archkre
Well-known member
Dear friends: How do I know the weekly intake of Coumadin (the amount of mg. per week) I have to take to divide into 7 and get the daily dosage?
Weekly intake of Coumadin ?
- Thread starter archkre
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G
geebee
Daniel,
Just start from one day of the week (say Sunday) and add up the amounts you take for that day and the remaining 6. That will give you a weekly amount. That amount would be the one you use to make % changes if your INR is out of range.
To get a new daily dose after changing, simply add the 10 or 15% (depending on what your INR is compared to what it should be) to your current weekly dose to get your new weekly dose.
Divide by 7 and you are good to go. You want to try and take a similar amount each day but that may not always be possible based on the pills you have. Just try to be consistent. For example, I take 5mg on Mon. Wed. & Fri., 4mg on Sat. & 2.5mg the other days.
Hope this answers your question.
Just start from one day of the week (say Sunday) and add up the amounts you take for that day and the remaining 6. That will give you a weekly amount. That amount would be the one you use to make % changes if your INR is out of range.
To get a new daily dose after changing, simply add the 10 or 15% (depending on what your INR is compared to what it should be) to your current weekly dose to get your new weekly dose.
Divide by 7 and you are good to go. You want to try and take a similar amount each day but that may not always be possible based on the pills you have. Just try to be consistent. For example, I take 5mg on Mon. Wed. & Fri., 4mg on Sat. & 2.5mg the other days.
Hope this answers your question.
archkre
Well-known member
I thought it was the other way about, that you started with a weekly amount of mg. and then divide into seven!
Thanks
Thanks
G
geebee
That may be the case when you are just starting on coumadin (although I believe they start with a dose they THINK might work). Once you are on a dosage that gets you within range (or close to it), any adjustments are made from your current intake.Daniel Kreimer said:
Marty
Well-known member
geebee said:
They usually start young vigorous people at 5 mg/day or 35mg/wk and tune up from there using 10 or 15% up or down weekly total dose adjustments according to the INR. For older( like me) or sicker patients they start at 2.5/day-17.5/wk and tune up using the 10% up or down solution. My stable weekly dose is 19mg/week 2.5mg M,W,F, Su and 3mgm T,Th, Sa.If I came up with INR 4.4 in one of my weekly checks I would reduce my weekly dose 2 mg to 17mg or as close as I could get with 2.5mg and 3mg pills.If my INR came out 2.1 I would increase my dose 10% or 21mgm/wk, 3mgm/day.
C
ccrawford
I keep a supply of 5mg, 1mg and I have a pill splitter. With all of this, its pretty easy to get to any dosage level.
archkre
Well-known member
Marty: So you have Coumadin of different mg's. to make the different combinations!Marty said:
K
Karlynn
I have 5's and 3's. I take 69/week. 10/6 days and 9/1 day.
Al takes 6.5 per day, which equals 45.5 per week. He currently has the following strengths of Coumadin: 10.0, 5.0, 3.0, and 2.0. The medication comes in various strengths, see link.
http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/warfarin.htm
Just a concern, I hope you are not thinking about regulating your own anticoagulation like right away.
Blanche
http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/warfarin.htm
Just a concern, I hope you are not thinking about regulating your own anticoagulation like right away.
Blanche
I stock 5mg tabs and split into 2.5s as needed.
Stocking only tab one saves me a nasty $50 co-pay for another dose.
5 x 4 days + 2.5 x 3 days = 27.5 per week
Any adjustments are typically to change by 2.5 in a week - either raise a 2.5 to 5 or vice versa.
Stocking only tab one saves me a nasty $50 co-pay for another dose.
5 x 4 days + 2.5 x 3 days = 27.5 per week
Any adjustments are typically to change by 2.5 in a week - either raise a 2.5 to 5 or vice versa.
Randy & Robyn
Well-known member
Blanche said:
At this point, I would give it a shot and I am only one week postop. I feel more than capable.
They have me on 3 mg per day right now. Last Sunday and Monday, my inr was 2.2 which they considered in range. Yesterday it was 2.1. They did not change the dosage. I have another test tomorrow.
In my opinion they should be adjusting it up a bit. I can't see my inr going anywhere but down considering my activity level will go up as will my intake of vitamin k in my diet since I am eating more.
I would be more comfortable with a number around 2.5 right now.
Randy
archkre
Well-known member
The spirit of my question is : That 69 mg/week; 45,5/week, etc. you mentioned:
How did you get to that values: Did your Cardiologist arbitrarily tell you that number , from your PT_INR or what?
No , Blanche I am not going to control my dosage for now, I am just studying!
Thanks!
How did you get to that values: Did your Cardiologist arbitrarily tell you that number , from your PT_INR or what?
No , Blanche I am not going to control my dosage for now, I am just studying!
Thanks!
