DEAR DR. GOTT: Is it safe to have blood drawn while on a blood thinner?

DEAR READER: Yes, it is. When you cut yourself, the body’s defenses kick in to halt the bleeding by forming a clot. The process is known as coagulation and is how things should happen. On the other hand, without that cut and with blood moving through your veins and arteries, clots should not occur. Unfortunately, they do, and for a number of reasons. When they occur, a physician will likely prescribe a drug to bring the disorder in line. Some of the causes are inherited, such as sticky platelet syndrome or factor V Leiden; some are acquired, such as occurs with HIV/AIDs, inflammatory bowel syndrome, obesity, trauma and hormone-replacement therapy. These conditions and a host of others must be checked periodically with laboratory testing so a primary-care physician or hematologist can correctly monitor a patient. [Read more...]