What A Stable INR Looks Like

[olefin]

. Do you think you and I are, what they call "Angry Old Men":tongue2::angel:

You got it Dick, one of the nurses call me worse than that. :biggrin2:

Why do most of you appear to be testing weekly?

Bill, my first cardiologist wanted me to test monthly unless I was out of control and then he required test in 3 days or a week until in control. But after 7 years I moved to another state and my new cardio wanted to go to 2 month testing! I refused. He then agreed on monthly testing. Plenty times he wouldn't call for a retest when I was out of control. I'd have to tell the nurse I wanted to be retested. Then from Ross I found out that Medicare paid for weekly home testing. Switched to another cardio that's happy with me also doing the dosing. Good thing I was doing my own weekly testing and dosing while recently on a 2 week cruise. My INR changed from 3.5 to 6.1 in one week due to diarrhea. I like weekly testing, I make 1 to 2% changes when needed to maintain control.

 

[Ross]

Andy can you resize your chart to 640x480 and repost it?

 

[dick0236]

Why do most of you appear to be testing weekly?

I now normally test bi-weekly. Self-testing is so convenient, I find is easy and reassuring to test that frequently. I seldom change dosage anymore and I think the more frequent testing may be part of my INR stability. There was a time, many years ago and while I was lab(vein draw) testing, that I went as long as three months(with docs OK) between tests. I would be very uncomfortable doing that today. I could probably extend my testing time to once per month with no problem.

 

[ARGreenMN]

This is Andy. This is Andy on drugs (in 640x480 resolution for Ross & Luana, lol). I've been tracking my Warfarin dose (blue line) in the days leading up to each INR reading (red line). The "wild" swings early on were due to going on and off other meds that affect INR. My docs did a great job of anticipating the effect and keeping me between 2 and 3 the whole time. Now that I'm off all those meds except Amiodarone (for a few more wks), and my Amiodarone has been at a stable level for a few wks now, my INR is stablizing. As of today, I'm going to start going in weekly instead of twice a week because we're comfortable I'm stable enough.

 

[Ross]

Attempting to post a re-sized version (640x480).

Now this, I can see!

 

[Bill B]

Thanks for the explanation on weekly testing. I'd like to do home testing but I'll have to wait a few years until I'm on Medicare, if Medicare is still around. I'm pretty happy with monthly lab testing despite my needle phobia. I've found a phlebotomist who has it down to a science, so that's much less of an issue. Last result was 2.5, so I'm good for another month. I'm not yet totally sure how stable I am as I've had a few out of range (1.8, 3.9) for no apparent reason, but most are 2-3.

 

[Ross]

I'm not yet totally sure how stable I am as I've had a few out of range (1.8, 3.9) for no apparent reason, but most are 2-3.

Bill that could still be a very much stable situation. we all have blips now and then, for no apparent reason, which is why no one is in range 100% of the time.

 

[Gnusgal]

I'm a "bad" girl... I test when I remember and I report to no one, making my own adjustments if needed. *hiding*

 

[Ross]

I'm a "bad" girl... I test when I remember and I report to no one, making my own adjustments if needed. *hiding*

 

[Gail in Ca]

Here's mine the past few weeks, no dosage change, 45mg/wk.
2
2
1.9
2.4
2.5
2.7
2.5
2.5
My range is more tight, at 2-2.5. The lowest in 18 wks has been 1.8, the highest at 2.7.
I test weekly, Bill, because it is proven that INR stays better in range with weekly testing, and I have my own machine, so it all works well.

 

[dick0236]

Here's mine the past few weeks, no dosage change, 45mg/wk.
2
2
1.9
2.4
2.5
2.7
2.5
2.5
My range is more tight, at 2-2.5. The lowest in 18 wks has been 1.8, the highest at 2.7.
I test weekly, Bill, because it is proven that INR stays better in range with weekly testing, and I have my own machine, so it all works well.

Now that is a stable INR:thumbup:. You must be cheating:tongue2::wink2:.....do we have a winner?....going once.....going twice.....

 

[ARGreenMN]

Yea, I agree dick, Gail is the winner! Gail, same offer to you - I'll buy you a drink if we ever have a VR reunion

 

[Gail in Ca]

Yummmm....
I don't know why my INR stays quite well in range. Hey, maybe it's the dinosaur Protime machine, it's more accurate, yeah, that's it!!

 

[Bina]

Okay, if it's a contest.....here are my readings for 2010, January --July.....always in range.
NO dose changes at all, taking 18 mg per week.
3.1
3.5
3.0
3.2
3.2
2.7
2.5
2.9
2.8
2.6
The test results for last year are almost identical.

 

[Ross]

Okay, if it's a contest.....here are my readings for 2010, January --July.....always in range.
NO dose changes at all, taking 18 mg per week.
3.1
3.5
3.0
3.2
3.2
2.7
2.5
2.9
2.8
2.6
The test results for last year are almost identical.

Test every week. I bet your not in 100% of the time.

 

[drivetopless]

Such a competitive group . . .best INRs. . .best valve type . . .best chocolate type. . .best scar .. .

So what would the INR be of a healthy adult not on Coumadin? Is that a dumb question? Do you have to be on coumadin to test INR?

 

[olefin]

So what would the INR be of a healthy adult not on Coumadin? Is that a dumb question? Do you have to be on coumadin to test INR?

I've tested my wife one time when I didn't believe my monitor... her INR was 1.1, she is not on warfarin.

 

[dick0236]

Such a competitive group .

So what would the INR be of a healthy adult not on Coumadin? Is that a dumb question? Do you have to be on coumadin to test INR?

Very good question. Never really thought about it. A non-ACT person has a theoretical INR of 1.0, so their graph line would be a horizontal flat line, but if you have a "normal" person test to prove the accuracy of your machine, it probably will not be 1.0. It would seem plausible that the things that affect our "coagulation" would simarilly affect their "coagulation". Maybe one of the more scientific members will chime in.

This is why I like this forum. I don't have to go to the library to get good...most of the time....answers.

 

[Ross]

.9 to 1.2 for a normal person.

 

[Bill B]

I might win lowest weekly dose to stay at 2.5 (2-3) INR.

12mg