Not all medical 'professionals' appreciate or understand the long half-life of warfarin. Some focus more on the total weekly dose than on trying to get the SAME dose EVERY day, so that the weekly total is where it should be. Now that you're testing (and maybe managing) your dose, your changes are probably more gradual (which they should be), so you're avoiding any major dosing changes that can have major impact on your INR. As long as you stay consistent with dosing -- and only modify IF there's a real reason to -- you should be in range most of the time.
Switching from Warfarin to Coumadin
- Thread starter hannahsmom
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hannahsmom
Well-known member
Hello,
Good news - INR was 3.2. Very good, however she did skip last Friday's dose due to having an INR of 5. We are checking again same time next week, so this will be the first full week she has on the current dosing.
She is currently taking 10mg per day with the exception of Sunday's - she takes 9.5mg on Sundays.
Fingers crossed we get another good reading!
Thanks again for your input!
Kelly
Good news - INR was 3.2. Very good, however she did skip last Friday's dose due to having an INR of 5. We are checking again same time next week, so this will be the first full week she has on the current dosing.
She is currently taking 10mg per day with the exception of Sunday's - she takes 9.5mg on Sundays.
Fingers crossed we get another good reading!
Thanks again for your input!
Kelly
pellicle
Professional Dingbat, Guru and Merkintologist
on another forum someone canulated themselves (eeek) and took some blood from their vein. They compared:
* fresh vein blood
* blood left in a syringe for a few minutes
* finger prick
and got the same INR on their Coaguchek XS
This makes complete sense to me. Fresh venous blood and capillary blood from a finger prick would probably clot at the same rate (although, to be fair, the meters are supposed to compensate for factors that may be in the skin and would cause clotting to begin more rapidly). The blood in a syringe would be of too high a volume - and not exposed to air - to do any clotting until it gets into the test strip.
(FWIW - the ProTime meters don't use the first drop of blood -- they discard that drop and use the next one, presumably to eliminate the factors that may be in the skin when it is initially incised).
(FWIW - the ProTime meters don't use the first drop of blood -- they discard that drop and use the next one, presumably to eliminate the factors that may be in the skin when it is initially incised).
pellicle
Professional Dingbat, Guru and Merkintologist
Yes, and much debate has been made about the effects of these clotting factors effecting test results. That they didn't is interesting to me.
Me, too. This should be pretty easy to validate -- even for mere mortals. The ProTime meters say to discard that first drop. Presumably, the blood that comes later will be more like venous blood.
I'm thinking that for anyone with two of the same meter, we could put one strip into each meter and wait for it to warm up. When the meter is ready for testing, put that first drop onto the strip in one meter, then a later drop - with fewer of the skin's clotting factors - onto the second strip and see if there's any (much?) difference.
This testing would only take a single incision, and if you can get enough blood for two drops, the testing should be fairly easy. (I may dig out my XS and, assuming that the XS and the XS Plus would give the same result with the same drop of blood, I could test the null hypothesis - that there really IS NO DIFFERENCE between first drop and later drop and the fifteen second rule may be more hype than scientific fact).
(I also have an InRatio and InRatio 2 -- neither of which have been used for months -- if I can dig both of those out, perhaps I can test on those devices, too).
If there's anyone else out there who would like to check whether first drop or later drop (after fifteen seconds) really produces a difference, I would certainly like to see this tested. (One thought -- many of those on this forum go to doctors or clinics who use the XS meter. If you have one, bring your meter and a strip (or two) and conduct one test on your meter and one on your doctor's meter.
I'm thinking that for anyone with two of the same meter, we could put one strip into each meter and wait for it to warm up. When the meter is ready for testing, put that first drop onto the strip in one meter, then a later drop - with fewer of the skin's clotting factors - onto the second strip and see if there's any (much?) difference.
This testing would only take a single incision, and if you can get enough blood for two drops, the testing should be fairly easy. (I may dig out my XS and, assuming that the XS and the XS Plus would give the same result with the same drop of blood, I could test the null hypothesis - that there really IS NO DIFFERENCE between first drop and later drop and the fifteen second rule may be more hype than scientific fact).
(I also have an InRatio and InRatio 2 -- neither of which have been used for months -- if I can dig both of those out, perhaps I can test on those devices, too).
If there's anyone else out there who would like to check whether first drop or later drop (after fifteen seconds) really produces a difference, I would certainly like to see this tested. (One thought -- many of those on this forum go to doctors or clinics who use the XS meter. If you have one, bring your meter and a strip (or two) and conduct one test on your meter and one on your doctor's meter.
hannahsmom
Well-known member
Good morning!
Fantastic news - INR from this week is 2.9. Again this past week was her first week on a regular dosing schedule. The current dosing is 10mg Mon-Sat and 9.5mg Sunday.
Feeling hopeful
Fantastic news - INR from this week is 2.9. Again this past week was her first week on a regular dosing schedule. The current dosing is 10mg Mon-Sat and 9.5mg Sunday.
Feeling hopeful
Good morning!
Fantastic news - INR from this week is 2.9. Again this past week was her first week on a regular dosing schedule. The current dosing is 10mg Mon-Sat and 9.5mg Sunday.
Feeling hopeful
Whata relief that must be. I'm glad they figured out what seems to be here problem and it was an easy solution
hannahsmom
Well-known member
Thanks Lyn. Yes I am very relieved. Knock on wood it continues.
I will keep posting her results to see if we stay in range and steadily.
Hopefully this works and others can reference this option if they are having issues staying within range.
I will keep posting her results to see if we stay in range and steadily.
Hopefully this works and others can reference this option if they are having issues staying within range.
hannahsmom
Well-known member
Hello,
We were at 2.3 yesterday so we are changing Sunday's 9.5mg to 10mg. So now 10 mg daily. Checking again next week.
Wish Hannah luck!
Kelly
We were at 2.3 yesterday so we are changing Sunday's 9.5mg to 10mg. So now 10 mg daily. Checking again next week.
Wish Hannah luck!
Kelly
Agian
Well-known member
With pleasure. Wishing you all the best.
