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My thanks to everyone that chimed in with their experiences with different brands of generic warfarin. It seems that there may be no one brand that is better than another in the aggregate, but that perhaps on an individual basis there is a difference since we all absorb and react to drugs...

Due to the permanent unavailability of Coumadin, on which I had a stable INR for 9 years, I am preparing to experiment with generic warfarin. I know that there have been recent discussions here on the pros and cons of various options but I would like to solicit additional guidance based on the...

My watch is called a Y-9 Band Fitness Tracker, from China and I paid around $30.00 for it It communicates with something called the H-Band app. I don't know if this is a generic app that works with other fitness trackers or not.

I have an App on my i-phone that connects to my Fitbit (actually a cheap knock off of a Fitbit) that tracks and reports my heart rate in half-hour increments and my blood pressure in 10-minute increments. I don't usually wake up during the night but in the morning I can see the complete history...

Protimenow - My cardiologist was concerned about my low heart rate, so much so that he put me on a heart monitor and started talking about the possibility that I might need a pacemaker. His bigger concern was whether or not my heart would respond under stress and increase to the appropriate...

This is just a hypothetical question but since being on Coumadin I often think of what ifs? Say I slice my finger off when my INR is about 3 and I am not near a healthcare facility. Would I be able to stop the bleeding before I passed out from the blood loss and died? An inquiring mind wants...

After my OHS in 2011 I could not stabilize my INR while taking generic warfarin, although I do not know what brand it was. After about six months it was suggested to me (by either my pharmacist, doctor, or someone on this site - I do not recall) that I should try Coumadin, which I did. Soon...

Thanks to everyone who responded with their thoughts and experiences. There is a lot to consider but this will help me prepare with more questions when I finally meet with an EP Doc next Tuesday. My regular cardiologist finally stopped the heart rate monitoring because the on-call docs were...

Thought it would be interesting to ask if you had a pacemaker implanted following valve surgery? If so which valve do you have and how soon after your OHS was it determined that you needed a pacemaker? I am particularly interested because my cardiologist tells me that based on a recent EKG and...

I too was on Rocephin for six weeks at home via a PICC line to rid myself of Endocarditis. Unfortunately it came a day late and a dollar short since this was after they had removed my infected mitral valve. Like RNeal, Lesneski, and OldManEmu, the BE was not diagnosed for months after it had...

During my first year post surgery I was unable to stabilize my INR with warfarin. Upon recommendation of my pharmacist I switched to Coumadin and for the past seven years I have tested within range 92% of the time. Although Coumadin comes at a cost of $50.00 per month (even with insurance)...

Similar stories abound on this site but here is another story that demonstrates why we as heart valve patients taking warfarin should take pause before automatically following the instructions of our medical providers: Last Sunday I took my weekly home blood test which showed my INR to be 3.8...

I am another one who can attest to the great satisfaction and fulfillment that comes with volunteering at a hospital. My experience with Mended Hearts, however, was not so great. Several years ago I contacted them but because there was no local chapter in my area I could not really join. They...

Thank you all for the responses. Both my PCP and cardiologist say that there is no risk of endocarditis from me getting a TB skin test, sooooo, I guess I will be doing it.

Does anyone out there, especially if they have had endocarditis, have any concerns about taking a TB test or even a flu shot for that matter? Inquiring mind wants to know because I want to volunteer at Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare and they require those immunizations. I was raised to be...

I once ordered some Coaguchek strips from a company on-line and the chip was missing from the package. Rather than make a stink about it I just used the strips with the existing chip in my machine from the last batch and they worked fine.

I run 15-20 5K races every year and each time my heart rate hits maximum, using the standard estimate of 220 minus my age. The pace you run is not an issue, but rather the effort. A young, fit person can run a 7 minute mile and never get close to their maximum heart rate but an old, feeble...

Well I can't say that I'm in love with my hair, but I can say that I haven't had any noticeable loss of hair in the six years since going on Coumadin at 53, which would be a time period when a man could expect to lose some hair. Since I still have a full head of hair maybe the Coumadin is...

I was diagnosed late with endocarditis and by that time I was in stage 4 heart failure and near death. My mitral valve was "shredded" according to my surgeon and emergency replacement with the active infection was the only option. I was fortunate that the infection didn't spread to other...

Mike - It is my understanding that it is not necessarily the increased number of beats that wears out a tissue valve faster, but rather the increased pressures and turbulences that the valve is subjected to while exercising that causes the damage and accelerated wear. BTW, it is "you're right"...