New Warfarin Side Effects Found: Increased Risk of a Stroke -- a Bleeding Brain StrokeNewly discovered warfarin side effects include causing strokes from bleeding. One of the known side effects of using blood thinners such as Coumadin, is that they cause you to bleed easily. University of Cincinnati researchers have published a study in the medical journal Neurology, saying that: Bleeding in the brain, or bleeding strokes, increased fivefold among people who took a widely prescribed blood thinner called warfarin, known by the brand name Coumadin. The use of this drug, they report, has led to a soaring number of strokes caused by bleeding to the brain -- potentially offsetting warfarin's benefits, particularly among patients over the age of 80. This research, headed by Matthew Flaherty, a UC neurologist, shows that the number of hemorrhagic strokes jumped five-fold between 1988 and 1999. In people over the age of 80, the rate of getting a stroke soared eighteen-fold. Warfarin Side Effects: Bleeding Causes Spinal Cord InjuryMy father is a case in point. My father fell, and as a result never walked well again. Why? Spinal cord bleeding caused damage as the side effect of the Coumadin he was on. Due to these unexpected warfarin side effects, he never fully recovered.My father, in his early eighties, faithfully took his prescriptions and followed his doctors orders to the letter. While we were on a family road trip with him, he tripped on a rise in the floor at our B & B, and he fell. He was not badly hurt, but he began to feel progressively worse. We took him to two different hospitals where he was cleared for fractures. Yet his condition worsened, so we took him to a bigger hospital. The emergency doctor there took one look at the list of meds he was taking and said we will have to operate within the next few days, or he will never walk again. Why? There was bleeding in his neck, or spinal cord, causing serious damage. The doctor recognized bleeding as one of the warfarin side effects of Coumadin. It was difficult to watch my father's abilities deteriorate, and to discover first hand these warfarin side effects -- of his Coumadin medication. What Causes Warfarin Side Effects?Numerous natural health experts have been concerned for years that Coumadin has problems with occasional serious internal bleeding episodes. Why? Blood thinners like warfarin work by suppressing the liver's ability to make vitamin K, which helps blood to clot when injured. There is, however, new research showing that vitamin K plays a role in the prevention of heart disease, so that a vitamin K deficiency -- induced by warfarin -- may actually be counter productive, and be contributing to increased heart disease! Although Dr. Flaherty, of the warfarin study, still considers it to be the best option for preventing a much more common type of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (a type of heart arrhythmia), heart arrhythmias have also been linked to poor nutrition, and can be corrected: Researchers Find Arrhythmia To Be Linked to Poor Nutrition Researchers have found compelling reasons why suppressing vitamin K with Coumadin and risking warfarin side effects may not be a good idea. Finding safe alternaties may be crucial to restoring or improving your health and longevity. Calcium Buildup in Arteries = Coumadin / Warfarin Side EffectsGerman researchers found out in 2005 that long term use of Coumadin produced increased calcium in the aortic valve and coronary arteries when compared to patients not taking Coumadin.(Koos R et al: Relation of oral anticoagulation to cardiac valvular and coronary calcium assessed by multiple spiral computer tomography. Amer J Cardiol.2005;96(6):747-749) WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? Dr. Garry Gordon says: Every patient on Coumadin is increasing the calcium content of all vascular tissues. The calcium content of arteries is now proven to be more dangerous than diabetes, elevated cholesterol or hypertension -- we must now try to educate patients." Vitamin K2 is now considered to be a critical nutrient for patients with arteriosclerosis, because it has the potential to prevent and remove calcium from arteriosclerotic plaques thus making plaques easier to dissolve and less dangerous. More About Vitamin K and Vitamin D for Heart Disease, Dementia Nutrition, Vitamin K and Preventing Calcium to Build-up for Heart Disease Stopping Warfarin Side Effects With Safe AlternativesIf you are concerned about the danger of Warfarin side effects, you can talk to your doctor and: Explain your desire to forgo drug therapy in favor of a safer, more natural approach. For instance, taking a daily handful of certain nutrients e.g. fish oils, vitamin E or bromelain can prevent platelets from aggregating and can therefore safely prevent clots WITHOUT CREATING A DEFICIENCY OF VITAMIN K. Explain to your doctor your desire to move to a safer anti-coagulant therapy. Here are some safe natural substances that will prevent Coumadin Side Effects: Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids: Fish oils are valuable therapies because they make blood more fluid thus inhibiting the formation of clots. Gingko Biloba, a herb taken twice daily also prevents clotting in a safe manner. Carrageenan(red algae) is a safe heparin like anticoagulant that aids in preventing clotting -- without danger of bleeding. Enzymes: High doses of enzymes(nattokinase, lumbrokinase (boluoke), vitalzyme, wobenzyme N) stop the initiating process in clot formation (fibrin formation). Vitamin K2 Therapy: Dispite the risks a deficiency of Vitamin K presents, if you are being treated with prescription blood thinners, do not begin to take vitamin K supplements or drastically increase your intake of foods high in the nutrient. Counteracting the medication with vitamin K will raise the chances of