Reinforcing the need for weekly testing

[LondonAndy]

I test weekly & self dose.......

However, to qualify for my prescription i need to email my AC clinic

Today i was 3.0

The clinic advised me i need to test again in 10 weeks
It's solid advice from them and bang on with best practice

I need my AC clinic's ongoing approval too, but like you continue to test weekly, and adjust my own dose. 97% in range for the last year, and when I was out of range it was slightly high, so did not worry me.

 

[dick0236]

I test weekly & self dose.......

However, to qualify for my prescription i need to email my AC clinic

Today i was 3.0

The clinic advised me i need to test again in 10 weeks
It's solid advice from them and bang on with best practice

I don't know how you Brits define "best proctice".......but I would have a real problem accepting advice to go 2-1/2 months between INR tests.

 

[LondonAndy]

I don't know how you Brits define "best proctice".......but I would have a real problem accepting advice to go 2-1/2 months between INR tests.

I'm no proctologist, but I completely agree about best practice for INR testing being weekly. I have seen significant changes in my INR when ill, often before other signs of the illness, or on antibiotics within a matter of days.

 

[user 16827]

I would have a real problem accepting advice to go 2-1/2 months between INR tests.

me too DIck, absolutely , 10 weeks is poor advice
I posted this to show the professional advice i was given

I have read on this forum to "listen" to the experts

I have decided to ignore the advise & continue to test weekly
I think my Sarcasm may have been lost in the translation

 

[pellicle]

...I think my Sarcasm may have been lost in the translation

not on me mate (and Finns are even more sarcastic, sardonic and ironic than Australians ;-)

Its often said "which expert do you trust", to me the answer comes from wide reading, note taking and undstanding that the correlation of the majority of points and views allows you to triangulate in on a point. I think its a sad fact that most people never learned to navigate, and because of this don't understand what triangulate usually means (nor have they experienced being able to be self reliant with just the basic facts, to know where they are and how to get where they want to ... its all done with an app now).

 

[Protimenow]

15 mg a DAY? What was your dose before these wizards recommended a date for your next test?

 

[pellicle]

.... 97% in range for the last year,

well done Sir ... love the good news stories

 

[user 16827]

15 mg a DAY? What was your dose before these wizards recommended a date for your next test?

Same dose protime, i've been 15mg for a while now

Depending on my INR i adjust the food rather than my dose unless it goes too far off target.
Listening to this forum's advice about dose changes setting off the roller coaster i resist dose changes now
if possible and it seems to help my INR stability

I can't beat @LondonAndy but my rolling 12 month avg is currently 92%

 

[Protimenow]

Interesting. Some of us just require a higher dose. It's interesting that you adjust dose by adjusting diet.

The roller coaster occurs when you make large changes to your dose. Mine is usually around 7 or 7.5 per day. Small changes in dose mean small changes in INR. Now, if I was to drop to 5 mg or jump to 10 mg, and then try to make major adjustments to compensate for the not-unexpected jumps or falls in INR, I could make my INR 'roller coaster' around. To stop that damned roller coaster, I'd just go back on 7 or 7.5, and after three days, see what my INR is. KNOWING what your dose should be, and making minor changes, should keep your INR stable.

The roller coaster happens when changes are made too quickly - and often when you're just starting to use warfarin and it isn't clear WHAT your daily dose should be.

 

[user 16827]

It must be how our bodies metabolise the Drugs ?

Yes i find by adding or withholding certain foods i can tweak my INR in a more controlled
manner than by adjusting my dose.

I do dose adjust if needed though, but it's not my preferred option over the last years

 

[LoveMyBraveHeart]

It must be how our bodies metabolise the Drugs ?

Yes i find by adding or withholding certain foods i can tweak my INR in a more controlled
manner than by adjusting my dose.

I do dose adjust if needed though, but it's not my preferred option over the last years

Curious, what do you use to raise INR and what do you use to lower? I know a small bit about how foods affect INR, just wondering how you specifically handle highs and lows and manage since every body is different.

 

[user 16827]

Hi ,

I don't use different foods to raise or lower my INR i just eat more of certain foods or
remove those same foods from my diet for a few days that i know affect me.

There are the usual suspect foods but i only know my own bodies reactions and having 9
years experience so far i have fine tuned my INR

I have learned the hard way on many occasions ( large quantities of chamomile tea caught me out )

sorry for the dull answer but we all react differently

In the early years it makes sense ( to me ) to test weekly until you establish what affects you and how

odd things can catch you out as can the usual suspects like grapefruit juice, cranberry juice with some people, and Antibiotics.