How do you feel about Coumadin (Warfarin)

[lance]

I just started taking coumadin about the 9th of June after my surgery. I read some of the crazy situations members reported and thought surely that won't happen to ME. HA! I have been gradually increasing my dosage amount to stay within my therapeutic range and very quickly found I was running out. My script documented on the bottle said it was good until 6/9/06 BUT the pharmacy would not refill it because "I had used the amount dispensed too soon and my insurance would not approve it". When I pointed out the date on the bottle I was told "the order was for you to take 2.5 a day and you took more". Well, YEAH! At the time I was on the regular post op starvation diet due to lack of appetite. Not only did I have to take more later on, I spent 4 days on Lovenox to bridge me. How retarded is this? Do they do this to diabetics too? I had to call my physician's office and they said they get this thing all the time. It appears my own SURGEON doesn't know how to write the order to compensate for the dosage adjustments. I later got a message that they were continuing to have a problem with insurance. I have enough until saturday so I guess I'll just pay "whole sale" or commit a coumadin hold-up.
Here's the newpaper cover story: Registered Nurse holds up Walgreens Pharmacy for entire stock of Coumadin. Besides that I see it as a drug that preserves my quality of life and not much of a problem but there's also not much love lost between us.

DORKS are everywhere, even in the medical profession and your post proves it. They can be tolorated although not much appreciated.

Anyway if your warfarin prescribing doctor orderd 10 repeats of 100 tablets you'd be fine forever. You need this stuff forever, so what's the problem.

Keep your chin up.

 

[JimL]

I just started taking coumadin about the 9th of June after my surgery. I read some of the crazy situations members reported and thought surely that won't happen to ME. HA! I have been gradually increasing my dosage amount to stay within my therapeutic range and very quickly found I was running out. My script documented on the bottle said it was good until 6/9/06 BUT the pharmacy would not refill it because "I had used the amount dispensed too soon and my insurance would not approve it". When I pointed out the date on the bottle I was told "the order was for you to take 2.5 a day and you took more". Well, YEAH! At the time I was on the regular post op starvation diet due to lack of appetite. Not only did I have to take more later on, I spent 4 days on Lovenox to bridge me. How retarded is this? Do they do this to diabetics too? I had to call my physician's office and they said they get this thing all the time. It appears my own SURGEON doesn't know how to write the order to compensate for the dosage adjustments. I later got a message that they were continuing to have a problem with insurance. I have enough until saturday so I guess I'll just pay "whole sale" or commit a coumadin hold-up.
Here's the newpaper cover story: Registered Nurse holds up Walgreens Pharmacy for entire stock of Coumadin. Besides that I see it as a drug that preserves my quality of life and not much of a problem but there's also not much love lost between us.

Suggestion: Get the doc to prescribe two different dosages. I have prescriptions for 5mg and 6mg and balance them out to yield roughly 44/45 mg per week. Once a year I get two prescriptions, both for 90 pills with 3 refills each; really, that's a two years' supply each year. Of course, I only fill the prescriptions as I need them. The particular numbers (90 pills with 3 refills) are what the insurance company said was the way to go. This way, I never run out, and I can share some of my favorite drug with my friends.

 

[catwoman]

I was going to pick the last item, that I LOVE Coumadin. However, I didn't because of the very bitter aftertaste. YECH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Other than the Fosamax I take every Friday morning, warfarin is the only Rx I take.

Warfarin enables me to be alive today. I have a PCP who understands warfarin and allows me to home-test and adjust my own dosage. If I had to go to my PCP for INR tests, I'd feel a lot different, I'm sure. If my PCP didn't understand warfarin & heart valve patients, I'd see things differently, too.

CCRN:
Get scrips filled for several strengths of warfarin. Many of us have a couple of strengths, so we can adjust the dosage as needed.
I use 1's, 2's and 10's. I halve them to make just about any dose as needed. Each bottle can last me up to 6MO.
Much much easier than having just one strength Rx.

