Do you take blood thinners forever?

If you've experienced a blood clot, doctors may recommend that you continue taking anticoagulant medications for the rest of your life. This can reduce your risk of blood clots and stroke.

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Can you ever stop taking blood thinners?

Stopping blood thinners can increase your risk for blood clots, due to the underlying risk factor(s) for which your blood thinner was originally prescribed. Many times, these bleeding and clotting risks can be complicated for you to understand, and difficult for your healthcare providers to manage.

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How long should I be on blood thinners?

Clinical trials provide several recommendations for adults with blood clots. Adults with a first provoked blood clot should take blood thinners for 3-6 months. Adults with a first unprovoked blood clot generally should take blood thinner for 6-12 months.

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What can I take instead of blood thinners?

Natural blood thinners are substances that reduce the blood's ability to form clots.
...
Some foods and other substances that may act as natural blood thinners and help reduce the risk of clots include the following:
  • Turmeric. ...
  • Ginger. ...
  • Cayenne peppers. ...
  • Vitamin E. ...
  • Garlic. ...
  • Cassia cinnamon. ...
  • Ginkgo biloba.

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Can you stop taking blood thinners after 6 months?

Therefore, a general recommendation of 3–6 months of anticoagulant therapy is no longer appropriate. If venous thromboembolism is associated with a major nonreversible risk factor such as cancer, patients have a 15% or greater risk of recurrence in the first year after anticoagulant therapy is stopped.

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Blood Thinners - What You Need To Know

42 related questions found

Can I take aspirin instead of blood thinners?

Not Without Risks

It can help prevent a heart attack or clot-related stroke by interfering with how the blood clots. But the same properties that make aspirin work as a blood thinner to stop it from clotting may also cause unwanted side effects, including bleeding into the brain or stomach.

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How long should you be on blood thinners after a stent?

You will need to take antiplatelet medicines, or blood thinners, to prevent blood clots from forming in the stents in your arteries. Your provider may prescribe these medicines for 1 year or more after getting a coronary stent. For carotid or peripheral artery stents, it may be 1 month or more.

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Do you always need blood thinners after a stent?

When people receive stents (the tiny metal mesh tubes that help open narrowed arteries), doctors routinely prescribe aspirin along with another medication that prevents clots. These drugs include clopidogrel (Plavix), prasugrel (Effient), and ticagrelor (Brilinta).

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What is the average lifespan of a stent?

They are made to be permanent — once a stent is placed, it's there to stay. In cases when a stented coronary artery does re-narrow, it usually happens within 1 to 6 months after placement.

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How often should stents be checked?

As recommended in the National Disease Management Guidelines (6), patients with coronary heart disease and those who have undergone stent implantation should be followed up regularly (every three to six months) by their primary care physicians, independently of any additional visits that may be necessitated by ...

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Is there a natural substitute for blood thinners?

Vitamin E is a natural blood thinner because of its anticoagulant effects. Studies support that vitamin E has anti-clotting activity and works as a potent blood thinner. Supplementing with vitamin E and consuming vitamin E foods can help prevent diseases of the heart and blood vessels.

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What are the chances of having a stroke while on blood thinners?

Over an average follow-up of nearly 17 months, those taking blood thinners were 2.6 times more likely to have a stroke and 2.4 times more likely to have bleeding than those who did not take the drugs.

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Does fish oil thin blood like aspirin?

Fish oil is a natural anticoagulant, which means it can prevent the blood from clotting. This property may help explain some of its heart health benefits, since thinning the blood may improve cardiovascular health. Omega-3s may increase bleeding risk when a person takes them with specific anticoagulant or medication.

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Does magnesium thin your blood?

Magnesium might slow blood clotting. Taking magnesium along with medications that also slow clotting might increase the chances of bruising and bleeding.

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Do cardiologists recommend fish oil?

Expert Analysis. All individuals should aim to consume approximately 2 servings of fatty fish per week as part of a heart-healthy diet. Routine use of non-prescription fish oil is not recommended for primary or secondary prevention of CVD.

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Does salmon make your blood thinner?

Although it offers many health benefits, there are some health risks of eating salmon, especially in large amounts. In some cases, it can cause: Bleeding Problems. Fish oil is a natural anticoagulant, which means that it acts as a blood thinner.

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Are blood thinners worth the risk?

They can protect against heart attacks and strokes. But they also come with risks: For example, they'll cause you to bleed more than usual when you cut yourself. The lifesaving benefits of these drugs often outweigh the potential dangers.

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Should I be worried about taking blood thinners?

Taking blood thinners decreases your risk for blood clots, but it can also increase your risk of heavy bleeding. If you're at risk for a heart attack or stroke, blood thinners can be lifesaving medications. But they also come with a serious side effect, too: the risk of dangerous heavy bleeding.

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Do blood thinners prevent heart attacks?

Blood thinners reduce your risk for heart attack, stroke, and blockages in your arteries and veins by preventing clumps of blood (blood clots) from forming or growing.

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What drinks are blood thinners?

Alcohol can thin your blood, because it prevents blood cells from sticking together and forming clots. This may lower your risk for the type of strokes caused by blockages in blood vessels.
...
The bottom line
  • 12 ounces of beer.
  • 5 ounces of wine.
  • 1.5 ounces of vodka, rum, or other liquor.

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Can I take ibuprofen instead of blood thinners?

No, even though NSAIDs like ibuprofen have a blood thinning effect, you should not take ibuprofen, or any other NSAIDs, to prevent blood clotting. It is important to know that ibuprofen must not be used in place of a prescription blood thinner like warfarin, Eliquis, Xarelto, or clopidogrel (Plavix).

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How can I prevent blood clots without blood thinners?

Preventing Blood Clots
  1. Wear loose-fitting clothes, socks, or stockings.
  2. Raise your legs 6 inches above your heart from time to time.
  3. Wear special stockings (called compression stockings) if your doctor prescribes them.
  4. Do exercises your doctor gives you.
  5. Change your position often, especially during a long trip.

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How serious is having a stent put in?

A stent can cause blood clotting, which may increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute state that about 1 to 2 percent of people who have stented arteries develop a blood clot at the site of the stent. Doctors will usually prescribe one or more drugs to prevent clotting.

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Can you live a normal life after having a stent?

One can go back to their normal routine within 2 to 3 days after undergoing the procedure, depending on the doctors' recommendations. However, patients who undergo this procedure must ensure they follow the above-mentioned lifestyle changes to lead a long and healthy life after stent placement.

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What medications to avoid after stents?

Examples include aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), prasugrel (Effient), and ticagrelor (Brilinta). It is critical that these medicines not be stopped without checking with your cardiologist, for stopping them prematurely can result in another heart attack from the stent closing off abruptly.

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