My husband was diagnosed as pre-diabetic a few weeks ago and put on the South beach diet. He has also been working 12 hours a day for the past 3 weeks and lifing weights at night. Because of all these changes he had his INR checked early and the results are in 1.5. He takes 7.5 coumadin 4 days a week and 6.0, 3 days a week. The nurse said to take 7.5, 7 days a week. This is not quite a 10% increase and she said to recheck in 2 weeks. I said no that he would take 10.5 1 day a week abd 7.5 6 days a week this is nearly a 20% increase and he would retest Monday. I called him at work and told him to take a 7.5 and split a 6 and take that for his regular dose. The nurse said her husband used to be on coumadin, I wonder if she killed him with her dosing skills. This has been a bad week, on Monday we found out his Mechanical valve is leaking more than last years echo showed. But,because he feels so well they will retest in one year unless he has any symptons. Did I do right on the dosing? We have 7.5 and 6 and I was trying to use those for his increase.
Husband INR 1.5-Did I do Right?
- Thread starter terryj
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Ross
Well-known member
What was his INR on the test before this 1.5? I'm getting a weird vibe that this was a bad test. According to my calculations, you did, but I'm worried this was a bogus test and if you increase him that much..........well he certainly won't be low!
He was 2.8, 3 weeks ago but he drastically changed his eating habits after the pre-diabetic diagnosis. He started eating more things with vitamin K and exercising alot more. I guess I would rather error on the high side than the low side. This is when not having your owning testing equipment really hurts. I am very upset with the doctors office with how this was handled. They left me a voice mail with the results and no instructions on what to do. I called and asked to speak to the doctor and the nurse called me back with the instructions. I had already figured out what to do on my own by then thanks to AL and this great site. The nurse did not even realize he had a mechanical valve until I told her.
Ross
Well-known member
If your correct, then I suspect he may still be a little high, but better that then too low! You can always titrate down.
Thanks Ross. I think so,too. If he retests too high on Monday he can eat more green veggies and we can start adjusting his dose of coumadin. I think we will be on an INR seesaw for a while until we figure this new diet out. We have been lucky the past 4 1/2 years and he has been fairly consistent. I am mostly so upset with the doctors office. I may have to stop by there and sit in the waiting room until they let me see the doctor.
Ross
Well-known member
Terry don't let it get to you. We all face the same things, well most of us anyway. Just get used to the fact that your going to have to do your own thing and be the advocate. That is all we can do and we do a better job of it then most Physicians do. It's really sad that it is this way, but it is.
G
Guest
Hang in there.
Sue:
Tell your husband good luck for me.
When I started on Weight Watchers nearly 2 years ago, my INR went up because I was on a low-fat diet and my fat intake suddenly plunged. Fats and oils contain vitamin K. And this INR increase was despite an increase in activity level, which usually lowers INR values. I tweaked my warfarin dosage until I got it regulated.
I've always eaten a lot of salad & other veggies that contain high amounts of vitamin K. The only Rxes I take regularly are warfarin & Fosamax (I'll be switching to Boniva next month). The Weight Watchers plan I follow is very similar to the South Beach diet: emphasis on low-fat meals -- whole grains, veggies & fruit, very lean meat (about 3-5 oz. max daily), 3 servings of non-fat dairy products, etc. If you haven't eaten a lot of veggies previously and you go to a low-fat diet, you are making a huge change in your eating habits very suddenly.
My mom's on insulin and has been able to reduce the amount she needs, thanks to losing weight. She also walks quite a bit now, either in her neighborhood or at shopping malls (she's a shopaholic). She just turned 79.
Just remember: The weight didn't go on overnight, and it won't come off overnight. However, it's easier for men to lose weight than women for some reason.
Tell your husband good luck for me.
When I started on Weight Watchers nearly 2 years ago, my INR went up because I was on a low-fat diet and my fat intake suddenly plunged. Fats and oils contain vitamin K. And this INR increase was despite an increase in activity level, which usually lowers INR values. I tweaked my warfarin dosage until I got it regulated.
I've always eaten a lot of salad & other veggies that contain high amounts of vitamin K. The only Rxes I take regularly are warfarin & Fosamax (I'll be switching to Boniva next month). The Weight Watchers plan I follow is very similar to the South Beach diet: emphasis on low-fat meals -- whole grains, veggies & fruit, very lean meat (about 3-5 oz. max daily), 3 servings of non-fat dairy products, etc. If you haven't eaten a lot of veggies previously and you go to a low-fat diet, you are making a huge change in your eating habits very suddenly.
My mom's on insulin and has been able to reduce the amount she needs, thanks to losing weight. She also walks quite a bit now, either in her neighborhood or at shopping malls (she's a shopaholic). She just turned 79.
Just remember: The weight didn't go on overnight, and it won't come off overnight. However, it's easier for men to lose weight than women for some reason.
