Problems with blood thinners

[Blackvelvet]

My husband has been prescribed blood thinners for life due to Bilateral Pulmonary Embolisms and Deep vein thrombosis twice. He has a very rough time taking a lot of medications as they give him severe muscle pains and make being mobile difficult. He has taken Apixaban, Xeralto, Warfarin and then injections of Tinzaparin. He was on the Tinzaparin for 5 months but just could not stand the pains any longer. He has just started Lixiana so hoping he can tolerate this one. He is 75 years old and was very health till 2.5 years ago. He has had major back surgery with hardware placement, a second back surgery to move the siatic nerve that was sitting on a bone spur. Also 2 times to get rid if a kidney stone as it was not removed the first surgery. In April he was diagnosed with prostrate cancer and he had low dose Brachytherapy for that in August. The prostrate cancer seems to be under control. Has anyone had muscle pains from blood thinners?

[Dawsonmackay]

While it may look like the blood thinner is the cause, I would suggest that he take magnesium. There are plenty of posts here that suggest that magnesium deficiency can reverse some pains. I have been taking Xarelto for three years and have not experienced your husband’s pains

[Blackvelvet in reply to Dawsonmackay]

thank you. I use magnesium cream on him every day as he gets diarrhea from just a little bit of oral magnesium. I cant try again and see if he can tolerate it.

[Dawsonmackay in reply to Blackvelvet]

Stick with the magnesium cream. Nothing worse than having diarrhea.

[Blackvelvet in reply to Dawsonmackay]

That is how my husband feels. I take 400 mgs a day with no problem but even 100 mgs bothers him.

[bantam12]

I've been reading patient reviews for Apixaban and a lot of people had to stop taking it because of muscle pain so could apply to other anticoagulants.

[Blackvelvet in reply to bantam12]

Yes you are very right. My husband seems to react to blood pressure medications the same way as well. Our GP says he just seems to be sensitive to a lot of meds. His blood Pressure is not elevated. Thank goodness. Our specialist put him on the injections which are very costly and now are giving him troubles. Difficult to know what to do. We will see how he reacts to the Lixiana which he started today. Thank you for your impute.

[bantam12 in reply to Blackvelvet]

I'm supposed to have started Apixaban but as I don't tolerate meds very well I've been putting it off, have enough things wrong without adding side effects into the mix ! My husband is on an unbelievable number of tablets and he never gets any side effects, really annoying when I get all of them !

I hope your husband finds something he can manage, very difficult for you both.

[Blackvelvet in reply to bantam12]

Thank you. Medications are a necessary thing but it seems none of them come with out a few side effects. If you are to be on blood thinners it is a little scary to not take them but I understand your hesitance .

[Deacon-L in reply to bantam12]

I found Apixaban worked very well for me with no obvious side effects, having come off Edoxaban which really didn't agree with me and left me feeling constantly exhausted.

The advice I got from my EP was spot on.

ie: "everyone is different and just a change in molecule between one pill and another can make a difference between different people's tolerance to it.

It therefore is a case of trying alternatives if the side effects of one doesn't work for you and understand that our personal experience with a pill will often be quite different from someone else - hence a bit of trial and error.

[bantam12 in reply to Deacon-L]

Apixaban seems to be the one that most people cope well with which is why I chose it, what I find hard to accept is that when I'm 64 with a 0 Chad score I don't need them, the day I hit 65 apparently I do need them, funny logic 🤷‍♀️ I will try them after Christmas when it doesn't matter if I'm feeling off for a few days. Thanks for the advice.

[healme]

I am sorry but I am afraid I have no solution to your husbands problem. I truly wish I did as I have similar issues with similar medications. I too am sensitive to most meds and have decided too put up with a lot of the pain and in my case allergic reactions through fear of not having cover for the possibility of further strokes or heart problems.

I hope you manage to resolve his pain and if you find the answers please share them with us all so that our quality of life can be improved. Wishing everyone on this site a healthy, happy and pain free Christmas. xxx

[Aprilbday]

I take Pradaxa. I have to take it with food or it makes me throw up violently.

Your husband is strong! May God help relieve that pain soon. I am sorry I don’t know what could help.

[Echinopsis]

I have taken Warfarin for four years with no side effects and feel it is good to be reassured they are preventing me having a stroke caused by the AF. I hope your husband finds something that does not cause him pain, ut does the job.

[Blackvelvet in reply to Echinopsis]

Yes that would be great as he has no problems with having to take medication to prevent PE's. He was on Warfarin for 3 months and was so painful that is when the specialist tried the belly shots of the low molecular weight heparin. He was very well controlled with his INR on the Warfarin and was only having to do blood tests once a month but the muscle pains were unbearable. He seems to have a problem taking a lot of different meds. Even Flomax bothers him but he has to take it every second day to help empty his bladder. That should ease up soon as he is now almost 5 months since the radiation Brachytherapy for his prostrate cancer. He did take Lyrica quite a wile ago but it did not seem to help him. Thank you for your suggestion.

[macdongr]

No, no problems with blood thinners. I have taken Xarelto for five years. Has a general treatment approach, for example, Lyrica, been suggested?

[Blackvelvet]

My reply to Echinopsis also includes a reply to your Lyrica suggestion. He has seem a lot of specialists over the last 2 yeas and they do not have any answers. We have a really good General Practioner that is our family doctor. He listens and does try things to help.