Anticoagulants
Anticoagulants are a class of drugs designed to prevent coagulation of the blood. They are commonly referred to as “blood thinners”. They are prescribed to prevent blood clots and are prescribed for a variety of conditions including atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, deep vein thrombosis, stroke, myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism and after stents have been used. In my opinion, these drugs are bad news. Their use has skyrocketed as modern medicine continues to pursue outdated theories and treatments of heart disease. If you are currently taking prescription anticoagulants, I strongly urge you to do your research and decide for yourself is this is a drug you trust!
History
In the early 1900’s, livestock owners noticed that animals that ate spoiled sweet clover hay died of uncontrolled internal bleeding or hemorrhaging. In 1948, scientists isolated the toxic ingredient (dicoumarol) and patented a synthetic form to sell as a rat poison. In 1954, only 6 short years later, it was approved for use on humans as a blood thinner and Warfarin became the world’s first official anticoagulant medication.
Today, there are many different types of anticoagulants, including heparin, rivaroxaban (Xarelto), dabigatran (Pradaxa), apixaban (Eliquis), edoxaban (Savaysa), enoxaparin (Lovenox) and fondaparinux (Arixtra). They all come with a long list of undesired effects.
Warfarin is the most widely prescribed anticoagulant in the United States. In 2016, Warfarin was the 41st most prescribed medication and had sales greater than $18 billion. The total sales of all blood thinners was $23.5 billion in 2013 and was projected to be almost $26 billion in 2018. Big Pharma is making a lot of money from the sale of these drugs but at what cost to the patient?
Undesired Effects
All drugs have effects. Some are desired effects and some are undesired effects. The longer a patient takes a drug, the more likely the patient will experience undesired effects of the medication. The undesired effects of Warfarin include: (There are many!)
Bleeding gums
blood in the urine, bloody stools,
blurred vision
burning, crawling, itching, numbness, prickling,
"pins and needles" or tingling feelings
chest pain or discomfort
confusion
coughing up blood
difficulty with breathing or swallowing
dizziness, faintness
lightheadedness when getting up suddenly from a lying or sitting position
excessive bruising
headache
increased menstrual flow or vaginal bleeding
nosebleeds
paralysis
Peeling of the skin
prolonged bleeding from cuts
red or black, tarry stools
red or dark brown urine
stomach pain with cramping
sweating
unexplained swelling
unusual tiredness or weakness
Arm, back, or jaw pain
blue-green to black skin discoloration
blue or purple toes
change in consciousness (Yes, this is listed in the official list of possible adverse reactions!)
chest tightness or heaviness
chills
clay-colored stools
diarrhea
fainting or loss of consciousness
fast or irregular breathing
fast or irregular heartbeat
fever
itching or skin rash
light-colored stools
loss of appetite
nausea and vomiting
pain in the toes
pain, redness, or sloughing of the skin
pale skin
purplish red, net-like, blotchy spots on the skin
skin blisters
small red or purple spots on the skin
stomach pain
swelling of the eyes or eyelids
troubled breathing with exertion
unpleasant breath odor
vomiting of blood
yellow eyes and skin
Are you currently taking prescription anticoagulants or other medications? Do you realize they are not supporting your goal of long-term health improvement? Are you tired of the undesired effects caused by taking medications? Are you ready to try something different? If so, we can help!