Lovenox is a low-molecular-weight heparin shot. What does this mean? It can prevent blood clots from forming as well as treating existing blood clots.
Last year I became very ill and spent three weeks in the hospital. Because of complications, I developed blood clots in my lungs. This resulted in me having to take the blood thinner, Warfarin, for six months.
Now, I am pregnant with my third child. Since I have previously had blood clots, my pregnancy is considered high risk.
After confirming my pregnancy, my OB/GYN immediately referred me to a high risk OB. The high-risk OB ran numerous tests to determine my risk factors for forming clots during my pregnancy. The results of these tests showed that I would benefit from taking Lovenox shots once a day.
Lovenox lowers your body’s ability to form blood clots. This can result in a drop in your platelet count known as thrombocytopenia. This means that you could actively bleed at any time. Therefore, you should be monitored closely by your doctor.
Once I read the risks that go along with taking Lovenox, I wasn’t sure that it was a shot that I wanted to take. I read that in some cases Lovenox could actually cause blood clots. When I communicated my concerns to my OB/GYN, she assured me that taking Lovenox was in my best interest. She said that the risk of me developing blood clots was greater if I did not take the shots. I could develop blood clots in the placenta. If this were to happen, my baby could be born with mental retardation. When I heard that, I consented to taking the shots.
I administer my shots nightly in my abdominal area. When I first started the shots, I noticed that I would have huge bruises around the site of injection. I was showing my best friend, who is a pharmacy technician, these bruises. She asked if I was rubbing the injection site after doing the shot. I told her yes, I had been. She told me that I should not be doing this. Rubbing the injection site would decrease the effectiveness of the medicine and increase the bruising. I stopped rubbing the injection site, and the bruising has decreased significantly.
Another thing that I noticed when taking Lovenox shots, is that the medicine burns. It is not a slight burning sensation that you feel with other shots. It is an intense burn that can last close to thirty minutes.
Other side effects, as shown on the Lovenox website, is irritation, pain, and redness.
Because of the make-up of Lovenox, it is not recommended that you receive Epidural or Spinal anesthesia while taking it. This was a huge concern for me. I talked to my OB/GYN and found out that the Lovenox can be discontinued about two weeks before I give birth. At that point I will be switched over to traditional Heparin shots twice a day. This will allow enough time for the Lovenox to get out of my system.
Lovenox is a safe drug when taken correctly and closely monitored by you doctor. If you have had blood clots in the past and become pregnant, be sure you doctor knows. You may benefit from Lovenox or some other medication determined by your doctor.