 

[RCB]

Boy, isn't this the truth!

Boy, isn't this the truth!

"DORKS are everywhere........."

I went from a mail order Rx where I got my scripts filled every three
month, when ever I wanted them, delivered right to my door. Now, I'm
on a Medicare card that is very cheap, but they won't let you order sooner
then 5 days till it runs out. Think no big deal? Last Winter, it was cutting
it very close because of the weather and the fact that I live in the contry, where the roads don't get plowed till the main road are clear. The program
is a lifesaver for me, but a lot of hassle. What are they afraid of? Black market rat killer sales.........Gheezz.........

 

[lance]

Nice idea

Nice idea

Black market warfarin--now that's a concept.

It may be cheaper, left in the mailbox over night by suspicious looking persons clothed in black, looking over their shoulders, coat collars turned up and wearing fedoras.

Totally hilarious! Wish they could find an avatar and post under the name "Lefty sent me".

 

[Rain]

I don't like Coumadin. I can't do some of the things I used to, I wish I didn't have

I don't like Coumadin. I can't do some of the things I used to, I wish I didn't have

Nancy,

This may surprise you.... but I don?t think coumadin is all that hard to live with either. Although.. the closer to a rocking chair life style the better... it?s all about consistent, consistent, consistent. The more consistent you are (about everything) the more stable your INR will be.

We can rehash what?s a ?big deal? and what isn?t all day long.....

As a person who ?ACTUALLY DOES TAKE WARFARIN?.....

Here?s a few of the ways it?s changed my life. I now need to monitor the INR, everything that goes in my mouth, amount of exercise, amount of sunshine, heat, doctors, bridging therapy, increased bruising, alcohol, amount of sleep, vacations to name a few. There are also some activities the good coumadin taker should not participate in.

I voted the one just up from hating it.

 

[Gnusgal]

I voted for it being "Just a mild annoyance" even though there are times when I hate it. I hate it when I have to do bridging before surgeries or procedures. I hate it when I end up with a hematoma or other major internal bleed (I think I'm up to three now in the three years of being on the stuff. And no, my INR was not high when I got them!). I hate it when my INR is low and I'm craving a salad, but I can't have one...

But most of the time I don't even really think about it. As a matter of fact, I probably don't think about it enough. I'm overdue for an INR check. I keep thinking "Oh, I should check that..." as I pass by my ProTime, and then forget to get a test strip out of the fridge... And I'm not really all that consistant in my diet. But I manage to stay in range most of the time.

 

[Nan]

Hi Nancy, I guess I am in the "love/hate" group with Warfarin. I voted that I don't like to take it. But I know I wouldn't be alive if I didn't have it!

I don't like it as it does interfere with my previous "self-care" with herbs etc and because I can't take Advil etc. for various aches and pains etc. I have also had some really bad hematomas - the worst was from hip to foot from falling down stairs which incapacitated me for several weeks . My doc was talking transfusion as she thought about 1/3 of my blood was in the contusion. Didn't have to have it however.

It is also a "pain" for other medical issues....I have sleep apnea, and would like to have a procedure done on my nose to reduce the turbinates and/or the "pillar" procedure, but the requirement for either heparin or lovenox and a brief time unprotected makes it unlikely that I will proceed.

But, it does keep me alive.

It is better than not having it!

Interesting poll!

 

[CCRN]

On Grand Larceny and Coumadin

On Grand Larceny and Coumadin

Thanks everybody for your suggestions. I was thinking about using the solution offered of having the order written for "5 mg, one to two tabs as needed". The two different scripts sounds better BUT the insurance company may find out I have two scripts of the same med and take issue with that as well. I got the situation straightened out in time. I also think part of the problem was an inexperienced pharmasist. The guy who finally got the script filled for me was very helpful and seemed more knowledgable about my predicament. I'll see if I can't get a stash built up just for "Dork" purposes. I was sort of excited about the possibility of a holdup. Sometimes this post surgery time is a little boring.

