Do blood thinners make you cold?

Have you ever been chilling in your bed with your warm blanket, and suddenly feel a chill through your body? Have you ever wondered if it could be caused by the ubiquitous blood thinners that are prescribed to prevent clotting and stroke? Well, put on an extra pair of socks because we’re going to explore the topic today.

What Are Blood Thinners?

Before delving into whether or not blood thinners can make you cold, let’s first define what they are. Blood thinners, also known as anticoagulants, refer to medications that inhibit the formation of blood clots. They work by blocking specific proteins or enzymes that are responsible for clotting factors.

There are two main types of anticoagulants: oral and injectable. Oral anticoagulants include warfarin (Coumadin), dabigatran (Pradaxa), rivaroxaban (Xarelto) and apixaban (Eliquis). Injectable anticoagulant medications such as heparin can be administered via intravenous infusion or subcutaneous injection.

If you’ve had knee surgery lately, have had a deep vein thrombosis or recurrent miscarriages due to antiphospholipid syndrome (APS)- chances are that one of these has probably been prescribed by your doctor.

Can Blood Thinners Cause Hypothermia?

One common myth is that taking blood thinners increases susceptibility to hypothermia which may cause someone to feel colder than usual while inside rooms at normal room temperatures say- 72°C(or 22.2°F). The truth is there’s no direct link between these medicines and feeling chilly; however many patients tend to conflate mild symptoms like shortness of breath/faintness associated with larger doses making them think there might be something more nefarious underway.

The fact remains that feeling cold occasionally without any obvious cause might be a natural variation with no serious health consequences.

Potential Side Effects of Blood Thinners

Despite the lack of direct correlation between blood thinners and hypothermia, they do have their own set of side effects that can affect your body’s temperature regulation system:

Increased Bleeding:

Blood thinners work to prevent clots from forming in your blood vessels, but because they reduce the clotting ability in patients, this medication may increase the risk for abnormal bleedings such as nosebleeds or excessive bleeding after minor injuries.

Allergies:

In some rare cases, those who are allergic to anticoagulant medications may experience fever and other flu-like symptoms (nausea/vomiting) inexplicably felt around a colder environment than usual.

Fun Fact: Many drugs related to heparin, one class of injectable anticoagulants like fragmin(lovenox),pfizer-biosimilar-dalteparin,nadroparin(Fraxiparine),and tinzaparin(Innohep) come from pig intestines.

Skin sensitivity:

People taking specific oral blood thinning medication often complain about skin sensitivity/itchiness/cold toes/cold hands while being treated.

How To Regulate Your Body Temperature While on Blood Thinners

If you’re someone who needs to take these medications frequently – it’s important also that needful precautions should be taken care off accordingly.Here Are Some Ways To Manage Low Body Temperatures When You’re On Blood Thinners:

  1. Layer up- Thermal clothing works great!!!
  2. Wear thick socks- If you experience cold feet
  3. Avoid extreme temperatures- This includes hot showers and sauna baths.
  4. Place extra blankets –Again… layering!
    5.Consume healthy nutrition-A balanced diet rich in fruits(especially vitamin K potatoes/spinach/soya beans) will keep your body heated.
    6.The importance of being well hydrated-Maintaining an adequate amount of water intake in your daily routine can help regulate blood flow and temperature.

When To Contact Your Doctor

Whatever medication you’re on if you’re feeling unusual symptoms like constant shivering, having a cold or frosty feel especially when room temperatures are normal(presumably above 72°C); speak to a medically cleared clinician immediately.

Fun Fact: In the year 1954-1960 warfarin, one of the widely prescribed oral anticoagulants was dubbed via Journalist Walter Winchell as “rat poison.”

Conclusion

In summary taking anticoagulant medications doesn’t necessarily make you susceptible to hypothermia or cause any significant issues when trying to maintain regular body warmth . However, it is important for patients that have been placed on these meds to take extra cautionary steps ensuring they‚’re not exposing themselves towards excessively low temperatures triggering mild reactions. Remember: It’s always better off safe than sorry!

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