Paul’s last post had recommendations for travel after having a clot. For those of you who want to know more of the science behind it, and are willing to decipher a bit of medical jargon, we are bringing you a review of a medical paper which showed a link between distance flown and likelihood of having a pulmonary embolus. Where’s the study from? It’s a … [Read more...]
Travel after a clot – Dos and don’ts
I am about to embark on an overseas trip to Europe, and as I have had a pulmonary embolus on a plane myself I thought it was sensible to review what precautions I should take to avoid another one. As a doctor I like to base my advice on solid reliable data, but unfortunately there are very few studies about the risks of thrombosis relating to flying and the advice about what to … [Read more...]
Frivolous Friday – The David Clotterfield saga
David Clotterfield and Clara Clearvessel take warfarin and make various comments about their lives. At the end of each scene, test your knowledge; Are their comments true or false? Scene 1 – the lab Clara Clearvessel had her day-off planned to the minute. It would start with a lie in till 7.30, an hour on the exercise bike, a shower then off to have her INR blood test at the … [Read more...]
On anticoagulants? You need Coagulation Conversation. Launching today!
A website by a doctor taking anticoagulants himself; offering trustworthy medical information and light-hearted support and reassurance. Enjoy life on anticoagulants. Congratulations on reaching Coagulation Conversation on its launch day. Grab a cuppa and settle in to enjoy our first posts. Then become a regular reader by signing up and share us on facebook so others can … [Read more...]
Medical Monday: Bleeding – the big, the bad and the ugly: What you need to know.
When you’re taking anticoagulants, you’re trying to hit the happy medium between the risk of having a clot and the risk of bleeding. Which is the rock and which the hard place, I wonder? If you’re using the pharmacy service or our app to manage your warfarin you can see this pictorially on the graph of your INR results against the ideal range. You can see when your INR is too … [Read more...]
Coagulation Essentials Quiz – How clot savvy are you?
It’s amazing how quickly you pick up medical jargon once you’re taking anticoagulants. You’ll probably surprise yourself with how many of these key terms you understand. Score yourself out of ten Less than 4 – Coagulation Crisis 4 to 6 – Coagulation Competent 7+ - Coagulation Conqueror Lets get started: Just say what you think the term means, then … [Read more...]
How to add emergency info to your phone
Do you ever worry that if you were one day taken to hospital unconscious following an accident, no one would know you were on anticoagulants, so you might bleed to death? This is probably a somewhat unrealistic scenario, but did you know that all newish iPhones are able to show important medical information even when your screen is locked? I didn’t realise this and expected … [Read more...]
Travel Insurance – Should it be so hard?
Our story - trying to get travel insurance when you’ve had a pulmonary embolus. Paul is attending the European Haematology Association conference in Copenhagen this June and I’m lucky enough to be going with him. I’ve spent quite a while looking up and comparing flights and accommodation and have settled on flying with Qatar airlines and staying at some nice … [Read more...]
Headache relief. What’s safe?
If you are on an anticoagulant, either warfarin or one of the newer anticoagulants, you need to think about drug interactions or the effects a medication may have on coagulation before taking any new treatment. This means that even medication you have used for years may no longer be the safest choice. Here’s a quick guide to the best and worst of common … [Read more...]