Living With Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation

If you have disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), ask your doctor how often you should schedule followup care and blood tests. Blood tests help track how well your blood is clotting.

You may need to take blood-thinning medicines (blood thinners) to help prevent blood clots or to keep existing clots from getting larger. If you take blood thinners, let everyone on your health care team know.

Blood thinners may thin your blood too much and cause bleeding. A lot of bleeding after a fall or injury or easy bruising or bleeding may mean that your blood is too thin.

Call your doctor right away if you have any signs of bleeding. If you have severe bleeding, call 9–1–1 right away.

Also, you should talk with your doctor before using any over-the-counter medicines or products, such as vitamins, supplements, or herbal remedies. Some of these products also can affect blood clotting and bleeding. For example, aspirin and ibuprofen may thin your blood too much. This can increase your risk of bleeding.

If you need surgery, your doctor may adjust the amount of medicine you take before, during, and after the surgery to prevent bleeding. This also may happen for dental work, but it's less common.

 

Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health