Warfarin & bleeding?

I take warfarin (5mg weekdays, 6mg Sat & Sunday). I recently had a routine urine test at the atrial fibrillation clinic at my local doctors' surgery. The sample look absolutely clear but the dip stick turned blue on the end & I was told I had blood in the urine. The latest test has stayed the same. A sample was sent to the hospital and the result was that nothing untoward was found. As I still have the blood (or haemoglobin as he now calls it) my doctor has sent another sample, to the Cystology (or was it cytology?) department - this time for a fuller test and I am now worried. A doctor friend of mine has said that warfarin could be causing the blood. Has anyone else had blood in the urine caused by warfarin?

OK, warfarin or coumadin is an anticoagulant. That means that it suppresses the coagulation or clotting factor in the blood. Warfarin is actually what is used in rat poison. It works by eliminating so much of the clotting factor that the blood seeps out through the vessel walls and essentially the rat bleeds to death internally. Warfarin is a dangerous drug and requires close monitoring. Hemoglobin is found in within red blood cells and wouldn't show on urine testing. You might have this slightly confused. Blood in the urine can be a very tiny amount and is not visible therefore the strip is very sensitive to even a trace amount of blood. Your doctor is attempting to determine why the kidney has decided to be a location of bleeding and I am sure he wants to solve the problem before it becomes a major issue for you. Warfarin can potentially cause bleeding anywhere in the body and as stated needs to be monitored closely.

Warfarin or Coumadin, is a blood thinner. So it will discourage or prevent the blood from clotting. This makes you especially susceptible to any kind of injuries. Presumably you do not have a bladder infection? Were you just getting off of your period? Was there any trauma to your vulva that may have mingled blood there with your urine? These are a few things to consider. Also, you may need a cystoscopy because there may be something going on in your bladder. Warfarin does not CAUSE bleeding to any certain location, but a side effect may be bruising, or prolonged bleeding if you injure yourself.

It's the Warfarin, the dosage needs to be adjusted ASAP, because if there's blood your clotting factor is too low and you could bleed to death. When you're on Warfarin ( which is Rat poison) you need to be weekly checked through a blood test until you are on the proper dosage. And even after you need to be checked monthly. Go and see your doctor ASAP