G
geebee
What happens is the cardio initially tries a daily dose, could be 5mg/day or whatever. Then, as your INR changes, the dose may or may not be adjusted. Once you are in range, the dose you are on is the one you stay with unless your INR gets out of range. The dose is different for everyone because each person metabolizes the drug differently.Daniel Kreimer said:
K
Karlynn
Daniel Kreimer said:
Daniel, at this stage of the game, I have no idea what dose I started out on years ago. It definately was smaller than what I'm on now (I remember sometimes taking only 5 a day - for me that's little). There has to be some sort of rule of thumb that they use to start you on it. Anyone having a valve replaced will be started on it while still in the hospital. Once they get you started and see what your first INR's are, then they adjust up or down using the table that most of us do.
Randy - I have no doubts that you will be able to successfully manage your Coumadin - testing and dosing, in short order. With the way you have researched all aspects of your valve issue, I'm fairly certain you will know more about warfarin management than most doctors you might go to for management.
Ross
Well-known member
Randy as you heel and become more active, the INR is going to drop, so you will be going to a higher dose soon. Just make sure that your eating what you like and as much of it as you normally do. You need to dose the diet you eat, not diet the dose of Coumadin your on.Randy & Robyn said:
Blanche said:
Blanche I take 45.5mg per week too. I have 1.0 mg, 4.0 mg, and 5.0 mgs and never have any problems tapering up or down. I really find it easier and prefer taking the same dose each day of the week. I never mind splitting pills to do it.
You should have a 'target'.
You should have a 'target'.
Daniel,
You should have a target range for your INR. You adjust the dose to hit that target... That's where your cardio came up with the number.
Good luck!
Rain
You should have a 'target'.
Daniel Kreimer said:
Daniel,
You should have a target range for your INR. You adjust the dose to hit that target... That's where your cardio came up with the number.
Good luck!
Rain
Betty:
When Al was having problems following his stroke, I asked all 5 of his doctors if it would be possible to have a daily uniform dose. They didn't all agree, but the PCP who regulates his anticoagulation and his cardiologist both agreed, so...that's what he does now. Since Al has always been in charge of his own medication, it made sense that it would be easier for a recovering stroke survivor to have the same dose every day. That has worked well for 5 years now. And, three of this doctors now suggest this to some of their patients.
Blanche
When Al was having problems following his stroke, I asked all 5 of his doctors if it would be possible to have a daily uniform dose. They didn't all agree, but the PCP who regulates his anticoagulation and his cardiologist both agreed, so...that's what he does now. Since Al has always been in charge of his own medication, it made sense that it would be easier for a recovering stroke survivor to have the same dose every day. That has worked well for 5 years now. And, three of this doctors now suggest this to some of their patients.
Blanche
G
Guest
I work dosing two different ways.
If people have enough money to pay for different strengths to keep the dose the same I agree with that.
However, most of my patients don't have money to pay for more than one prescription of warfarin, so we usually go with half doses etc using all the same tablet strength.
The average age of my patients is 70, and it seems to me that they keep their dosing straight more often if we use one strength rather than two or three different strengths of warfarin.
When I have had to change the strength of a prescription I have been told that it would have to wait until next month because there just wasn't any money to buy another prescription until then.
If people have enough money to pay for different strengths to keep the dose the same I agree with that.
However, most of my patients don't have money to pay for more than one prescription of warfarin, so we usually go with half doses etc using all the same tablet strength.
The average age of my patients is 70, and it seems to me that they keep their dosing straight more often if we use one strength rather than two or three different strengths of warfarin.
When I have had to change the strength of a prescription I have been told that it would have to wait until next month because there just wasn't any money to buy another prescription until then.
Marty
Well-known member
Different pills, different colors
Different pills, different colors
Even though I know it is no better, I take Coumadin at @ 70 cents a pill rather than generic at @ 30 cents a pill. I think it is because I am comfortable with the way Coumadin colors the pills. 1mg-pink,2mg-violet, 2.5 mg -light green, 3mg- brown, 4mg-darker green, 5mg- real light pink, 6mg-real dark green, 7.5mg -yellow, and 10mg-light gray.the only pills I buy are the 2.5 and the 3. I can make all the adjustments I need with just those two.
Different pills, different colors
Daniel Kreimer said:Marty: So you have Coumadin of different mg's. to make the different combinations!
Even though I know it is no better, I take Coumadin at @ 70 cents a pill rather than generic at @ 30 cents a pill. I think it is because I am comfortable with the way Coumadin colors the pills. 1mg-pink,2mg-violet, 2.5 mg -light green, 3mg- brown, 4mg-darker green, 5mg- real light pink, 6mg-real dark green, 7.5mg -yellow, and 10mg-light gray.the only pills I buy are the 2.5 and the 3. I can make all the adjustments I need with just those two.
