Can protein S deficiency be treated without taking blood thinning medication?
Patient: I m 24 now, 23 when it all started, I was a smoker at the time & had been for a few years. I had a miscarriage before i started on the depo shot. I had one shot & didnt like it so i switched to the pill after about 3 months of being on the pill I ended up in the ER with a PE in my right lung they weren t sure what has caused it im not the healthiest I m over weight and don t eat the best. But im not lazy, 2 weeks before this I had been given a promotion to be a Store Manager. So i was super stressed out but working 70 hours a week, & not just sitting at my desk so they ruled that wasn t the cause. So they assumed it was a mix of smoking & birth control & stress ,tho they still thought i was too young. So they started me on blood thinners kept me for 4 days & released me to be on Xarlto for 6 months. With follow up appts & to a specialist who had a bunch of blood test ran. Turned out I have a protein S deficiency & the pills triggered it. Now I m almost to my 6 month mark & my doctor told me that in order to continue any form of birth control I d have to stay on the Xarlto. My bf can t do condoms & we tried the pull & pray method ie the miscarriage. I m not sure yet if I want kids so I don t just want to completely cut that option out just yet & I m def not ready for one now & if or when I m pregnant I have to be on the blood thinners throughout the pregnancy. So either i stay on both pills or just stop having sex completely.... My main concern is staying on the blood thinners for a long period of time, it s been affecting my menstrual cycle the past 2 months & I still feel run down & tired alot of the time which i know is part of the clot. I m just wondering if I have another option in this. I don t mind the pill for the most part expect I m cold 24/7 now. Can u give me some advice plz? Doctor: Hello and Welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service. I have reviewed your query and here is my advice.  It is necessary to be on blood thinning medication for treating protein S deficiency. Not only pregnancy but it may cause many other life threatening complications like stroke, MI, bleeding disorders, DVT, VTE, etc. It is always better to be on the drug. Also, check your homocysteine levels.   Thank you.