Risks of anticoagulants.

These drugs can increase the risk of severe bleeding and heavy blood loss. Because of this risk, anyone taking an anticoagulant drug must take care to avoid injuries. Sports and other potentially hazardous activities should be avoided. Any falls, blows to the body or head, or other injuries should be reported to a physician, as internal bleeding may occur without any obvious symptoms. (more...)

Other sites

http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/147/11/I-38

http://www.bchealthguide.org/kbase/topic/detail/drug/ue4142/detail.htm

http://www.turner-white.com/memberfile.php?PubCode=jcom_feb04_major.pdf

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20040815/tips/8.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anticoagulation_in_pregnancy

http://www.tigc.org/eguidelines/duration04.htm

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/warfarin/HQ01614

I think that the question of risks/negative effects is a very important one. We should all keep asking our doctors about them.

Because research is sparce and slow, we will not know the real long term effects of anticoagulants for many years to come (other than the risk of bleeding of course). This is especially true for people diagnosed and becoming life-long warfarin/coumadin /anticoagulant users at a young age.

I recently ask two hematologists about the long term effects of coumadin, but none of them could really answer my questions. The first doctor almost laughed at me, as if to say I was crazy to even ask if it could be linked to things like liver problems for example. The second doctor was more honest in saying that, for the moment, the benifits of coumadin still outweigh the risk of DVT.