Effects of Warfarin on cholesterol

[gel1]

I have been on Warfarin for 9 months following a multiple bi-lateral pulmonary embolism. I am taking 13 mg per day. I went for a health check at my local surgery, for diabetes and cholesterol. My cholesterol results were much higher than I ever expected. I have made an appointment to see specialist nurse, but wonder if anyone has had any problems with their cholesterol since taking Warfarin, or is this just a coincidence.

[virgin543]

Yes, strangely I have never had a cholestrol problem until taking warfarin. I have just acceted that I now have to take Statins as well, which i hate, but have tried to adjust my cholestrol levels by diet as best as possible without results. So have decided the warfarin has probably pushed up levels for some reason..

[Hidden]

I have never heard of Warfarin causing higher levels of cholesterol but sadly patients who have high cholesterol can find themselves on anticoagulants too. Statins have very few side effects so I know GPs who think they should even be in the water supply to lower everyone's cholesterol!

One normal treatment for high cholesterol is certainly to take Statins but some statins can cause your INR to increase. This is because these statins are removed from the body through the liver, by the same route as the Warfarin and they slow down the Warfarin removal resulting in you simply taking a lower daily Warfarin dose. This was my experience in any event.

You can avoid some of the consequences of statins affecting your INR by choosing the right statin. Simvastatin is the usual choice of GPs because it is the longest established and very cheap. It is not very effective though so quite a high dose is needed. Atorvastatin is a bit newer and almost as cheap but more powerful so only 10mg of Atorvastatin will do the same for your Cholesterol as 40mg of Simvastatin but with less effect on your INR. Rusovastatin is even newer and very effective but very expensive but this is removed by a different route altogether and doesn't interfere with your INR. I take Atorvastatin myself.

Hope this helps

[Wij122 in reply to Hidden]

Really good info my hubby just got his cholestrol reading after he was rushed back in and his b/p was over 200 and they did a cholestrol blood test and it was 14 so he has been put on statins.

I was wondering if anyone has any good cooking books for me to get to keep his cholestrol low also being on warfarin. It seems like I've got a job to do to change our life style even though i cook good food and not usually high in saturated or what i thought, so any help would be great. He is also taking the same statins as yourself.

[Dragon4]

I have never in my life had trouble with my Cholesterol and Trig.. I started taking Warfarin after a blood clod in my lung. Like you they had me take diabetes and cholesterol test and now I have problem with both.