How is a lupus anticoagulant treated?
No treatment is required if someone does not have any symptoms. If blood clots do occur, patients are usually anticoagulated with heparin (which is injected under the skin or given intravenously (IV)) followed by oral warfarin (coumadin) therapy for several months. Higher than usual doses of warfarin may be required, and the treatment may need to be continued for a longer period of time. In someone with the lupus anticoagulant, the risk of recurrence of both arterial and venous thrombotic episodes is relatively high. Some patients may need to be on long-term (even life-long) oral anticoagulation.
No treatment is required if someone does not have any symptoms. If blood clots do occur, patients are usually anticoagulated with heparin (which is injected under the skin or given intravenously (IV)) followed by oral warfarin (coumadin) therapy for several months. Higher than normal doses of warfarin may be required in this situation and the treatment may need to be continued for a longer period of time than normal. In someone with the lupus anticoagulant the risk of recurrence of both arterial and venous thrombotic episodes is relatively high. Some patients may need to be on long-term (even life-long) oral anticoagulation.
