Crazy INR

[Jimmy]

My INR will range anywhere from 1.8 to 7.8 it will jump (like it did last week) from 2.7 (perfect) on a Mon. to 6.8 the next Mon with no significant diet changes, when I do change my doesage I only change by not more than 2 mg per week but when it gets up to 6.8 it really does get my attention. I have heard people on this site talk about V8 juice for when their INR gets high, well I checked it out this morning and I did not see vitamin K even listed on the lable. Lets say your INR was 6.8 and you skipped a dose or drank V8 juice what would your INR reduce to with how much V8 juice? I know that buy skipping 1 dose your INR should drop from 6.8 to about 2.0 to 3.0 I know mine does, but what does the V8 do ? Anybody know ?
Jimmy

 

[geebee]

How many times have you actually tested above 5.0? If it has only happened a couple of times, it could be a false high reading. Also, do you get your results the same day you are tested? If you wait a couple of days to make changes to an INR reading, you may not have enough time for new dosages to metabolize before testing again, thus the yo-yo effect.

 

[Ross]

http://www.valvereplacement.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14988 It's the drinking my friend. Everyone has warned you and your seeing the affect, but still persist.

 

[JimL]

When I first started out on this rat poison stuff and had a high reading, I bought a six-pack of little V-8 cans to dose it with ---- in very large part because I love V-8, not because it was necessary. I used to drink a whole can a day when I could, the large size can that is. But I decided that it was much too large a dose to use, like using a sledge hammer to set a finish nail. On the side of the V-8 can, the Vitamin K is probably called spinach.
I think you're doing just fine to make such small adjustments in your weekly dosage. I have decided for myself never to hold coumadin, but always to take a dose each day, even if it's a much lower dosage.