Lovenox

I have a question for you. Why is it that you assume you are being treated with the wrong medication? Is it because it is a different medication from what you were given before? If so, there are two big differences in your situation now than before. 1st, before you had a PE( Pulmonary Embolis, blood clot in the lung) caused from a DVT( Deep Vein Thrombosis, blood clot in the deep veins of the leg). That is a life threatening condition that requires aggressive treatment. Currently you have a superficial thrombosis( blood clot in the veins near the surface of the leg). These are not the same conditions! Superficial Thrombosis is NOT generally life threatening nor does it usually lead to DVT or PE. 2nd you are pregnant. Not all medications can be used during pregnancy. Given your history I can understand why you may be concerned but I think you should talk to the doctors treating you and have them explain why they have choosen this course of treatment. Then if you are not satisfied with the answer by all means seek a second opinion.

Lovenox is great. I have two blood disorders that have caused me to miscarry and I have also had a still born. I take Lovenox injections everyday until I reach about my 36th week when they switch me to Heparin twice a day. It has a shorter half life. Your blood and blood pressure change significantly during pregnancy and I know that I have my son because of the Lovenox. I am grateful for it. Don't worry. It really is the best during pregnancy. Cumedin is needed after you give birth. My doctor puts me on it as soon as I give birth and I stay on it for at least 6 weeks after. You are at a high risk for DVT and PE, even stroke without the blood thinners throughout those 6 weeks. Good luck. If you feel like your OB is not the best fit you should try Dr. Stettler. He is at Sky Ridge and is amazing. His team of nurses if fabulous and he only deals with high risk pregnancies.

Best of luck.

C. Johanson

(Sorry I cannot spell for anything in the world today!!)

Hi S.- During my second pregnancy, I was taking Lovenox injections from 12 weeks - 37 weeks when my son was born early. After his birth, the Dr. switched my medication to coumiden. One week after he was born, I was diagnosed with a PE. The coumiden takes awhile to thin the blood and they were not checking my INR (numbers). After my PE, they put me on 80mg of Lovenox twice a day for 2 months.
I am currently 22 weeks pregnant with my 3rd child and have been on Lovenox since 12 weeks, baby aspirin 0-12 weeks.
Lovenox is safe to take during pregnancy and that was my "treatment" after my PE. Heperin is another injectible medication they use after a PE but Lovenox is better to use at this stage in your pregnancy.
Sorry for all your medical problems. Good luck.

If you "happen" to be out & about in town & having pains in that spot, you're free to go to Memorial or Penrose for emergencies. Tell them what you're taking & what you feel the problem is with it. A friend went to Evans for heart palpitations & they tried to diagnose her w/a drug problem. A few hours later, it was a nurse who decided it was more than that. They rushed her to Memorial where it was discovered that she had a hole in her heart & needed emergency surgery. I don't so much trust Evans for anything heart related & I'd consider this heart-related, even though it's in your leg. Blood travelling to the heart, clot in the heart or lungs... keep pushing & see if you can get a referral to Dr Scott Hurlburt in the medical offices across from Memorial Park. He does vein stuff. I'm not sure if he does stuff like this, but it's worth a shot to call them & see, & then try to get to him.
Pregnancy limits what they can give you-maybe it's the only med they can safely give you for now...

I may be wrong, but my understanding is that Lovenox only prevents blood clots, but doesn't reduce blood clots once they are already there. It was suspected that I had a blood clot during my last pregnancy. The doctor said if they found it, they would change my medicine, although she never said how. If I remember right, it would have had a higher dose of Lovenox as well as add something else. It may not hurt to ask the pharmacist or another doctor to double check. I know Lovenox is no fun, so I'd hate for you to take it if it wasn't what you need. I hope the clot dissolves quickly and uneventfully. Oh, and, congratulations!

First,I'm really sorry to hear about these troubles you are having. Good for you for continuing to advocate for yourself. I have no idea if lovenox is the right medication for you, but I used it when I was pregnant after surgery on a broken leg. They didn't want to use cumadin or heparin due to the pregnancy. I know lovenox is a very expensive drug, and when I was on it, 2 phareceutical reps came to the hospital to teach me how to inject it. If you don't trust your treating physician, maybe check with someone from the manufacterer about that drug's indications. You might also contact your pharmacist, or another doctor. Good luck!

S.,
I have not gone through this but I am a pharmacy student and according to Clinical Pharmacology (an online resource for medications), lovenox is the drug of choice for pregnant women with acute venous thromboembolism because it is safer than the unfractionated heparin and causes less thrombocytopenia and osteoporosis. As with any drug while you are pregnant, make sure the doctor and/or pharmacist is monitoring for side effects. The most common problem with lovenox is excess bleeding and your pharmacist should have gone over what to watch for with that.
Good Luck,

M.