PCOS and Clotting Disorders

For those of you who have read the story of my sweet son Nicholas dying after only one week of life, you may have remembered that I didn't quite know the cause of the placental abruption at the time of his death. In June 2001, we found out that I have a clotting disorder. My doctor, Dr. Glueck in Cincinnati, Ohio, performed the necessary tests and I was diagnosed with high Factor VIII. The way I understand it, Factor VIII is responsible for too much clotting. Too many clots develop and are not broken down fast enough, which means that as the placenta was tearing away from the wall of the uterus blood clots were developing beneath it. The part of the uterus that had a clot beneath it essentially died and stopped providing nutrients to the baby.

For the next pregnancy, I will be taking heparin (Lovenox) shots twice daily. It is an anticoagulant that has been proven safe in pregnancy for the mother and the baby. Of course, there are many risks. For example, if I am in a serious accident while on the drug, I could bleed to death. But, I think it is worth the risk. Once I get pregnant (hopefully that will be soon), I will add an update.

How are clotting disorders and PCOS related? Recent studies have investigated this issue and the world is still out, but from my own experience with the PCOS community more and more women with PCOS are being diagnosed with a variety of clotting disorders. While these clotting disorders affect overall health, they are especially problematic for the woman who is trying to conceive. The links below offer some insight into clotting disorders, PCOS, and what you can do to get diagnosed and treated for a clotting disorder. Vist my PCOS Pages for more information about PCOS.

Understanding Clotting Disorders

I think that it is important to begin with a basic understanding of how clotting disorders affect the body and what types of clotting disorders exist.

General Blood Clotting Info from the University of Illinois--This is an excellent resource for definitions, an explanation of all of the major blood clotting disorders, and how they work.
Molecular Genetics of Blood Clotting--Not an easy read, but this site offers a great explanation of the role of genetics in blood clotting.
Medline's Collection of Info on Blood Clotting--Here you can find all sorts of information about blood clotting disorders, including some great links about getting treated, clinical trials, and national clearinghouses for information about blood clotting.
Excessive Blood Clotting Page from the American Academy of Family Physicians
Women and Bleeding Disorders

Tests for Clotting Disorders

I had the following tests done to determine if I had any of these clotting disorders. I tested positive for high Factor VIII, which is the factor that is responsible for clotting blood. High Factor VIII means that you overclot, while low Factor VIII is the condition known as hemophilia. High Factor VIII was partially to mostly responsible for my premature labor.

PCR tests: Factor V Leiden, PAI-1 gene, MTHFR gene, Prothrombin Gene, IIb/IIIa polymorphism of platelet glycoproteins.

Serologic coagulation tests for thrombophilia: Homocysteine, proteins C, S (total and free), antithrombin III, fasting serum insulin, factor VIII, Factor XI, anticardiolipin antibodies IgG and IgM, Lupus

Anticoagulant Serologic coagulation tests for Hypofibrinolysis: Plasminogen activator inhibitor activity (PAI-Fx), Lp(a)

PCOS and Clotting Disorders

Treatment for Clotting Disorders

Clotting Disorders and Pregnancy