 

[Gnusgal]

The two different scripts sounds better BUT the insurance company may find out I have two scripts of the same med and take issue with that as well.

They shouldn't take issue with it, as they would be different strengths. After all, in order to get a 9 mg dose, you have to have 4mg and 5 mg tabs. Which means two scripts. (That's what I used to be on.) I'm sure they are used to it. Otherwise we'd have to be doing all sorts of strange cutting to get our perfect dose!

 

[Karlynn]

The two different scripts sounds better BUT the insurance company may find out I have two scripts of the same med and take issue with that as well.

This has never been a problem for me. It's never even been questioned. I think Dr's giving more than one size of Coumadin is standard operating procedure.

 

[catwoman]

I agree with Nikki:
Pharmacists know that warfarin dosage can vary from time to time. If you are mail-ordering your Rxes, the folks at the supply house will also know that. I've been mail-ordering mine for at least 18 months, never had a problem in getting several strengths. You need several strengths on hand to build a dose that doesn't come in regular strengths.

 

[CCRN]

In pursuit of Coumadin

In pursuit of Coumadin

I agree with Nikki:
Pharmacists know that warfarin dosage can vary from time to time. If you are mail-ordering your Rxes, the folks at the supply house will also know that. I've been mail-ordering mine for at least 18 months, never had a problem in getting several strengths. You need several strengths on hand to build a dose that doesn't come in regular strengths.

Right now it's not the Pharmacists I'm worried about but the insurance company. I think I will ask for two different scripts. If I had an extra script of 5 mg instead of just 2.5 I believe it would help the problem. I probably should wait till I start going strong with the rehab. I plan to be jogging and biking again, however slowly, on a regular basis and that will probably have an impact on my INR as well. Ha! Concerning the regular strength thing, can you believe one pharmasist insisted on average people on coumadin take 5 mg a day? Probably another close encounter of the "Dork" kind.

 

[catwoman]

I send in 3 Rxes for warfarin at a time to Medco Health. My insurance company has not said anything. My scrips say "Use as directed."

 

[McCln]

I just live with it and adjusted accordingly

 

[KathyH]

I home test, so the only change coumadin made in my life was to get a Medical alert braclet. I made sure I wear it when I go on my bike rides. I refuse to change my lifestyle. I feel so much better with my mechanical valve, that taking coumadin once a day, is really no big deal.
Kathy H

 

[KathyH]

I home test, so the only change coumadin made in my life was to get a Medical alert braclet. I made sure I wear it when I go on my bike rides. I refuse to change my lifestyle. I feel so much better with my mechanical valve, that taking coumadin once a day, is really no big deal.
Kathy

 

[Ross]

Bumping this old poll for the new mechanical folks to vote on.

 

[Cooker]

This is for those who actually take Coumadin (Warfarin), or have a loved one who does.

Nancy...great poll...This thread can give insight and information to those making the mechanical vs. tissue decision.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

I couldn't find a poll choice that was a perfect match for ME.

I need Coumadin to prevent Clot Formation from my Mechanical Valve.

Other than taking a pill daily and getting regular (mostly monthly) finger stick blood tests, Coumadin doesn't affect my life severely.

I don't use a Chain Saw as much as I used to, but still use Bow Saws regularly and they are SHARP.

I chose not to buy a Bicycle and don't ride motorcycles, but haven't done that for a long time anyway.

I even had an infected cyst excised while anticoagulated. That was *interesting* but my surgeon and I got through it with a 'stitch' and some cauterizing (twice). He only got one bloody coat but had to clean the table and floor a couple of times.

And I learned how to Self Inject Lovenox Shots.
Not fun but I managed.

Bottom Line: Coumadin has little affect on my daily life. It becomes more of an issue when "invasive procedures" are called for, requiring special thought about treatment methods. Sometimes it limits treatment options that Doctors would be willing to use for other medical issues.