Did Coumadin Kill My Father?

My father was put on Coumadin after he had knee surgery. The doctor told him it would aid in preventing his blood from clotting. I understand the importance of blood thinning medication, as I know people that have died as a result of a blood clot. I do not consider myself an expert on the subject, but I am here to discuss my Father's story and hopefully uncover some answers that will help me understand why my Father died so suddenly and if this drug is responsible for killing others.

My Dad was a large man. He had knee problems for a long time and eventually had surgery to replace one of his knees. A few years later he had surgery on the other knee. After his surgery, the doctor prescribed him coumadin to prevent blood clots. He also said this would help him with his irregular heart beat and palpitations. My Dad was told he will be on this medication long term. There was a huge list of instructions to follow while being on this medication. He had to avoid foods with vitamin K like green leafy vegetables. He could not take aspirin, but the doctor approved of taking Tylenol. My Dad went in regularly for blood work to monitor the coumadin, as required.

I lived out of state while all of this was going on, and my Dad never gave me any reason to worry. In a timeframe of a little over a week, I found out my Dad had fallen ill, then a few days later he was diagnosed with cancer of the liver, and a couple days after that he was gone. These events blind sided me as I thought he was in good health. The previous summer, my son went to stay with my Dad for 3 weeks and they had a good time together. My son only mentioned that his Papa took a nap in the afternoon and one day he was not feeling well so they stayed in. Otherwise they did a lot of sight seeing and activities together.

So when I got the call that my dad was in the hospital and they had found numerous tumors on his liver, I was very surprised. When the biopsy came back as an aggressive form of cancer, the doctors said there was no hope. They stopped trying to treat him and just focused on the pain. I am told at that point, once they told my Dad he was dying he was scared but accepted it.

They kept him on morphine so no one could really talk to him and get a goodbye. I made it to the hospital just hours before he died. When I arrived I expected him to be hooked up to machines and people rushing in and out to treat him, but instead I found him in bed with no iv's or machines. He was bright yellow in color due to the condition of his liver. His abdomen was swollen due to the intravenous fluids he was given the past few days.

He passed away in his home with just my stepmother, myself and his sister-in-law taking care of him. I had never witnessed anyone dying before and it was, I can't even put it into words, except that it was the hardest thing I have had to endure in my lifetime.

After his death, my stepmom and I had many unanswered questions. She was upset with his physician because my Dad was being seen regularly for blood work and was under his care, but was surprised that no one caught what was happening to him. His physician gave him prescription strength Tylenol and allowed my Dad to take this for pain on a daily basis. No one bothered to look into why he was having the pain to begin with. When he started taking Coumadin he became ashen in color and weak as a side effect. His appetite changed and he had problems making it to the bathroom at night. His joints ached and he was very thirsty while being easily nauseated. Still, no one thought this was serious enough to look into.

A week before he died, he was rushed to the hospital where they discovered he was bleeding internally. The coumadin dose was off and they had to give him a large blood transfusion. During a follow up visit, my Dad was complaining that his lower back was having sharp pains, and that it was really hurting him, so instead of looking in to what was causing his pain, his doctor gave him a muscle relaxer. The next day, the pain was so unbearable, he called 911 and had an ambulance take him to the hospital.

There are many questions I am asking. The official cause of death is listed as liver cancer but there is no explanation to how he got the cancer in his liver, and no one was bothering to look into what ultimately killed my Dad.

He was under the care of a physician that he saw regularly for blood work, so why didn't anyone catch what was going on in his liver?

He had a blood transfusion because his blood got too thin while on coumadin and he bled internally as a result. Why wasn't he monitored more closely?

Tylenol can have damaging effects on the liver especially if it is mixed with other medications, so why was he prescribed this to take daily for pain? Why didn't the doctors research what was causing his pain, instead of trying to mask it?

I may never know the answers to any of these questions, but what I do know is that Coumadin is not a drug to be given to just anybody. Physicians need to take great care in researching their patient's background and run all the tests they need to in order to be absolutely certain this drug will effectively treat their patient. If a doctor prescribes coumadin, I believe the person being treated should get a second opinion. This should apply to all major prescription drugs. You never want to put 100% of your trust in your doctor's hands because doctors are human and they make mistakes too. I cannot stress enough to always get a second opinion before starting any major health change, especially when it comes to prescription drugs!

Another important piece of advice is to ask questions. Don't be afraid of wasting your doctor's time. This is your body and you need to know what this medicine will be doing to it. Tell your doctor you want to know the benefits and the risks. Ask if there are any alternatives. Make sure to discuss all the medicines you are taking, including over the counter and herbal remedies. Go to trusted websites like webmd.com and research your condition and available treatments. Then research the prescription your doctor has given you BEFORE you begin to take it. This way you will be properly prepared with all your questions and concerns when you visit your doctor.

I have met other people who have lost loved ones and they believe coumadin is to blame. I have also met people who swear that coumadin is saving their life. I wanted to write this article for a couple of reasons, I believe my Dad's story should be told so that others can read it and understand that they really need to educate themselves about what they are being prescribed before taking it. I also wanted to open a discussion to hear what others have to say about coumadin, both positive and negative.

One thing that surprised me was that the main ingredient in coumadin is warfarin -- which is the main ingredient in rat poison. Now, that is something! Ingesting the main ingredient in rat poison does not sound safe! I know that obviously there are medical studies, etc. that differ with my opinion, but when I heard this it just confirmed that something is seriously wrong with this medication!

So please, if you or a loved one have had any experience with this drug. Please talk about it here. I really need answers and there is not a forum online to discuss Coumadin.

I can never get my Dad back, but if this drug contributed to his death, I promise to rally to get this drug off the market.