Heparin and Aspirin & Heparin For Clotting Disorders

[Boc86]

Hi I have 2 questions

1. do you take heparin (blood thinners) and aspirin together or is it one or the other? My locum doc doesn’t know
   I’ve started aspirin for my blood clotting disorder and possibly starting heparin tomorrow but do I then stop the aspirin

2. I have a blood clotting disorder so will need heparin during pregnancy but I keep having chemicals so can’t start my blood thinners quick enough, does anyone have any evidence about whether you should start the blood thinners during ttc? Can a clotting disorder cause very early miscarriages/chemicals? Should I be starting them before even getting my positive?
   My GP isn’t too well informed so I want as much info as possible to tell them when the call me tomorrow about starting heparin x

I think heparin is the same as clexane?

I took clexane and aspirin from 20 weeks but stopped the aspirin around 36 weeks and had to continue with clexane injections until 3 months AFTER birth - was sick of them by then! 🤣

I would think you'd carry on with the aspirin as well as the heparin. I don't have a clotting disorder but have to take both aspirin and heparin in pregnancy. I take the aspirin due to previous pre eclampsia and the heparin to prevent blood clots.

@ivfdreaming thank you
I have to carry it on for 6 weeks after - could be more
Did you have to stop clexane and be induced? I’ve been reading you have to stop it a certain time before birth?

@onlyreadingneverposting8 ahh ok I’m only trialling the aspirin as I keep havjng chemicals and wondering if some baby aspirin might help so unsure if it needs to continue throughout the whole pregnancy or not x

@Boc86
I take 75mg of aspirin - I take it from 12 weeks all the way through. I did contemplate taking it earlier this time as this pregnancy is off the back of 3 consecutive mc's but in the end I daren't do it! With my clexane I take it from first consultants appointment until 6 weeks post natal. To be induced you stop the clexane the day of induction and restart the day after delivery. I only take a prophylactic dose (preventative dose) & was told that even if I'd taken it that day and went into labour it wouldn't be too much of a problem. I'm not sure about larger treatment doses though.

Should add this is the forth pregnancy during which I've taken clexane & ive been induced each time.

I think mine would be prophylactic too unless I got a clot again so you don’t have to be induced if you’re on the prophylactic dose? I really don’t want to be :(

@Boc86 that seems to be a hospital trust and consultant decision. I've had each of the last 3 pregnancies in different trust areas and whilst one was adamant I must be induced, one was open to either and one really wasn't bothered and was happy to allow me to go into labour - I wanted to be induced though and so the consultant agreed to it.

Ahh ok hope mine don’t want to induce then, the increased risk of intervention terrifies me x

It’s so nice to read that other woman have a clotting disorder. I found out a few years ago that I have Factor V Leiden and I’m terrified that I may clot when becoming pregnant (when I get there).
I suffered an early miscarriage in June and all I kept doing was blaming myself for it because of my blood not being good enough to keep the pregnancy.
If anyone experienced this, did you go on to have a healthy pregnancy? I’ve never met anyone (other than my mum), who has this genetic disorder x

I’ve had 2 children already, so two perfectly successful pregnancies with no intervention!
I did get a blood clot in my leg at the end of my second pregnancy but it was treated and fine x

That’s so good to know @Boc86
Ive just convinced myself that I’ll never be able to keep a pregnancy because of this which makes me so anxious to be able to become pregnant again.
But I will cross that bridge when I come to it.
This thread is so comforting x

I'm treated as having a probable clotting disorder due to problematic pregnancies.
I start on aspirin as soon as I've had a positive pregnancy test and had a scan at 6 weeks to check for viability and then started on clexane. Continued on aspirin until 36 weeks and stopped clexane a few days before my planned caesarean.
As a side note in my last pregnancy my consultant told me that advice re aspirin had changed and he advised me to take a double dose (150 mg)

Is it a locum gp, have they spoken to the obs team for guidance on what you should be taking.

@Chicken123 if you’re diagnosed with it you will need blood thinners from early pregnancy till 6 weeks after, definitely get to the GP to question it

@Bergmum ahh wonder if they’ll make me get to 6 weeks before the clexane, problem is I’m falling pregnancy then losing them in days :(
I have read it’s now 150mg actually, I started it last week, I’ll increase it then! X

I have Antiphospholipid syndrome which sounds like what you describe, it'd be either heparin or aspirin. I'd suggest your locum puts you in touch with someone who does know as this is very important.

I think the best thing to do would be to ask a pharmacist for advice. They will be happy to help, and they are often more informed about interactions between medication than a GP would be. They are experts.

I needed to check that one of my medications was safe to use during pregnancy. The pharmacist was able to advise me and put my mind at rest. It's part of their job, I would not hesitate to consult them again in the future.

GP spoke to haematology who said wait for my appointment with the recurrent miscarriage clinic before prescribing clexane whilst ttc, who knows how long that appointment will be
I said if I fall pregnant and manage to hold onto it can I come and get the clexane then and he said still wait for miscarriage clinic - It’s on my notes I’m supposed to be on it starting in early pregnancy so if I do fall pregnant and keep it more than a few days I’ll just ring the doctors back and say I need this prescribing it’s in my notes I need it

In the mean time I’ll carry on my baby aspirin and hope that helps me keep a pregnancy :(

Oh OP, this must be such a worry for you. I hope that you don't have to wait too long for an appointment with the clinic.

I've had 2 healthy children. One while taking Heparin and one on clexane. Heparin is (or was) only available in a drip. Clexane you inject yourself daily.

Be aware that you can not have an epidural for 24 hours from the last clexaine injection. In my case this meant that I was taken off Heparin and clexaine 24 hours before I was induced at 37 weeks.

If you have any kind of blood disorder, do you usually have to be induced?

Thank you @MoreSchnitzelPlease