Obstetric APS - are blood thinners really necessary if no pregnancy is planned?

[Wooziesoozie]

Following on from my earlier post about how clopidogrel and now hydroxychloroquine effect my digestive system so badly, I was wondering, is it really necessary for me to be on any drug that thins my blood at all? Would it be worth me running past my consultant some natural alternatives instead, which are actually supposed to be good for the digestion and which thin the blood i.e. Curcumin (turmeric) and high dose fish oil. I've never had a clotting incident, my diagnosis was based on 3 miscarriages and I'm not going to be getting pregnant again.

[MaryF Administrator]

HI, I take the supplements you mention above but also 2 x Aspirin, I am a particularly unusual case due to my mix of disease including Stevens Johnson. Your first step is a specialist, a recommended one off our list. I can take my supplements safely as I am not on Warfarin so no INR to go up and down etc!! Plaquenil is thought to have a slight effect on blood clotting. I have not had an arterial clot outside of pregnancy, and got diagnosis very late, for all my conditions, so I am now on a particular selection of drugs suited to me and my specialists know about it. Diet is good, it helps any condition in my opinion, but you do need expert medical guidance..

Please be careful to write out your medical history and symptoms in bullet points to help at any appointment.

I will also add that most doctors are not trained as nutritionists so will not be keen to advise you on alternative supplements no matter how sensible.

MaryF

[Beartje]

Hiya Wooziesnoozie, good question. I'm in a similar situation. Only pregnancy complications three years ago and no clotting (I am 40 years old). I am now under supervision of an APS specialist and still no blood thinners are advised in my case. (I do have to stay away from any hormones and make sure I do get blood thinners should I ever become ill and bedridden). We use turmeric a few times a week as a spice when cooking and I take Omega 3 pills (vegetarian ones in my case) daily and I recently added one small piece of dark chocolate in the mix. Also I wear flight stockings during long flights and make sure I keep moving every hour. So, as Mary says, check with an APS specialised consultant what is wise in your situation.

[Wooziesoozie in reply to Beartje]

Thank you very much for your response ☺it really helps to know what people in a similar situation are doing. I've emailed my consultant (from the Guys Lupus clinic, so he does know all about APS), so I'm hoping he'll respond with something helpful.

[Beartje in reply to Wooziesoozie]

Good stuff. The turmeric, omega 3 and pure chocolate are things I added myself after reading about their benefits. I have not checked these with a consultant.