Blood thinners can cause undetected bleeding

Blood thinners: Unnoticed bleeding due to anticoagulant

Million people in Germany take a daily anticoagulant. The “blood thinner” and can increase the risk for dangerous bleeding. What is not many but known: such preparations sometimes lead to unnoticed bleeding inside the body. This can have dangerous consequences.

The risk for cardiovascular reduce disease

“Anticoagulants are used to reduce the risk for cardiovascular reduce disease caused by blood clots. This includes heart attacks, strokes, and venous thrombosis”, explains the Institute for quality and efficiency in health care (IQWIG) on the Portal “gesundheitsinformation.de”. It is no secret that such drugs may increase the risk for dangerous bleeding. Less known, however, is that it can also be the result of unnoticed bleeding inside the body that over time lead to anemia. In order to do this in the first place, should be observed when taking a few important points.

Drugs protect against the formation of blood clots

“Antiplatelet drugs do not ensure that certain components of the blood adhere so easily to each other. They therefore protect against the formation of blood clots,“ explains the IQWIG.

“Colloquially they are often called “blood thinners”. Since you do not make the blood liquid, this name actually, but not entirely accurate“, according to the experts.

The drugs can also go with unwanted side effects. The most common of which are bleeding, some of these remain unnoticed.

When taking note, therefore, a few important points. The German heart Foundation notes on its website.

Blood loss lead to anemia

In the heart Foundation office hours, a member reported that a blood poverty (= anemia) occurred, and the question was, whether the prescribed anticoagulant could be to blame?

The left in this case is clearly answered in the affirmative. This is because these drugs not only slow down the excessive blood clotting, which protects against dangerous blood clots, but they can also slow down the normal clotting, as it is released in the body in case of injuries automatically for hemostasis.

As a result, it can lead to blood loss, the result over time in a blood poverty.

These products will not settle without medical consultation

Important: the bleeding must be not to obvious bleeding such as nosebleeds or bruising, or even unnoticed bleeding are possible, especially when they Occur in the gastro-intestinal tract is often the case.

Not infrequently, the blood to fall losses then only after weeks or months, for example, if a routine Blood test shows a random low hemoglobin levels or too few red blood cells.

You notes and often an increase in fatigue and if you Look closely, also a paler skin, which is a classic combination with a blood poverty.

The experts indicate that the anticoagulant should be discontinued in this Situation, not without medical consultation.

To a clotting inhibitor with many cardiovascular diseases is extremely important, for example, the formation of blood clots, protect the heart, which can enter the blood stream to the brain and cause a stroke.

Although other causes for anemia in question, such as stomach ulcers, small mucosal growths in the colon or even a insufficient blood formation due to a lack of iron, Vitamin B12 or folic acid.

This must always be diligently investigated before a coagulation inhibitor is hastily accused.

Different studies can provide information

After a anemia, it was noted, should be checked in the next step, on the basis of other blood values, whether either a disturbed blood formation is responsible for or the suspected blood loss is out of the question.

The direction of the proportion of reticulocytes in the blood, where it is still immature red blood cells, and wherein low values are a sign of a disturbed blood formation, point is especially.

Of great importance is also the determination of the iron value and other parameters of iron metabolism, in fact, not a lack of iron, which is one of the most common reasons of anemia.

If there is evidence of bleeding in the gastro-intestinal tract, a study on blood can be performed in a chair – preferably with an immunological Test in which, in contrast to previous stool tests highly specific human hemoglobin can be demonstrated.

The Detail-analysis of the blood values indicate a bleeding, can be used to locate the bleeding in a stomach and a colonoscopy a great help.

In addition, bleeding sources in the small intestine – for example, by vascular malformations by means of Video-capsule endoscopy, or the so-called double-balloon enteroscopy evidence, and with the latter also treat.

Overall, in this way, hidden sources of Bleeding can be detected in the digestive tract very well.

What everyone can do to protect

Everyone can contribute much that it comes when taking an anticoagulant side effects.

First and foremost, the drug is indeed so, it makes sense the way it was prescribed, what may actually sound obvious.

But, in reality, the daily intake will not forget, and inhibitors, in particular, in the case of short-acting Clotting to significant variations in the coagulation values.

To recommend very small medication boxes, whose compartments are labeled with days of the week and which also accidentally several times taken daily doses reliably prevented.

Must be dispensed on vegetables with Vitamin K?

The heart Foundation explains, appears again and again to the question of whether it should abstain under Phenprocoumon-containing Anticoagulants, such as Marcumar, phenpro gamma or Falithrom on Vitamin K-rich vegetables, as Phenprocoumon in the body is an antagonist of Vitamin K.

According to the experts, such a waiver, however, is not always necessary.

Rather it is important in the course of days to ensure a reasonably constant Vitamin K intake, which is usually easy to reach, if you prefer a uniform and well-balanced diet.

Highly recommended, it is for these Phenprocoumon-containing coagulation inhibitors, by contrast, to measure the coagulation value “INR” regularly, instead of letting him, for example, every four weeks in the clinic.

In this way, a significantly better coagulation is often to reach his position. In many places, offering training courses, which can be in the consultation information.

Interactions with other drugs

It is important to know that other drugs can affect the action of anticoagulants, or even self-effects on clotting, clots what are dangerous blood, or, conversely, bleeding can.

Therefore, non-prescription medication should be taken, in principle, only after a medical consultation, what is to forget, especially in the case of over – the-counter medications such as rheumatism and pain killers.

Thus, acetylsalicylic acid (Asa) inhibits, for example, blood clotting in addition to and thus increase the risk of bleeding.

Best to ask in the office hours short, what pain are allowed in the prescribed anticoagulant.

The conclusion of the German heart Foundation: When taking an Anticoagulant, you should know that as a side effect also undetected blood losses are possible. Not least in the case of a paler skin and increased fatigue is therefore also think of a blood-poverty.

A reduced haemoglobin is a Blood test value, this should be taken seriously and a careful examination not be carried out, in order not to miss a bleeding. (ad)