Interview with Clotamin Founder Justin Barch
How Herapin Therapy led to his creating a vitamin that works in harmony with anticoagulant drugs
Justin Barch created Clotamin®, a unique multi vitamin without K, after suffering a life-threatening pulmonary embolism in 2006. His medical crisis was caused by a condition called Factor V Leiden Thrombophilia, the most common hereditary blood coagulation disorder in the United States, affecting over 12 million people..
When were you initially diagnosed with Factor V Leiden Thrombophilia?
I was diagnosed with FVL in the spring of 1998. My brother, Mackie, had recently suffered a blood clot in his leg and learned that he carried FVL. Since the disease is hereditary, my family was tested. We learned that my father and I carry it as well.
When did you first develop a blood clot?
Eight years later, in March of 2006, I experienced severe back pain and I had trouble breathing. I was admitted to the hospital and found out that I had suffered a massive pulmonary embolism.
In other words, several large blood clots had passed through my heart and into my left lung. My doctors told me that more than 80% of patients who suffer a massive PE die within the first two hours after onset, mainly from right-sided heart failure. I realized I was very lucky to be alive.
What is the treatment like for your condition?
I was in the hospital for four days on intense heparin therapy. Heparin is an anticoagulant drug that works quickly to prevent the formation of new clots. At the same time I began taking Coumadin®, the anticoagulant pill that I continue to take to this day. The fast action of the heparin therapy was critical those first few days because Coumadin® is one of the anticoagulants that needs 4-5 days to build up in your body and become effective.
After leaving the hospital, I had to inject Lovenox, another one of the anticoagulants, into my stomach twice a day for two months, in addition to taking warfarin. I also had weekly blood work done to make sure that my INR level was in the therapeutic range.
