blood disorders
Excessive Clotting
Treatment of Excessive Clotting
Anticoagulants People who suddenly develop a blood clot are treated with anticoagulants. Doctors giveheparinby vein for a few days and then switch towarfarinby mouth for several months, depending upon the person's existing medical problems. Pregnant women are given onlyheparin, becausewarfarincan cause birth defects or severe bleeding in the newborn. People who takewarfarinrequire frequent blood clotting testing and may need their dose adjusted to be sure the level of anticoagulation is right. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), medications that do not require frequent blood clotting tests, are effective alternatives to oralwarfarin. DOACs includedabigatran,rivaroxaban,apixaban, andedoxaban. People who have had two or more clots are especially likely to be advised to take an anticoagulant such aswarfarinor a DOAC for the rest of their lives. The inherited disorders that cause thrombophilia cannot be cured. Hyperhomocysteinemia is treated with supplements of deficient vitamins, but there is no clear evidence that treatment reduces the risk of clotting. Other treatment depends on the location of the blood clot. 