Bouncy INR & 3-week wait?

[HeartDawg]

I'm about ten weeks into being a Warfarin junkie and we are still trying to get this right.

A couple weeks ago I found myself down at 1.4 after getting up to 2.9 and then not really changing the dosage. My GP upped the dose for three days and I went up to 1.9. We then kept it at a similar dose for a week and we got to a nice, comfortable 2.9.

That's good, but ...

So, we are keeping the dosage the same and going for three weeks before the next check. What do you folks think about waiting three weeks? That worries me a tad.

(I'm on a 15 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg ... cycle right now. I saw a post here where somebody said a daily dose of 7.5 mg was pretty high.)

I appreciate your insights and opinions.

 

[geebee]

Tom,

I agree that 3 weeks is a bit long right now. I would not wait any longer than a week to 10 days between testing until you have had at least 2 (and preferably 3) consecutive tests showing an INR in range with the same dose.

 

[GeorgeM]

Tom

I'm new to INR testing and share your difficulty of reaching a stable INR (see my other post on this thread).

I'd agree that 3 weeks is too long to wait for another test until you've been stable for a while.

Perhaps some of the more experienced users here can give a view.

PS - You had your operation the day after mine and my INR is not yet stable, interesting !

Best Wishes

George

 

[Ross]

10 days at most until you've had 2 or 3 tests in range.

It doesn't matter how high of a dose your taking. It's whatever it takes to keep you in range. Some folks can get by on as little as 2 or 3 mg a day. Others have had up to 25mg a day to stay in range. Don't worry about that, but I would be uncomfortable waiting for 3 weeks between tests at this point.

 

[HeartDawg]

Thanks everyone. I'm going to follow your advice.

Ross and geebee ... I greatly appreciate all the good advice you give in this forum.

 

[aussigal]

I am curious as to why they have you on 10,15,10,15 instead of 12.5 everyday?...
I wouldnt feel right waiting weeks at this stage of the game either...
I would have thought 12.5 daily would be easier to remember and more likely to keep you stable.
Ross whadd'ya think?

 

[geebee]

Ton,

I know you asked Ross but ..... I know with me, my weekly dosage depends on the size pills I have on hand. I take either 27.5mg/wk (if I have 5mg pills) or 28mg/wk (if I have 4mg pills). It has never made a difference in my weekly INR test if I take 4mg/day or alternate 5 & 2.5.

Perhaps Tom is working with 10mg pills and thus the alternating doses.

 

[Ross]

Good Point Ton, but like geebee points out, it depends on what size pills he's working with. He could always get a prescription for a combo that would work out to 12.5, but until he's stable, I think I'd wait.

 

[Guest]

You have an excellent warfarin manager in Duluth ? Michael Gulseth. I?m not sure where he works but it shouldn?t be too hard to find him in Duluth. See what you need to get a referral to his clinic.

Tell him that Big Al ? Jill?s friend ? gave you his name.

Good thing I proof read this one ? I left the ?g? off of Big ? boy does that one letter change the meaning!!!

 

[Bina]

Hey Al, you wouldn't have to worry....being called "Bi Al" would just mean twice as many people to love you

 

[Natanni]

I would not want my husband to wait 3 weeks either but I am always on the anxious side of my husbands INR Nathan has been home monitoring his INR since 1 month post op and he was the first guy in his docs office to do so. One of his cardiac rehab friends tried to get his doc to endorse home monitoring and was told SMDC will not allow their pts to home monitor (this was a year ago) It really has made life easier, and he does go in every 3 months to the clinic for an INR check on their Protime.

As far as dosage goes, my husband does 5mg 6 Day/wk and 7.5 mg 1 Day/wk. We had inquired prior to his surgery what his dosage would be should we decide to go to a vegetarian diet and we were told we could expect approx 15 mg per day. Overall my husband is very stable, but we do get conflicting info on where to keep his INR-his coumadin clinic wants it closer to the 3.5 and his cardio at the Mayo want him closer to the 2.5. We are going to get this cleared up when we go back down in July.

 

[Ross]

Overall my husband is very stable, but we do get conflicting info on where to keep his INR-his coumadin clinic wants it closer to the 3.5 and his cardio at the Mayo want him closer to the 2.5. We are going to get this cleared up when we go back down in July.

I'll side with Clinic and keep in close to 3.5 so he has wiggle room to eat all the veggies he likes. Mayo is like everyone else, they fear bleeding.

My Doctor is trying to blame Coumadin for my foot hematoma and Cellulitis. My foot didn't suddenly erupt with a bleed, I kicked the tops of my oxygen bottles swinging my leg into bed one night. It HURT and caused a bleed in my foot. Stupidity is what gets us, not spontaneous bleeds.

 

[Natanni]

I'll side with Clinic and keep in close to 3.5 so he has wiggle room to eat all the veggies he likes. Mayo is like everyone else, they fear bleeding.

My Doctor is trying to blame Coumadin for my foot hematoma and Cellulitis. My foot didn't suddenly erupt with a bleed, I kicked the tops of my oxygen bottles swinging my leg into bed one night. It HURT and caused a bleed in my foot. Stupidity is what gets us, not spontaneous bleeds.

Yes, and wiggle room for forgetting a dose