Can blood thinners cause brain damage?

Well this question, Reba, has to be answered by a medical person rather than one of us. I can tell you what I know about "blood thinners". Coumadin or Warfarin are blood thinners, and they are very helpful in keeping the patients' blood at a normal "thickness" level. The test is done by using a finger prick, and then that tiny sample of blood is put into a machine which measures blood thickness or density. There is a normal range, and when the test shows that blood is too thick, they increase the warfarin or coumadin. When the blood is too thin, they decrease or even eliminate the warfarin or coumadin. It is important for the patient to stay within the recommended guideline. I am presently working on a home-based or mobile monitor which the caregiver could use to monitor the blood thickness. Right now, the only way a patient can have his/her blood checked is to go into a "Coumadin Clinic" or hospital. Traveling may be difficult for both patient and caregiver, and this delay may be dangerous, as the blood thickness may change quickly. The monitor which I hope to perfect would be similar to the monitor that is used by diabetic patients....a daily check..... medicare approved.
Why is this important, because thick blood could cause ischemic stroke and too thin blood could cause sub-dural bleeding of the brain, in other words brain hemmorage. The more common condition in the elderly is ischemic stroke caused by A-Fib or too thick blood.

N1K2R3, Thank you for your thoughts on this. The reason they put him on warfarin is he has a Atrial Fibulation which can cause a stroke or blood clot which could kill him. It has to be thin not at a normal range. I was told normal is 1 and they keep his about 2. So I noticed changes after he had been on it for about three weeks. He was seeing things that are not there, people, animals and odd objects. I wondered if it caused Alzheimer's. It all started then. I ask my doctor if that could be the reason he has AD and he said no. The blood feeds the brain so what happens if it is too thin. If you don't eat enough you lose weight so would the brain suffer from the blood being too thin. I think it could.

No. Weight and blood are two different subjects. You can be thin and have thick blood or you can be obese and have thin blood.
I amworried about his "seeingthings that are not there"....this is cause for concern. It is also one of the symptoms of ischemic stroke. Other symptoms are talking jibberish, sounding like he is speaking with a foreign accent, or mumbling his words. Remember a stroke does not hurt, so you won't be able to tell. There is no pain and no recognizable body changes. The diagnostic way to tell is with an MRI. If the brain is white or has white patches, there's trouble. With that A Fib you must keep him on the warfarin, and have it checked constantly (twice a week minimum)..

N1K2R3, No once a week until it stays at the same level. Then once a month. That is the way it is done and if it changes then it goes back to once a week. I used the word thin because that is what they say. I don't know that part of it, all I know is the level has to stay above 2. If his heart Fibulates too much it can still cause a blood clot. Or if the clot goes to his brain it can cause a stroke. Thanks for your infomation but that is what the doctors have told me.

N1K2R3, Not saying weight has anything to do with it. Was talking about what happens to the body if you take something away from it. Like the blood not being rich enough to feed the brain cells. Warfarin does thin the blood and if it gets too thin and you cut yourself you can bleed to death.

I was trying to say its like if you don't feed you body you will lose weight.

Yes. I understnd your thoughts on the blood not being rich enough to feed the brain, but if he has a normal diet, I wouldn't worry. Just keep checking that Coumadin level.
I would worry more about the Atrial Fibrillation now. What drugs is he on to control that?...the A- Fib.

p.s. Do you have anyone helping you? Is there another adult that you can talk with?

He has a pace maker - never heard of a drug that would take care of the fibrillation. They put that in so he could take enough meds. to keep his blood pressure down. His heart rate would go down into the 30s with all the medication he is on when he was sleeping.

One tablet - Klor-Con- M10 ER AM
One tablet - Aricept 10mg. AM
One tablet - Tekturna HCT (300mg./25mg per tablet) AM
One tablet - Bystolic 10mg

Warfarin 1Mg - 1 ½ once a day

as needed – if BP is up
One tablet – Nifedical XL 30 Mg.
Only if blood pressure is 150/100 or higher

Avodart for prostate

No other person other than our doctors who would know anything about what we are talking about.

Thank you for your interest.

Whew! Reba! Who says he needs all these meds? The poor guy is drugged up. Does he really need the first three drugs?
A drug that can control Atrial Fibrillation is: Digoxin 125 MCG. and some others.

His doctors put him on the drugs I listed. Why? Is because his BP stay around 179/90 and sometimes highter, 189/202 - are you a doctor?

They change his medication from time to time. He was on Doxazosin, took him off of that and put him on Avodart for prostate. Sorry but I don't know what Doxazosin was suppose to do for him. I should look it up. He is 76 tho.