Grrrr - Did I miss my Dose?

[Freddie]

Last night I couldn't remember if I had my regular 5mg before supper. My pill container was empty, but I second guest myself about even filling it that morning...grrrr

For supper last night I had a small fist size of green & yellow beans and NOW after using my monitor and wasting 3 strips due to error #5 (not enough of a sample) grrrr I get a reading of 1.5 with the machine

If I have missed a dose, would the green beans have me drop this quickly? I was thinking not.

Crap - off to the lab I go.

Anyone of any thoughts on this?

 

[Freddie]

I should have added that I fill up my pill container/box every morning when I take my vitamins, and I did not take any warfarin last night, even when I was second guessing myself.
Perhaps I should wait until tomorrow to go to the lab? Yes?

If I were to go to the lab today, my doc would get the results and see that I'm low and then I'll be on that dang roller-coaster ride again. Besides to be 1.5 I would have had to miss my last 3 dosage right?

Once again I'm in doubt. Maybe my machine needs to be cleaned?

 

[Bina]

1) get a little pill box that holds pills for 7 days, doing it daily is a hassle and leaves room for error.
2) your little serving of beans with dinner won't do anything to your INR.
3) if you know that you forgot a dose the next morning....just take it then, or at least a half dose if you are not sure and are testing low.

 

[Freddie]

Thanks Bina, (I edited my second post)
but it was last night after supper I couldn't remember if I taken my reg. 5mg which should have been taken before supper.

So your saying to take a half dose now and my regular dose tonight and then test at the lab tomorrow?

I thought I was in the habit of filling my daily pill box every morning - life has just been too crazy lately.
Have to learn to trust the machine right?

 

[Bina]

Since I trust my machine, I would not go to the lab to verify the INR reading,
but with an INR of 1.5, I would be swallowing some Coumadin and getting a Lovenox shot at the ER.

 

[Freddie]

I wouldn't get no Lovenox shot until the ER took their own INR reading - such a hassle.

Now I'm thinking 'why am I so low'? nothing has really changed except for racking my brains on problems and decisions.

 

[Bina]

Yes, of course the ER will re-check the INR....and since you have a MVR it is especially important not to stay with a low INR.
Stop yakking and get going. LOL Or call your doc.

 

[Ross]

Take your normal dose plus half of your missed dose now and and do the same tomorrow or simply take your missed dose and your regular dose, then don't sweat it. It's all going to work out in the end anyhow.

 

[Freddie]

Okay, so I just took 2mg and I'll take my regular dose tonight - I know how important it is to stay 2.5

But still, I would had to have missed my last 3 dosages to get this low right?

Maybe I should go to the lab and get the 3rd degree from the doc, go to the ER for a shot and get on the famous ride again.

 

[Ross]

tis up to you, but I'd just resume as I said and not worry about it. You won't clot unless I tell you too.

 

[Bina]

Freddie, if I miss one dose I drop real quick, so don't worry that you've been missing doses.
You've been very stressed, so go fix yourself a paralyzer.
(a Lovenox shot won't change your coumadin dosing, no worry there)

 

[Freddie]

Sorry Ross, but I have to play dumb - my doc doesn't know about the machine so I best play it by "her" book.

Off to the lab, wait for their results, wait for the call from the doc, go get a shot and find myself on the roller-coaster ride.
Guess this will be the test to see how competent my doc really is.

See Yea All

 

[njean]

Anyone of any thoughts on this?

Fill your pill box as soon as you take that last day's dose!!!! Make sure to leave that last day empty when you refill your pill box.

You're much too young to have these memory lapses......leave that for geezers like me!!!!

 

[Ross]

Hon your going to have to take charge of your own care. Your doctor is about as clueless as my dental doctors are.

 

[Freddie]

Hon your going to have to take charge of your own care. Your doctor is about as clueless as my dental doctors are.

Well Ross, we'll soon find out on how clueless my doc really is.

I can feel it in my bones that the news about me having a monitor will be out in the open perhaps by the end of the day

Crap, I'm on pins and needles.

Oh yea, I did go to the lab - there and back in half an hour and the girls said they would put a note on my work order "ASAP and inform Doctor" all the blood work gets couriered to the hospital and I have always received my results within 3 hours, so by 2:30 -3:00 (my time) I should have the results and or heard from my doc. The we'll see what action she takes or wants me to do.

I don't think the ER would appreciate me going down there on my own and telling them what to do without a "doctors orders" paper/phone call - since no one around here is aware of the existence of home monitors.

I'm trying to take charge Ross, but sometimes one has to follow protocol with our health system.

Still say a prayer for me

 

[Freddie]

So what are the steps after you receive a Lovenox shot?
Do I continue these shots until I'm back in range?

I go so brain dead when I'm flustered.

 

[Bina]

The only time I needed a shot was when I was 3 weeks post op in 2005.
Hospital kept me on heparin for 2 days until I was in range, then sent me home with one Lovenox needle. No big deal.

 

[Freddie]

Guess I know where I'm going Lab results came back at 1.3

 

[Bina]

Bummer.....(that's why we like to be in the higher end of our range)

 

[Freddie]

Just waiting now on a doctor to call me back. Mine is gone for the rest of the day.

I wonder how long I've been this low?
I wonder if it's this new inhaler I'm using, although when I checked there was no interactions.

NOW I'm fretting