Coumadin and Birth Control

This response is probably a little late for the original poster, but for anyone else that stumbles along this, I thought I should add some more comprehensive advice. I am not a doctor, but I do work in a hospital and am well acquainted with quite a few. I also have a clotting disorder that causes me to take coumadin (or warfarin, the generic) for the rest of my life. There are actually many different options for birth control, and they totally depend on you. First off, how long are you on blood thinners? Some people take them for a short period of time after surgery or a single clotting incident. If there is not a recurring clotting problem, there shouldn’t be a problem with birth control. Because of the link between clotting and estrogen, if you want to use hormone therapy (the pill, the shot, the patch, the ring, etc.) a low-dose or non-estrogen drug would be a good idea, just to be on the safe side. If you are on blood thinners for the rest of your life, like me, it gets a bit trickier. If you’ve had multiple blood clots, heart attack, stroke, pulmonary emobolus, then most doctors will not give you hormone birth control. Better safe than sorry. But there are a lot of other options out there, depending on your lifestyle. If you have multiple partners or have not had children but would like to, the barrier methods are your best bet. Condoms, always a good idea if you have multiple partners since they help prevent STDs as well, female condoms, and yes, they do still make diaphragms. If you are in a monogamous relationship, have kids, but may want more, an IUD may be your best bet. They are small, usually t-shaped devices easily, but a bit painfully, inserted in your uterus at the gynecologists office. There are several different types, some that release very low doses of hormones directly to your uterus, some that are made of metal. I know some doctors that do not place them in women that have never had children because there is a very, very small risk of infertility after removal. If you don’t plan on having any (more) kids, tubal ligation is an option. It is surgery, but it is an option. I don’t know that I’ve ever heard of a hysterectomy solely for birth control; that seems a bit radical. There are lots of options. Most importantly, though, you should talk over all options with your doctor. Be honest with them, even though it is a bit of a sticky subject, and they can offer the best advice for your own best fit.