In Range at 3.1

[Guest]

My INR today was 3.1. 2nd time in 6 wks that I have been in range. My dosing last 7 days has been 42.5 mg. I am to hold at this dose for the next 7 days, retest next Wed and see where I am. She said if I am at 3.1 next time she may reduce my dose by 2.5 mg. I'm thinking leave me alone for a bit and see what happens, my range is 2 to 3. No harm in being a .1 over.

 

[Bina]

Louise, that is great news!!
And you are right, don't let them start micro-managing you if you are at 3.1
If you see things creep up over a period of a couple of weeks, then you can tweak it down a bit....but for now, that is a really good INR

 

[Rich]

Louise,
Many of us with mechanical valves use a range of 2.5 to 3.5.
Based on that I would not change a thing.
Better to be a touch high rather than too low.
Other things such a diet and activity level will also affect your INR.
Rich

 

[Ross]

My INR today was 3.1. 2nd time in 6 wks that I have been in range. My dosing last 7 days has been 42.5 mg. I am to hold at this dose for the next 7 days, retest next Wed and see where I am. She said if I am at 3.1 next time she may reduce my dose by 2.5 mg. I'm thinking leave me alone for a bit and see what happens, my range is 2 to 3. No harm in being a .1 over.

If your still 3.1 DON'T LET HER DO ANYTHING!
If your in range there is no reason to change a thing. She is trying to micromanage you to death and that needs to stop.

 

[Karlynn]

Good news Louise.
I agree if it's 3.1 or 3.2 next week, don't let her touch your dose. INR is not an exact science. You could test 2.9, and then test a minute later on the same machine with the same batch strips and test 3.1.

Her statement just 'shows to go you' D ) that she really doesn't know what she's managing. Either that, or she just likes seeing you a lot so is bound and determined to get your INR fluctuating again.

 

[Ross]

I tested 4.2 today. Am I going to blow up?

 

[Cooker]

I tested 4.2 today. Am I going to blow up?

If you do, I'm not cleaning it up

 

[westkane]

Sacred Cows, testing, and paradigms

Sacred Cows, testing, and paradigms

Even our health practitioners can't agree on what the number should be.....Cleveland Clinic says to be between 2 - 3, My GP and Cardiologists say to be between 2.5 to 3.5. I'm no doctor, but if I'm >2 and less than 3.5, I'm going to call it good enough, (no I am not a self tester yet, that seems to be a Sacred Cow for the doctors in my area. ) As the others have said, micromanaging can be a fallacy just based on normal day to day variation . I have actually started a control chart of my results just to see how much variation I experience ( yes I will remove special cause points, such as going on spinach binge). And compare it along with any dosage changes that I experience. (I am sure you long time experts have tracked it similarly.) I'll be curious what I see over a couple of months time.

Then it'll be time to challenge the Sacred Cow of the locals GP's thinking that self testing is a bad idea. Remember, Sacred cows make the best hamburger. But for now I shall leave my Dr's paradigms intact......

 

[Gail]

warfarin dose

warfarin dose

Hi all,
I was just thinking why is there such a big different in the amount of warfarin taken. I see where some of you take a really big amount and I only have to take 2.5 mg. per day. Just wondering.

Gail

 

[azpam]

A person is to take whatever dose will keep them in good INR range. It can depend on if you are a slow or fast metabolizer of coumadin. Fast metabolizers take bigger amounts,slow take low amounts. Also depends on activity level, what they eat,drugs they take,etc. I know someone who takes 25 mg/day sometimes,others might take 1 mg/day. Again whatever dose keeps you IN RANGE.

 

[Guest]

I tested 4.2 today. Am I going to blow up?

Nah, you have to stick around and help us 'plebes' I think that's what you all call us newbies.

 

[Ross]

I would say to the coumadin manager, "I'm not changing my dose for 3.1. I'll come back in a week, and we'll see."

Louise you may well have to do it like this. They aren't going to like it, but honestly, your manager would be nuts to change the dose for this INR.

 

[Guest]

I'm not letting them change my dose unless it goes sky high.

The way I've been metabolizing the coumiden, they'll probably have to adjust it upwards, I'm back to work full time next week. I will remember Psalmist and his first couple of weeks back to work. I will pace myself, work from home when possible, and hopefully everything will fall into place as it should. My employer is allowing me a lot of leeway (sp?) based on how I feel so I am blessed in that regard.

 

[Blanche]

Louise:

My husband's range is 3.0 to 4.0 because of other health conditions. Last week, his INR was 7.5. After adjusting his Coumadin dose, and testing 6 days later, his INR decreased to 2.3.

I guarantee you, he is just fine and he did not burst into a million pieces.

Kind regards,
Blanche

 

[catwoman]

Louise:

Tell your anticoagulation manager that you can replace blood cells, but not brain cells, if she says something again about reducing your warfarin dosage. Have her think long & hard about that.
If she were the patient, would she mind being a little on the high side as opposed to being a little low, and suffering a stroke as a result?

My husband was on warfarin for 7+ months after his MV repair, due to arrhtythmias from the surgery. His INR range was 1.5-2.0 (set by the surgeon). I struggled with the lab staff at our PCP's office to get it in range; their recommendations on dosage adjustments were too low. Finally they deferred to me, because our PCP is out of the office on Wednesdays, when they do all INR tests. (Thank heavens I have my own INR machine!)

John was up to 8.0mg daily to get an INR of just 2.0.

I take 6.0, sometimes 6.5, to get an INR of about 3.5-4.0. I'm 57, my husband is almost 62. We both eat a lot of veggies. John walks 1-2 miles daily at the college he works at. He drinks lots of fluids; I struggle to, so my INR is usually higher than it should be. Would have been interesting to see how much John would have needed to get up to 3.5!!
I'm glad he's been able to drop taking warfarin. He had an Rx for 5mg and was dipping into my 1's and 2's!!!!