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Taking warfarin and antibiotics at the same time
MAC & Bronchiectasis | Last Active: Apr 20, 2019 | Replies (9)Comment receiving replies
Hello @sayaboleh, I'm responding at Ethan's invitation and from the perspective of a long-time user of Warfarin. I haven't heard of any caution about interactions between Warfarin and antibiotics, and I have not taken an antibiotic since I started taking Warfarin 5 years ago. The infective agent you mentioned is contracted from water-borne bacteria, is rare among humans, and is known usually as a agent found in hospitals. Literature also says it is resistant to antibiotics in a significant percentage of cases. I take Warfarin to prevent blood clots forming in my heart and blocking small arteries carrying oxygenated blood around my body. Do you have access to a primary care physician (in addition to your pulmonologist) who could evaluate your antibiotic and your Warfarin prescriptions? Can you communicate with your doctors by phone or email?
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Hi Martin and Ethan -- thanks for the response. There are major interactions bet. warfarin and almost all antibiotics which interfere with vitamin K. The one he prescribed was so severe that the pharmacist refused to fill it. I find that I always have to adjust my dose (been on warfarin for 20 yrs) when I take any antibiotic. Unfortunately, short of showing up at the various clinics I have been leaving phone and email messages to all my providers and no one is getting back to me. I realize they probably have many other patients who are much sicker than me... Still. Even worse, I am unable to make an appointment to see my pulmonologist just because they have none. This is UCSF - a big hospital. I am really at a loss. I read the same things you did about S. maltophilia (no idea where I got it - have not been hospitalized for several years) and it is pretty scary. I did have a brief conversation with my pulmonologist a few days ago and he did not seem very concerned other than prescribing an antibiotic that I should not take. He is aware now but has yet to offer any other alternatives. I have an appt. to see another pulmonologist at Stanford but that's not for 3 weeks. Hoping he has a cancellation and I can see him sooner. I wish there was another MAC expert closer to me but I can't seem to locate any. My main concern is to stop producing bloody sputum. I was told it was the Bronchietasis and I did read some of the posts pertaining. Again, it is usually treated with antibiotics and my providers are reluctant to prescribe.
Mary