL 30 Mg. Only if blood pressure is 150/100 or higher
Avodart for prostate
No other person other than our doctors who would know anything about what we are talking about.
Yes. I understnd your thoughts on the blood not being rich enough to feed the brain, but if he has a normal diet, I wouldn't worry. Just keep checking that Coumadin level. I would worry more about the Atrial Fibrillation now. What drugs is he on to control that?...the A- Fib.
p.s. Do you have anyone helping you? Is there another adult that you can talk with?
N1K2R3, Not saying weight has anything to do with it. Was talking about what happens to the body if you take something away from it. Like the blood not being rich enough to feed the brain cells. Warfarin does thin the blood and if it gets too thin and you cut yourself you can bleed to death.
I was trying to say its like if you don't feed you body you will lose weight.
N1K2R3, No once a week until it stays at the same level. Then once a month. That is the way it is done and if it changes then it goes back to once a week. I used the word thin because that is what they say. I don't know that part of it, all I know is the level has to stay above 2. If his heart Fibulates too much it can still cause a blood clot. Or if the clot goes to his brain it can cause a stroke. Thanks for your infomation but that is what the doctors have told me.
No. Weight and blood are two different subjects. You can be thin and have thick blood or you can be obese and have thin blood. I amworried about his "seeingthings that are not there"....this is cause for concern. It is also one of the symptoms of ischemic stroke. Other symptoms are talking jibberish, sounding like he is speaking with a foreign accent, or mumbling his words. Remember a stroke does not hurt, so you won't be able to tell. There is no pain and no recognizable body changes. The diagnostic way to tell is with an MRI. If the brain is white or has white patches, there's trouble. With that A Fib you must keep him on the warfarin, and have it checked constantly (twice a week minimum)..
N1K2R3, Thank you for your thoughts on this. The reason they put him on warfarin is he has a Atrial Fibulation which can cause a stroke or blood clot which could kill him. It has to be thin not at a normal range. I was told normal is 1 and they keep his about 2. So I noticed changes after he had been on it for about three weeks. He was seeing things that are not there, people, animals and odd objects. I wondered if it caused Alzheimer's. It all started then. I ask my doctor if that could be the reason he has AD and he said no. The blood feeds the brain so what happens if it is too thin. If you don't eat enough you lose weight so would the brain suffer from the blood being too thin. I think it could.
Well this question, Reba, has to be answered by a medical person rather than one of us. I can tell you what I know about "blood thinners". Coumadin or Warfarin are blood thinners, and they are very helpful in keeping the patients' blood at a normal "thickness" level. The test is done by using a finger prick, and then that tiny sample of blood is put into a machine which measures blood thickness or density. There is a normal range, and when the test shows that blood is too thick, they increase the warfarin or coumadin. When the blood is too thin, they decrease or even eliminate the warfarin or coumadin. It is important for the patient to stay within the recommended guideline. I am presently working on a home-based or mobile monitor which the caregiver could use to monitor the blood thickness. Right now, the only way a patient can have his/her blood checked is to go into a "Coumadin Clinic" or hospital. Traveling may be difficult for both patient and caregiver, and this delay may be dangerous, as the blood thickness may change quickly. The monitor which I hope to perfect would be similar to the monitor that is used by diabetic patients....a daily check..... medicare approved. Why is this important, because thick blood could cause ischemic stroke and too thin blood could cause sub-dural bleeding of the brain, in other words brain hemmorage. The more common condition in the elderly is ischemic stroke caused by A-Fib or too thick blood.
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degrees that my husband had after his name, but I don't. So here goes:
The bruising or blood spots usually come from the diaretic drug....such as Lasix(Ferosimide) or HCTZ. You can expect to see these "red spots" on the arms, maybe the chest. This is called "weeping". This may be painful for you to look at, but it is not really harmful to the pt. Another problem you mentioned is thinning blood. Unfortunately this is necessary: the Coumadin ( Warfarin) is keeping him from further strokes (Ischemic). This is a necessary drug. So, he should have it. If you are worried about his nutrition, you can give him Boost with 2% fat milk (I prefer the powdered Boost so that you can control the amount he drinks. This is in addition to the hospital food or daily trays.
Keep him well-nourished. You don't want a starving patient. If he starts to refuse food/drinks etc., you should keep his feet warm with a hot-water bottle on both feet under the sheet or an electric heating pad....a common treatment in the UK. This may sound trite, but it is important, especially if he rolls ups in a ball or fetal position.
