Synthroid and Coumadin

[JimChicago]

Just wondering what people's experiences with Synthroid and coumadin are. My PCP Doctor suggests increasing my synthroid dose a little - I plan to go slow with it since I've seen on Al's site ( www.warinfo.com ) that increasing synthroid will raise INR - just wondered about suggestions on how slowly to increase it - how often to check while increasing it, etc. Currently I'm still a little low on the INR side (2.3 today) so perhaps I have room for a little more syntrhoid anyhow?

 

[weekycat]

Interesting....

Interesting....

Hi Jim,

I can't exactly answer your question, as I'm no longer on Coumadin, (I was on it for 8 wks post-op), but I am on Synthroid, which I didn't start on until a year after my surgery.

But... what i find interesting, is that when my PCP excised the top of my scar a couple of weeks ago, I bled like crazy. I told him he was lucky I wasn't on Coumadin anymore, and he said, I was bleeding like as if I was!

So if Synthroid raises your INR... does that mean it may have blood thinning qualities? I only take 50mcg. per day of the Synthroid myself, which I was told was a low dose.

Maybe Al has an answer to this one

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Right on Jean! Your not at risk for a major bleed. But I would think about speaking to your doctor and coming off the medication before major surgery.

Individulas on just plain herbs have been known to bleed longer during surgery.

 

[fisher6476]

Here I was thinking how much I had learned here, then I learn how much i don't know. What is synthroid?

 

[JimChicago]

Here I was thinking how much I had learned here, then I learn how much i don't know. What is synthroid?

Synthroid is just synthetic thyroid hormone - synthetic T4 thyroid.
I take 88 mcg now which is also a relatively low dose - I wouldn't think going to say 94 mcg would be a big deal but with my fluctuating inr nothing surprises. Also I may be able to exercise more with a little more thyroid so that may have anindirect effect too.

 

[Guest]

I don't think that you should go slow with increasing Synthroid. This will just prolong the process. Take your new dose of synthroid and then test 5 to 7 days after you start. Adjust the warfarin dose and repeat weekly until you are in range for two weeks in a row.

It is unlikely that it will go high enough or stay high long enough to cause a problem when you use this system.

 

[Lorraine]

I take synthrod for an under active thyroid! I take .250mcg a day. I've been taking it for the last ten years, so it was always figured in on my Coumadin dosage. Really never had a problem with my INR going way out of wack!