Should I be nervous?

[kfay]

I don't get my INR checked for the first time until Monday. By then, I will have been on 5 mg daily for 5 days. I'm nervous that that will be too high of a dose. Should I take less?

Kim

 

[Cooker]

I have been on 5mg/day for three years, always in range .... everyone is dif

 

[Ross]

No, don't be nervous. You can't possibly go high enough to be in danger in that amount of time. The average starting dose is 5mg. Actually, I think whomever is managing you is doing the right thing by waiting a full 5 days before testing. It takes 3 full days for the first dose to show up in the INR test. Most test too early and start monkeying around with the dose too soon.

 

[Cooker]

No, don't be nervous. You can't possibly go high enough to be in danger in that amount of time. The average starting dose is 5mg. Actually, I think whomever is managing you is doing the right thing by waiting a full 5 days before testing. It takes 3 full days for the first dose to show up in the INR test. Most test too early and start monkeying around with the dose too soon.

Hey! ... What kind of crack is that?

 

[Ross]

Should I have said Babooning?

 

[Bina]

Kim, you should be okay, but don't miss that test.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

I agree with Ross. I think you have an excellent Coumadin manager. The more laid back they are (without being neglectful, of course), the better off you are. I take 7.5 mg every day and it keeps me in range, so you could even be low!

 

[kfay]

Well, you guys were right. I had no need to be nervous. After 5 days on 5 mg, I am only at 1.2! So, he raised my coumadin to 7.5/5 every other day. I'll retest on Thursday (they are closed on Friday and I leave for the beach on Sat.) I guess I'll need to find someone down there to re-test.

Kim

 

[Ross]

Sounds like someone knows what to do so far. That's a plus in the Coumadin world.

 

[jax]

i was started on 5 mg to get me in range then they dropped me down to 4 mg when i left the hospital i was in range and then dropped down as i became more active and started eating things with vitamin k in it. so i would say that 5 mg is good to be started out on. my doctor ended up having to double my dose twice last week and three times this week as i am still not in range but atleast it is starting to go back up and hopefully by monday i will be in range again.

 

[Ross]

Some people are hypersensitve to Warfarin and require really tiny doses, but they are not the norm. This is the reason for checking INR at day 3 for most people. I prefer 5 to 7, but if your newbie to anticoagulation, it's safer to test on day 3 and see where your at. Obviously, the full effect of all doses taken won't be seen then, but if your one of the few that is sensitive, your INR will be high by day 3.

 

[Bina]

I am not "the norm".....
Hospital started me off on 5mg and thankfully checked me every day cuz my INR went up fast and I needed to drop back to 3mg daily.
My current dose is 18 mg per week.