My opinion only: You may want to request the CESSATION of the STATIN DRUG. If he's not getting any cholesterol in food, then why the statin?
Keep monitoring: The BP, the heart monitor, the Pulse Ox, and watch out for the effects of the diauretic such as vomiting, diarrhea, liver, kidney failure.. check the Thyroid, the Adrenal gland (for Addison's) and signs and symptoms of hyponatremia. This develops very slowly in older adults. It appears that you are trying to do the right thing. Good Luck and God Bless you. Do not take him off the heart monitor, no matter what...even to go to the potty if he does not have a Foley. ( catheter).
Be somewhat assertive with the caregivers ( tech's, nurses and even dr's.)
Make sure someone is there day and night......If you are not there, don't worry, they'll call you.
Very sincerely,
Norene Katherine
Answer to your Q.: Digoxin or "Dig" is used to control atrial fibrillation. It has other names such as Lanoxin, Lanoxicaps, or sometimes Toporal will do the job of controlling fluctuations. Check with the CARDIOLOGIST, not the internist nor general practioner.
I believe they use too much medication when it is not needed. If we all would eat right and stop eating foods with so much junk in them. They also put stuff in our food to make us want to eat more. Then they say why are Americans so fat. If I knew what I know today they would never put him on it. Ask your doctor to take her off and put her on aspirin. Safer way is my guess. Tell them other people have said they can trace it back to when the medication was started. Or take her off yourself and give her aspirin. It does the same job.
I also question the correlation between coumadin and dementia. Recommended brain foods, i.e.Tthe Mediteranean Diet, are forbidden when one is taking anticoagulants such as coumadin.My mother is presently suffering from AD and I do believe the onset can be traced back to the beginning of her anitcoagulant therapy. This needs to be seriously studied!.
He didn't start the bad memory loss until he had been on them for about three weeks. They said he could never go off of them, Then with his bad knees he started falling a lot. Said the risk was greater of him bleeding inside. Now they have him on one 81mg of aspirin a day. They always over medicate and have killed people doing it.
I told the doctors it started then and they said oh no that wouldn't do it. Now he isn't eating very much and this is a sign of the end, one day he will just get up and not eat at all. I believe the thin blood did the damage to his brain.
That is the way God make it. He knew just how thick the blood should be to feed the brain and I think the doctors knew this too. After all they don't want us to live long - it is too costly.
In the news this week or last they said they found the gene that causes AD. We all have the genes that can cause diseases, just like we have them for cancer. They need to find out what happens when they act up.
Most of all I believe they don't want us to live a long life because it cost the insurance companies too much money and a drain on ss.
As far as the Doxazosin, why not ask Dr. Lynn Harrelson what it does? Again, Good Luck!
A drug that can control Atrial Fibrillation is: Digoxin 125 MCG. and some others.
One tablet - Klor-Con- M10 ER AM
One tablet - Aricept 10mg. AM
One tablet - Tekturna HCT (300mg./25mg per tablet) AM
One tablet - Bystolic 10mg
Warfarin 1Mg - 1 ½ once a day
as needed – if BP is up
One tablet – Nifedical XL 30 Mg.
Only if blood pressure is 150/100 or higher
Avodart for prostate
No other person other than our doctors who would know anything about what we are talking about.
Thank you for your interest.
I would worry more about the Atrial Fibrillation now. What drugs is he on to control that?...the A- Fib.
p.s. Do you have anyone helping you? Is there another adult that you can talk with?
I was trying to say its like if you don't feed you body you will lose weight.
I amworried about his "seeingthings that are not there"....this is cause for concern. It is also one of the symptoms of ischemic stroke. Other symptoms are talking jibberish, sounding like he is speaking with a foreign accent, or mumbling his words. Remember a stroke does not hurt, so you won't be able to tell. There is no pain and no recognizable body changes. The diagnostic way to tell is with an MRI. If the brain is white or has white patches, there's trouble. With that A Fib you must keep him on the warfarin, and have it checked constantly (twice a week minimum)..
Why is this important, because thick blood could cause ischemic stroke and too thin blood could cause sub-dural bleeding of the brain, in other words brain hemmorage. The more common condition in the elderly is ischemic stroke caused by A-Fib or too thick blood.