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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffDoctors generally use blood-thinning (anticoagulant) medications, such as warfarin (Coumadin), heparin or low molecular weight heparin to treat people who develop blood clots.
If you've been tested because of a family history of factor V Leiden, and have not had any blood clots, then your doctor probably won't prescribe blood thinners unless you're in a high-risk situation, such as being hospitalized for surgery or other medical reasons. In that case, you may receive preventive doses of blood thinners during your hospital stay.
If you have a thrombosis, standard initial treatment involves a combination of heparin and warfarin. Your doctor will discontinue the heparin after the initial treatment and continue the warfarin. How long you need to take medication will depend on the circumstances of your thrombosis.
- Heparin. This anticoagulant medication works more quickly than warfarin does, but until recently, it had to be administered through a vein and monitored closely. Newer forms of heparin — enoxaparin (Lovenox) and dalteparin (Fragmin) — are known as low molecular weight heparin, which you can inject yourself. Heparin is considered safe to take during pregnancy.
- Warfarin (Coumadin). This anticoagulant comes in pill form, so it's easier to take than heparin is. Rarely, warfarin can cause birth defects, so it isn't usually recommended during pregnancy, especially not during the first trimester. A doctor may prescribe warfarin after the first trimester of pregnancy, but only if the benefits of using it outweigh the risks.
Pregnancy considerations
Anticoagulation therapy is particularly complex during pregnancy. The therapy is expensive, requires regular injections and carries some significant risks of side effects.
Ongoing monitoring
If you're taking anticoagulant medication, your doctor will monitor your dose with blood tests to be sure your blood is capable of clotting enough to stop your bleeding if you bruise or cut yourself.
