How Is Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome
Treated?
Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) has no
cure, but some medicines can help prevent complications. The goals of treatment
are to prevent blood clots from forming and keep existing clots from getting
larger.
If you have APS and another autoimmune disorder,
such as
lupus, its important to control that condition as well.
When the other condition is controlled, APS may cause fewer problems.
Research is ongoing for new ways to treat APS.
Medicines
Anticoagulants, or "blood thinners," are used to
stop blood clots from forming. They also keep existing blood clots from getting
larger. These medicines are taken as either a pill, an injection under the
skin, or through a needle or tube inserted into a vein (called intravenous, or
IV, injection).
Warfarin and heparin are two blood thinners used to
treat people who have APS. Warfarin is given in pill form.
(Coumadin® is a common brand name for warfarin.) Heparin is
given as an injection or through an IV tube. There are different types of
heparin. Your doctor will discuss the options with you.
Your doctor may treat you with both heparin and
warfarin at the same time. Heparin acts quickly. Warfarin takes 2 to 3 days
before it starts to work. Once the warfarin starts to work, the heparin is
stopped.
Sometimes aspirin is used with warfarin. In other
cases, aspirin may be used alone. Aspirin also thins the blood and helps
prevent blood clots.
Blood thinners dont prevent or treat APS. They
simply reduce the risk of further blood clotting. Treatment with these
medicines is long term. Discuss all treatment options with your doctor.
Side Effects
The most common side effect of blood thinners is
bleeding. This happens if the medicine thins your blood too much. This side
effect can be life threatening.
Sometimes the bleeding is internal (inside your
body). People treated with blood thinners usually need regular blood tests,
called PT and PTT tests, to check how well their blood is clotting.
These tests also show whether you're taking the
right amount of medicine. Your doctor will check to make sure that youre
taking enough medicine to prevent clots, but not so much that it causes
bleeding.
Talk to your doctor about the warning signs of
internal bleeding and when to seek emergency care. (For more information, see
"Living With Antiphospholipid Antibody
Syndrome.")
Treatment During Pregnancy
Pregnant women who have APS can have successful
pregnancies. With proper treatment, women who have APS are more likely to carry
their babies to term.
Pregnant women who have APS usually are treated with
heparin or heparin and low-dose aspirin.
Babies whose mothers have APS are at higher risk for
slowed growth while in the womb. If youre pregnant and have APS, you may
need to have extra ultrasound tests (sonograms) to check the fetus
growth. This test uses sound waves to look at organs and structures inside your
body.
Treatment for Other Medical Conditions
People who have APS are at increased risk for
thrombocytopenia.
This is a condition in which your blood has a low number of blood cells called
platelets. Platelets help the blood clot. If you have APS, you will need
regular
complete
blood counts (a type of blood test) to count the number of platelets in
your blood.
Thrombocytopenia is treated with medicines and
medical procedures. For more information, see
"How
Is Thrombocytopenia Treated?"
If you have other health problems, such as heart
disease or diabetes, work with your doctor to manage them. |