Lovenox is an anti-coagulant medication which prevents formation of harmful blood clots that can leads to heart attack or stroke. Manufactured by Sanofi-Aventis, Lovenox keeps the blood flowing smoothly by reducing the activity of blood clotting proteins. The risk of developing blood clots more commonly occurs after knee or hip replacement surgeries or after heart attack or chest pain known as unstable angina. Approved by majority of the drug regulatory authority, Lovenox is prescribed for extended prevention of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) that is likely to occur after hip replacement surgery. DVT is a blood clot that develops in the veins and require specific drug like Lovenox to treat this problem. Lovenox alter the normal blood clotting process and hence, the clots cannot be easily formed. This drug is the first low-molecular-weight heparin that can be used by the patients even at home.

Patients are advised to use Lovenox exactly as prescribed by the doctor. One should never alter the dosage without consulting with the doctor. Lovenox is injected under the skin or into vein with the help of a syringe. Patients should self-inject this drug only after completely understanding the injecting process. Following usage instructions are important for the patients while injecting this drug:

• One should be in sitting or lying position while taking the injection.
• Lovenox injection should not be injected into muscle.
• Different place on the stomach should be selected for giving the injection, as one should not inject into same place two times in a row.
• The dose in the syringe should only be prepared only if one is ready to take the injection.
• Disposable needle should be used and it should be used only once for giving the injection.

Enoxaparin Dosage Instructions

Patients must stick to the doctor’s prescribed dosage to have the best effect of the drug. Dosages are prescribed by the doctor depending upon the patient’s weight, medical condition for which they are treated and if any other medications taken by them. The exact dose of Lovenox for treatment of different problems includes:

DVT – Recommended dose of Lovenox for preventing deep vein thrombosis after abdominal surgery is 40 mg of drug injected once in a day and for preventing DVT after knee replacement and hip replacement surgery is 30 mg of drug injected at the gap of 12 hours.

Abdominal Surgery – Patients undergoing abdominal surgery are recommended a dose of 40 mg once in a day. The drug is administered two hours prior the surgery.

Missed and Overdose of Enoxaparin

Patients are advised to take the missed dose of the drug as soon as they remember and if it is the time for the next dose, then the patients should skip the missed dose and continue with the regular dosing schedule. Doubling the dose of the drug to make up for the missed dose is strictly not recommended.

Patients must be extremely cautious while taking the drug. Overdose of the drug should be avoided in any condition. In case, if overdose has occurred accidently then the victim must be provided with emergency medical help. One can also seek help from their local poison help line. Overdose of the drug can lead to problems like excessive bleeding and bruising.

Lovenox Storage Instructions

Enoxaparin must be ideally stored at room temperature of 15 to 30 degree centigrade. It should be kept away from excessive heat and moisture. Multiple dose vials should not be stored for more than seven days after their first use. One should not flush the drug down the toilet or pour them in the drain. Unused and expired drug should be safely disposed.

Patients prescribed with Lovenox must be aware of warnings and important precautions associated with the drug. This will allow patients to safely use the drug without posing any further health complications. This medication is recommended to be avoided in certain conditions and thus, patients must be aware of health conditions and diseases in which Lovenox should not be administered. Some of the warnings that should be kept in mind include:

• Patients allergic to Enoxaparin, heparin, benzyl alcohol or pork product should avoid using Lovenox.
• Individuals requiring anesthesia for undergoing any surgery must stop using Lovenox for a short time.
• Lovenox can cause serious blood clot around brain or spinal cord in patients who undergo a spinal tap or receive spinal anesthesia, especially if they have a genetic spinal defect.
• Patients having bleeding disorder, hemorrhagic stroke, and infection in the lining of heart, stomach or intestinal bleeding should avoid using Lovenox because it may increase the risk of bleeding.
• Individuals should not use Lovenox if having active or uncontrolled bleeding.

Patients suffering from any of the following problems must cautiously use Lovenox:

• Bleeding disorder caused by disease
• Hemorrhagic stroke
• Bacterial endocarditis
• Ulcer
• Recently had brain, eye or spine surgery

Most of the patients taking Lovenox tolerate this drug well and do not experience any side effects. However, some of the patients taking Lovenox might experience few common side effects. Common side effects reported with this drug are not very serious and patients do not require medical attention to treat these side effects. Some of the common side effects that are usually reported with Lovenox are:

• Fever
• Anemia
• Nausea
• Bleeding
• Pain or bleeding at the injection site
• Blood in the urine

Lovenox Severe Side Effects

Few of the side effects associated with Lovenox are potentially serious. Patients experiencing any of these severe side effects must immediately report to the doctor. Serious side effects reported with Enoxaparin include:

• Nosebleeds
• Coughing up blood
• Bleeding from cuts that do not stop easily
• Severe headache
• Dizziness or weakness
• Unusual bruising
• Blood in the urine or stool

Enoxaparin Drug Interactions

Patients are advised to discuss with doctor about every prescription, non-prescription, herbal and vital supplements taken by them. This is important because this drug is potentially known to interact with certain medications. Lovenox, if taken along with certain medications, can increase risk of bleeding or increase the risk of developing blood clots. Following drugs are known to interact with Lovenox:

• Dextran
• Abciximab
• Anagrelide
• Dalteparin
• Alteplase
• NASID like Naproxen, Ibuprofen, Celecoxib, Diclofenac etc
• Antithrombin
• Cilostazol
• Tirofiban