developing the very blood clot your doctor is trying to prevent. You may also want to explain to your doctor your desire to forgo drug therapy in view of recent research on the role of vitamin K and the PREVENTION OF HEART DISEASE. Then eventually you will want to eat more kale, parsley and other green leafy vegetables and eggs for vitamin K, because of these new findings about how of vitamin K actually PROTECTS AGAINST heart disease. And you will want to add an overall protective nutraceutical protein to your diet for energy, strength and longevity. Ask Us About Safe Protective Nutraceuticals:Improving Stroke RecoverySeveral new studies provide simple but effective ways to improve stroke recovery, to minimize warfarin side effects once a stroke has occurred:One you can try yourself, at home, but the other only with professional supervision. Spinach and Blueberries Surprise Scientists for Better Stroke Recovery! A study published in the journal Experimental Neurology suggests that antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables can limit brain damage from stroke and other neurological disorders. USF/VA neuroscientist Paula Bickford, PhD, and colleagues, found that rats fed diets preventatively enriched with blueberries, spinach or an algae known as spirulina (a phytoplankton) experienced less brain cell loss as well as improved recovery of movement, following a stroke. This study builds upon previous USF/VA research showing that diets enriched with blueberries, spinach or spirulina reversed normal age-related declines in memory and learning in old rats. Researchers were amazed at the extent of neuro protection that antioxidant-rich diets provide. Dr. Bickford, a researcher at the USF Center for Aging and Brain Repair reported that the size of the stroke was 50 to 75 percent less in rats treated with diets supplemented with blueberries, spinach or spirulina before the stroke. It is thought that antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substances in these fruits and vegetables may somehow reduce the nerve cell injury and death triggered by a stroke, the researchers suggest. They conclude that ongoing treatment with blueberry, spinach, or spirulina reducesb cell death (ischemia/reperfusion-induced apoptosis) and cell death due to stroke. (cerebral infarction). This is an easy, readily available, inexpensive and safe way to benefit stroke patients, according to the researchers without warfarin side effects. Certainly taking a multiple vitamin with folate and vitamin B has been shown to benefit heart health, thereby reducing the need for blood thinner medication, with dangerous warfarin side effects. Ask Us for Best Stroke Recovery Supplements:Stroke Recovery Better With Faster WalkingA new study reported in the medical journal Stroke, shows that more intense treatment during stroke recovery may help ease some of the long-term disability that often stems from having a stroke. Researchers Lamontagne and Fung found that patients undergoing stroke recovery can safely increase their walking speed two to three times beyond comfortable levels, given proper instruction and a safe environment. Stroke recovery with rehabilitation traditionally involves walking on a treadmill at a pace preferred by the patient, which is typically slow. Instead of a treadmill, they used a walkway that was 33 feet long. Safely tucked into a body harness, each stroke patient walked at a pace of their own choosing and also at their top speed. Researchers cheered on the stroke patients, urging them during the speed test to walk as quickly as if they were trying to catch a bus. Participants were even allowed to run, if they wanted. The researchers also let them rest as needed. The results? The biggest increase for all stroke patients came from fast walking combined with partial body weight support. Under those conditions, slower stroke patients revved up their speed by 258% and high-functioning stroke patients boosted their pace by 95%. The easiest test -- walking with partial body weight support at the patients' preferred pace -- only boosted the speed of low-functioning patients. Coumadin Side Effects vs Nutrition & Health BenefitsFor those determined to avoid medications and coumadin side effects, it is well worth the effort to step up your intake fruits, especially berries, leafy greens such as spinach, (folate and vitamin B, vitamin K) and to educate yourself on how to achieve heart health without meds. So do your research and add salmon, avocados, olive oil, almonds, and walnuts to your diet, along with whole grains, oatmeal and "superfoods" such as berries, seeds, yogurt, cysteine-rich protein and marine phytoplankton. And along with choosing the best supplements, make sure that you totally cut out the cookies, muffins and baked goods that have trans fats, along with white flour. As a treat, you can eat dark chocolate and drink red wine! Old dogs can certainly learn new tricks, and theres lots of treats and rewards in delicious whole foods. These are your best bet for minimizing the need for medication and avoiding negative warfarin side effects. Nutrition v.s. Warfarin Side Effects - Coumadin Side Effects How Nutrition Helps Heart Health Compared to Meds What Nutrition Helps Heart Health Best New Discoveries for Stopping Coronary Heart Disease Nutrition or Meds to Lower Blood Pressure? Doctors Deny Side Effects of Cholesterol Lowering Meds Better Predictor Than Cholesterol Found Lowering Cholesterol Without Meds e.g. Warfarin Side Effects How I Regained Normal Cholesterol When My Medication Did Not Lipitor Side Effects: Do Healthy People Benefit from taking Statins? Warfarin Side Effects - Coumadin Side Effects: Bleeding Brain Strokes Common Side Effect of Blood Thinners; Surprise Discoveries for Stroke RecoveryGO to Health Discoveries HOME PAGE from Warfarin Side Effects
|
