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Blood clotting factors


calypso

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I just got my results back from a panel of blood tests I had done to check for blood clotting abnormalities (because I had the beginnings of preeclampsia and gave birth to a baby with intrauterine growth restriction, abnormalities were suspected).

I apparently have a "moderately positive" anticardiolipin antibody and an abnormal prothrombin heterozygous mutation. I asked the nurse to interpret in plain English, and she said these were conditions that increase my risk of recurrent pregnancy loss, blood clots, stroke, heart attack, etc. My OB is not available to see me until May, and I'm wondering if POTS is more likely to occur in people with an abnormality like this, or if it's totally coincidental. I am thinking it's got to be related, because I developed POTS the week after I gave birth, and the clotting issues may have set off some sort of response in my body.

If anyone has ever heard of anything that connects dysautonomia and clotting problems, please let me know.

Amy

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Amy

Hmmm, I have POTS that developed during pregnancy and got terrible postpartum, and had this same blood test result about a month after delivery ("moderately positive" anticardiolipin antibody). The neurologist who requested this test and reviewed it with me said that it is frequently seen in pregnant and lactating women and tends to go back to normal following end of lactation. So, to answer your question--I don't know! But, I did have that same result you did postpartum.

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My family has a history of blood-clotting disorders. They caused my grandmother to have a PE (pulmonary embolism) and die. I believe 4 of her siblings also suffered the same sort of fates. 2 of them after gallbladder surgery. 2 of them spontaneous with DVT's (deep vein thrombosis.)

You have to be careful when you have a blood clotting disorder not to take birth control pills. My mother has told me since I was a teenager that I must never take bcp's.

Now they can test you for many blood disorders if you can get your insurance company to approve it. Back when it was important for me to know, I couldn't get my insurance company to pay for the blood tests.

There are several different blood clotting disorders. Factor V Leiden http://www.factorvleiden.org/

http://www.martinmemorial.com/clinical/adu...od/hemophil.htm

http://www.rushcopley.com/HealthContent/Ad.../thrombosis.htm

http://www.rushcopley.com/HealthContent/Ad...t/blood/itp.htm

http://www.hemophilia.org/bdi/bdi_types6.htm

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Briar, glad you answered because I remembered that there was someone here who had a familial clotting disorder... but couldn't recall who... it's YOU. Thanks for posting!

Nina

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Sorry I was so tired earlier when I replied I didn't mention what kinds of tests you should have done if you are concerned about this disorder. My doctor recommended the following:

Antithrombin III deficiency/antigen activity levels

Protein C activity levels

Protein S activity levels (free and total)

Factor V Leiden

Lupus anticoagulant

Anticardiolipin antibodies

Prothrombin G20210A mutation

homocysteine levels or the MTHFR mutation.

PT/PTT

I think that's all of them.

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Thanks so much for all the info -- esp. Briarrose! All the tests you listed are the ones I had done. I'm sure all of these problems with my health are related; if only I could find one great doctor who could tell me how! Maybe a hematologist is my next stop.

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Calypso

Your welcome.

I hope you didn't miss understand me. I don't believe that my case of POTS is related to our family history of thromboembolism. Dr. Grubb suspects that I've had POTS most of my life, I haven't been approved to have all of the blood tests that I've listed.

I would bet more on vascular issues and (hypermobility.) I know that we kid about there being a link to Ohio, but I know it's more than that. If there is suppose to be 800,000 of us in America, Ohio has just recognized their patients, what about the rest of America.

steph

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Briarrose is correct that it's likely Ohio has a higher number of identified patients not because they're is a higher incidence, but because there is better identification in OH. You folks in OH have more ANS specialists than most states (ie. Drs. Grubb, Foaud, Stillman, Chelmisky, etc.).

Nina

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