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Avastin and bloody noses - the Coumadin effect

Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 1:44 pm
by Kathryn in MN
My bloody noses from Avastin have gotten increasingly worse. But I've still put up with them without complaining much. That is, until the last few weeks when they have gotten out of control. I wake up with bleeds 1-6 times per night, and have several during the day too.

I had my INR tested yesterday and was over 4. I really think when I was tested two weeks ago, the reading was wrong. They bumped up my dosage because my INR was a tad low. But I'd been having bad trouble with the bloody noses for a week at that point. Plus I've had major bleeds when they disconnect my port after chemo. Yesterday I bled a lot after my labs, and after my PET injection. I had both elbows wrapped up with big pads of gauze - a new fashion statement! ;)

No Coumadin till I am retested tomorrow. I'm really tired of the Coumadin roller coaster. We had things leveled off for quite some time, and now the last few months really can't control it. I asked my oncologist about switching to Pradaxa (dabagatran), but he says there isn't enough data for situations like mine. Don't they use this drug in Canada and other places for cancer patients needing blood thinners?

Anyone on Pradaxa (dabagatran)?

Re: Avastin and bloody noses - the Coumadin effect

Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 2:36 pm
by Ashlee H.
I met with my ONC today and he brought up Avastin again. I am also on Coumadin and did not like how the two drugs interacted. I chose to stop Avastin. Now that I'm on Xeloda, that is messing with my INR. It took 2 months, but I finally got an in-home INR testing machine (the kind they use at Coumadin clinics). So now I test myself every week without having to go in. I call in my numbers to the Coumadin Clinic and we adjust the dosage, if necessary. I've seen the Pradaxa commercial on TV, but it seems they use it more for heart patients.

Re: Avastin and bloody noses - the Coumadin effect

Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 6:21 pm
by Anji
We have asked about Pradaxa for Larry, too. Neither of his oncologists nor his vascular guy (who handles Larry's blood clots) are thrilled with the idea of it for Larry. They did say it was used mainly in heart patients, and while it SHOULD work for Larry, there just isn't enough information. So, Larry continues to take the Fragmin injections daily. I do hope that Pradaxa turns out to be as effective in cancer patients. That would make it a whole lot easier.....well, maybe. Larry's daily meds keep growing and growing, and he can barely choke down all the pills now....but I think he'd trade the shot for another pill or two....

Anji

Re: Avastin and bloody noses - the Coumadin effect

Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 8:38 pm
by SkiFletch
Well, it works well in normal patients, and we'll never know if it works in cancer patients unless we try... Crappy place to be in Kathryn, wanting to be a clinical trial with an N of 1