INR is 5.7

[Jackie]

My INR has gone from 3.4 last week to 5.7 today. The Anticoagulation clinic wants me to skip tonights dose of 5mg. I take 2.5mg on Monday and Thursday, the rest of the week is 5mg. Do you think skipping the dose tonight is going to be to much? She said for me to continue to take the same dose after tonight. Thank you for any and all advise.

 

[geebee]

Jackie,

I think you are fine with skipping one dose. That is probably the decision I would make if it were me.

However, I would try to determine what might have caused the increase because you want to make sure that is addressed as well. I would also have repeated the test to make sure the 5.7 was an accurate result since it was a large increase, especially if you cannot determine a reason for it.

 

[Karlynn]

What Geebee said.

That's what I was going to advise as well.

I home test and if I ever get a widely varied INR from my last test, I always retest. I also retest if it's above 5, just to make sure.

 

[Jackie]

Jackie,

I think you are fine with skipping one dose. That is probably the decision I would make if it were me.

However, I would try to determine what might have caused the increase because you want to make sure that is addressed as well. I would also have repeated the test to make sure the 5.7 was an accurate result since it was a large increase, especially if you cannot determine a reason for it.

Thank you geebee amd Karlynn,

I can't think of any changes I have made in food. exercise, or meds. This same thing happened about 8 weeks ago. after being 5.8, INR dropped to l.9 after skipping 2.5mg one day and taking 2.5 three times a week instead of 2 days. Have been taking 2.5 two days and 5.0 5 days for months except when it goes wacky.?????????

Could not figure out what the reason was then either. I did check it twice on the INRatio today and then went for a vein draw at the clinic. all three reading were the same, 5.7.

 

[OldNick]

Thank you geebee amd Karlynn,

I can't think of any changes I have made in food. exercise, or meds. This same thing happened about 8 weeks ago. after being 5.8, INR dropped to l.9 after skipping 2.5mg one day and taking 2.5 three times a week instead of 2 days. Have been taking 2.5 two days and 5.0 5 days for months except when it goes wacky.?????????

Could not figure out what the reason was then either. I did check it twice on the INRatio today and then went for a vein draw at the clinic. all three reading were the same, 5.7.

I've had two occasions since the first of the year when I had similar excursions, and I was never able to figure out the cause. The initial reaction is to over-correct. That appears to be the case where you dropped to 1.9 after a reduction of approximately 17% for that week. A smaller reduction would probably have done the job, without getting the INR so low.

Jim N.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

After a couple of FALSE High Readings on the Finger Stick Machines at my Coumadin Clinic, I've come to suspect a Bad Test Result whenever I seen an unexpected High Reading.

My Coumadin Clinic uses i-STAT finger test machines and from time to time they seem to give False High readings. I had two such instances this past winter. The first was at 5.5 and the Clinic has a rule that anything over 5.0 gets a Lab Draw for verification. The second was was 4.9 but after the previous experience only a few weeks earlier, they did a Lab Draw again. BOTH Lab Draws came back 3.2, right where I should be.

Bottom Line: Whenever you get an unusual or unexpected reading, ask for a Repeat Test for verification, either on another instrument or a Lab Draw (I always ask for a Butterfly Needle which feels like a mosquito bite or less).

'AL Capshaw'