Any thoughts...

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sue943

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Joined
Jan 6, 2006
Messages
1,555
Location
Jersey, Channel Islands (British Isles)
I visit the hospital warfarin clinic for my blood testing which is a venous draw. On 10 th January it was 3.0, 7th February 3.1, 7th March 3.1 and 3rd April 3.2. I take 5mg each day and have for months. They do not want to see me again for six weeks this time as I am so stable, my range is 3.0 - 4.0 and I am not really happy at this end of my range. I am thinking of taking a double dose today to give it a bit of a boost - what do you think? Will one double dose have the effect of raising it a few points and then my regular dose maintain it?
 
If those were my INRs, my lovely coumadin clinic nurse would say that I am "perfect." I usually adjust my weekly dosage by 1 or at most 2 mg. Can you perhaps cut a 5 in half and take 2.5 mg more some day?
 
Taking an extra dose will raise your INR in a couple of days. However, if you go back to your old dose, your INR will go back down as well.

You take 35mg/week. If you raise that weekly dose by 2.5mg, you should see a slight increase in your INR. The only problem with tweaking it now is that they do not want you to test again for 6 weeks. I would never make a dosage change where I couldn't test again in one week to see the effect.

Technically you are in range but I agree that I am not comfortable at the low end of my ranger either. Luckily you have a higher range than most and are probably very safe at 3.2.

If you want to make a change, perhaps consider waiting until a week or so before your next test or make the change and test earlier than they say if you are able to do so.
 
I agree with Gina's response! Especially the part about perhaps waiting til the week before you are due to be tested before tweaking any of your dosages.

No chance of your getting any of the home testing equipment? Not available there?
 
Home testing is available except that I would have to pay for the equipment and supplies myself, hospital testing is free.

If I hit 4.0 they tell me to miss a dose, if I drop to under 3.0 they tell me double up one day. Once they told me to skip a dose when my INR was 3.6 which is almost dead centre of my range (I ignored them).

Normally they are fine, but I would just like to get it a little higher but not too high. I thought a double dose one would give it a boost then if it dropped a little it wouldn't matter.
 
I believe that adjustments are usually made in the area of 10% of your weekly dose. Since you are taking 35 mg/week, I would think that (if needed), your adjustment of 1/2 pill once a week would be good to start with.

My INR is steady at 3.4 and I take 3mg/day, any adjustments have been done in small amounts once or twice weekly.
 

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