Heparin Side Effects

Brand Names: Hep-Lock

Please note - some side effects for Heparin may not be reported. Always consult your doctor or healthcare specialist for medical advice. You may also report side effects to the FDA at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/ or 1-800-FDA-1088 (1-800-332-1088).

Side Effects of Heparin - for the consumer

Heparin

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Heparin:

Irritation or mild pain at the injection site.

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); black, tarry, or bloody stools; bleeding from gums when brushing or flossing teeth; blood in the urine; calf or leg pain, tenderness, or swelling; chest pain; confusion; coughing up blood; excessive bleeding from cuts; fever or chills; increased menstrual bleeding; lower back pain; nosebleeds; numbness or color change of the skin, fingers, or toes; one-sided numbness or weakness; severe headache or dizziness; severe or persistent pain, swelling, or redness at the injection site; shortness of breath; slurred speech; stomach pain or swelling; unexplained vaginal bleeding; unusual bruising; vision problems; vomit that looks like coffee grounds.

Heparin Lock Flush

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Heparin Lock Flush:

Irritation, redness, or mild pain at the injection site.

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); black, tarry, or bloody stools; bleeding from gums when brushing or flossing teeth; blood in the urine; calf or leg pain, tenderness, or swelling; chest pain; confusion; coughing up blood; excessive bleeding from cuts; fever or chills; increased menstrual bleeding; lower back pain; nosebleeds; numbness or color change of the skin, fingers, or toes; one-sided numbness or weakness; severe headache or dizziness; severe or persistent pain, swelling, or redness at the injection site; shortness of breath; slurred speech; stomach pain or swelling; unexplained vaginal bleeding; unusual bruising or bleeding; vision problems; vomit that looks like coffee grounds.

For the professional

Heparin

Hemorrhage

Hemorrhage is the chief complication that may result from Heparin therapy. An overly prolonged clotting time or minor bleeding during therapy can usually be controlled by withdrawing the drug. It should be appreciated that gastrointestinal or urinary-tract bleeding during anticoagulant therapy may indicate the presence of an underlying occult lesion. Bleeding can occur at any site but certain specific hemorrhagic complications may be difficult to detect:

a. Adrenal hemorrhage, with resultant acute adrenal insufficiency, has occurred during anticoagulant therapy. Therefore, such treatment should be discontinued in patients who develop signs and symptoms of acute adrenal hemorrhage and insufficiency. Initiation of corrective therapy should not depend on laboratory confirmation of the diagnosis, since any delay in an acute situation may result in the patient’s death.

b. Ovarian (corpus luteum) hemorrhage developed in a number of women of reproductive age receiving short- or long-term anticoagulant therapy. This complication, if unrecognized, may be fatal.

c. Retroperitoneal hemorrhage.

Local Irritation

Local irritation, erythema, mild pain, hematoma, or ulceration may follow deep, subcutaneous (intrafat) injection of Heparin sodium. These complications are much more common after intramuscular use, and such use is not recommended.

Hypersensitivity

Generalized hypersensitivity reactions have been reported, with chills, fever, and urticaria as the most usual manifestations, and asthma, rhinitis, lacrimation, headache, nausea and vomiting, and anaphylactoid reactions, including shock, occurring more rarely. Itching and burning, especially on the plantar side of the feet, may occur.

Thrombocytopenia has been reported to occur in patients receiving Heparin with a reported incidence of 0 to 30%. While often mild and of no obvious clinical significance, such thrombocytopenia can be accompanied by severe thromboembolic complications, such as skin necrosis, gangrene of the extremities that may lead to amputation, myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, stroke, and possibly death.

Certain episodes of painful, ischemic and cyanosed limbs have in the past been attributed to allergic vasospastic reactions. Whether these are, in fact, identical to the thrombocytopenia associated complications remains to be determined.

Miscellaneous

Osteoporosis following long-term administration of high doses of Heparin, cutaneous necrosis after systemic administration, suppression of aldosterone synthesis, delayed transient alopecia, priapism, and rebound hyperlipemia on discontinuation of Heparin sodium have also been reported.

Significant elevations of aminotransferase (SGOT [S-AST] and SGPT [S-ALT]) levels have occurred in a high percentage of patients (and healthy subjects) who have received Heparin.

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