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Have Developed Pitting Edema In Legs And Torso, Voice Is Difficult To Understand, Take Warfarin. Side Effect?
Question: Is it possible for warfarin to cause hoarseness. I have developed pitting edema in both legs and torso and my voice is difficult for other to understand me. This all started within 24 hrs of starting warfarin. It's been almost 6 weeks and I continue to gain fluid and my voice is getting worse. Dn't want to bother the doctor about something that is normal. But, something just isn't right. No fever, no mucous with the voice problem. Thank you.
Brief Answer:
Likely NOT warfarin
Detailed Answer:
Dear patient,
Thanks for your health concerns; hoarseness and fluid retention are NOT common, or even infrequent side effects of warfarin and an alternative explanation has to be sought; a couple of things that come to my mind with your history of long-standing Type 1 DM are hypothyroidism and congestive heart failure; in both conditions you can see fluid retention, and in rare cases where heart failure causes dilatation of the chambers of the heart, mainly the upper chambers, that can cause compression of the nerve that controls the vocal cords (called Ortner's syndrome). A TSH and an echocardiogram would help rule out/in those possibilities. I advise you to contact your doctor to further guide workup.
Yours truly,
Dr Brenes-Salazar MD
Cardiology
Mayo Clinic MN
Likely NOT warfarin
Detailed Answer:
Dear patient,
Thanks for your health concerns; hoarseness and fluid retention are NOT common, or even infrequent side effects of warfarin and an alternative explanation has to be sought; a couple of things that come to my mind with your history of long-standing Type 1 DM are hypothyroidism and congestive heart failure; in both conditions you can see fluid retention, and in rare cases where heart failure causes dilatation of the chambers of the heart, mainly the upper chambers, that can cause compression of the nerve that controls the vocal cords (called Ortner's syndrome). A TSH and an echocardiogram would help rule out/in those possibilities. I advise you to contact your doctor to further guide workup.
Yours truly,
Dr Brenes-Salazar MD
Cardiology
Mayo Clinic MN
Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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