Sue:
Another thing:
Everytime I talk with someone from my PCP's office, I always, always, always start out by saying that I have a mechanical heart valve & am on warfarin. The practice has a lot of patients and the employees can't possibly remember everything about all of us.
Another thing:
Everytime I talk with someone from my PCP's office, I always, always, always start out by saying that I have a mechanical heart valve & am on warfarin. The practice has a lot of patients and the employees can't possibly remember everything about all of us.
Marsha, I guess I was just so upset about the whole incident that I just assumed(stupid me) they would know why he was on coumadin. He has been going there for his INR tests every month or sooner for 4 1/2 years. They at least said for me not to let them put me to the answering machine when I call for his test resuts from now on. They gave me 2 names to ask for and said to tell them these are critical test results. My husband really does not need to lose weight he just has belly fat and when he loses weight he loses it in places he doesn't need to. So, the South Beach diet,along with the exercises is working for that.
Al and Ross, thanks for the encouragement. I get scared that as we get older who will handle all these issues. My husband told his co-workers he had to call his doctor(meaning me) to see what dose of coumadin he should take yesterday. I handle all the medical issues. Thank God, I don't have any and I am the 20 lb. overweight,don't exercise or sleep enough worrier of the family.
Al and Ross, thanks for the encouragement. I get scared that as we get older who will handle all these issues. My husband told his co-workers he had to call his doctor(meaning me) to see what dose of coumadin he should take yesterday. I handle all the medical issues. Thank God, I don't have any and I am the 20 lb. overweight,don't exercise or sleep enough worrier of the family.
Ross
Well-known member
Time to get him actively involved in his own care. Ultimately, it is he who is responsible for himself. 
Ross, I know that. But before we found out about his bicuspid valve he had never taken a sick day at work,over 30 years. He never even had a cold that required medication. So, this all was such a shock and I just took over everything concerning his doctor visits,etc. When we were at the cardiologists Monday my husband was telling the doctor how great he felt even if the mechanical valve is showing more leakage and he said his only problem is me asking him if he feels okay about 20 times a day. The doctor said that was my way of telling him how much I loved him and to just answer, yes dear, I feel fine. We've been married nearly 39 years and we take care of each other. He keeps me grounded when I am worrying myself to death about things.
G
Guest
The average age of the people I see in my clinic is 70. I see about 2 people per week who never took any medication until BAM ...
It is always nice when they have someone who cares for them and doles out their medication etc. However, when the "doctor" even spends one night in the hospital the person who has no idea about their own care tends to crash, too. I agree with Ross - time to get him involved in his own care - only exception is if he has dementia.
It is always nice when they have someone who cares for them and doles out their medication etc. However, when the "doctor" even spends one night in the hospital the person who has no idea about their own care tends to crash, too. I agree with Ross - time to get him involved in his own care - only exception is if he has dementia.
I am working on this and he is probably a lot more capable than I think he is. He is a group leader in charge of about 20 younger men at a major Fiberglas plant. Hes a electrical mechanic and they flew him to Calif. to see how their manufacturing plant was set up and now they are in the process of redoing the plant here in Ga. I wil work on this.
K
Karlynn
Sounds like the typical case of a husband letting the wife take over because the wife just feels she keeps better track. (...as I look at myself in the mirror ) It's hard to break away from the thought process that if you aren't managing the care it's not going to get done right. I think many husbands are more than willing to let their wives handle things like this because it gives them one less thing to think about.
Al and Ross are right, he needs to learn to take care of this himself, just because it's a good way to make sure all bases are covered and he knows what he's doing when the "doctor" is out of the office.
) It's hard to break away from the thought process that if you aren't managing the care it's not going to get done right. I think many husbands are more than willing to let their wives handle things like this because it gives them one less thing to think about.Al and Ross are right, he needs to learn to take care of this himself, just because it's a good way to make sure all bases are covered and he knows what he's doing when the "doctor" is out of the office.
Karlynn, I am sure he could take care of himself if he had to. He always thanks me for handling his prescription refills,doctor appts,etc. But, he does remember on his own to fill his pill reminder for work each morning and to take all 7 pills a day and he makes his own South Beach meals and snacks for work each day. Of course, I make sure I only keep these foods in the house. I promise to work on him taking over his care more. I guess I just assume I will always be here to do it for him. I guess I should also learn to do some of the things only he does around the house like the lawn,pool care,house maintenance.
K
Karlynn
terryj said:
Oh, you can hire those things out!
G
Guest
One of my aunts was a typical American woman until retirement. Then she and my uncle sold one car. She let him drive everywhere. When he died at age 80 she suddenly realized that she hadn't driven in 15 years and with the increased traffic she was afraid to try to learn again. She told me that this was her biggest regret in life.
