What Time Do You Take Your Warfarin?

[terodac]

Having trouble with indigestion at night I think it is my warfarin. I am thinking I should take it during the day to deal with it better. What time do you take yours? My doctor just told me at night, not sure why? Thanks

 

[Philip B]

Meds

Meds

I take mine nightly at 8:00 p.m. My cardiologist recommended taking it late in the evening before bed. I'm sure he gave me some kind of rationale, but I don't remember what it was. He also recommended doing my cholesterol meds at night too.

-Philip

 

[corrineinwa]

Peter was having his at 8.00 p.m. too with his Lipitor at bedtime but since coming home from hospital, I've pulled that forward to 6.00 p.m. because he tends to hit the sack around 8.30 - 9.00 p.m. (he's an early riser).

 

[geebee]

I take mine right after lunch.

 

[Eva]

Having trouble with indigestion at night I think it is my warfarin. I am thinking I should take it during the day to deal with it better. What time do you take yours? My doctor just told me at night, not sure why? Thanks

My humble personal interpretation is that duriing the day one is constantly moving and thus the blood stays in good circulating movement ... so may be the chances for a clot is less!!!! while at night one is not moving so it is better protection.

Definitely I know the cholesterol should be taken at bed time because the liver is at rest and will absorb it better, even though my hubby was taking it for a long time in the morning and he was benefitting from it the same way.

 

[Cris N]

I take mine right before dinner. It's an easy reminder for me. Doctors like to tell patients to take it at night because if they need a dosage change the change can occur with that day's dose. This is really only important if you lab test. I self-test on Mondays after I come home from work... then calculate any necessary change and fill my weekly pill container. Then I'm ready to take my meds - including the warfarin with adjusted dose if needed. I don't think it really matters when you take if, just that you should try to take it around the same time every day. Ah, there's that consistency again!

 

[dick0236]

I always took mine in the AM while I was getting ready for work and I have continued the same routine in retirement. It makes little difference when you take warfarin, but be consistant. Once you establish a time, morning, noon or nite, stick with that time.

Docs like the afternoon or evening because that is after the normal INR testing time and they can make "same day warfarin adjustments". I have never had a problem taking warfarin before INR testing and making "next day adjustments" if needed.

 

[Bina]

I have a sensitive stomach.....my doc recommended to take my Coumadin with dinner.
So, it's taken at 6:30 on a full belly.

 

[Buffy41]

I was told to take mine at dinner time usually around 6pm

 

[catwoman]

I take mine at breakfast. Started at dinner, moved it up to lunch and it's now breakfast.

 

[COLLEEN S]

I take mine right at dinner. Easy to remember, plus the food helps since I have irritable bowel too.

 

[lcwhitney]

I don't think it actually matters what time you take the warfarin as long as the time is consistent.
Lettitia

 

[zipper2]

6 pm has worked well for me for many years,the very odd time by 10
minutes give or take,on those 10 min i could use an alarm on my 7 day
pill box but whats 10min? long as you take em

zipper2 (DEB)

 

[Faye]

My doc has me take mine at night, close to bedtime. He told me the reasoning is the platelets are more active at night.

 

[Ross]

It doesn't matter when you take it. Take it when YOU want too, but do it at the same time each day as Dick pointed out.

 

[BigOwl]

I had my first lab visit today (finally--what led up to it was something of a nightmare) and it was a tad low (1.7; they want it between 2.5 and 3.5), so the tech changed my regimen (which was 1 mg. every night at 5 pm) to 3 mgs. tonight, 2 tomorrow, and a couple of other fluctuations over the next week until I test again next Wednesday.

She suggested only two things about time: that I take it when I don't take other meds, and that I take it at bedtime and take my other meds at dinner (in other words, switch when I take them) and in the morning. She'd like me to have metabolized the dose before I get tested until I'm more stable (no appetite makes eating something of a chore). I really had no idea of how complicated this was going to seem when my head's still in a muddle. The discussion here is really useful.

 

[Freddie]

I really don't think its complicated BigOwl - try switching your time and see what happens. Only time will tell. But remember the more you do the more your dosage will have to be adjusted. It all takes time.

 

[catwoman]

I had my first lab visit today (finally--what led up to it was something of a nightmare) and it was a tad low (1.7; they want it between 2.5 and 3.5), so the tech changed my regimen (which was 1 mg. every night at 5 pm) to 3 mgs. tonight, 2 tomorrow, and a couple of other fluctuations over the next week until I test again next Wednesday.

She suggested only two things about time: that I take it when I don't take other meds, and that I take it at bedtime and take my other meds at dinner (in other words, switch when I take them) and in the morning. She'd like me to have metabolized the dose before I get tested until I'm more stable (no appetite makes eating something of a chore). I really had no idea of how complicated this was going to seem when my head's still in a muddle. The discussion here is really useful.

Not sure if your tech understands warfarin. She's making this much more difficult than it needs to be.
Your INR will be unstable for a while. You're recovering from surgery, you haven't regained your normal eating habits or exercise levels. That will affect your INR.

Warfarin is a slow-loading, slow-metabolizing drug. The half-life is 20 to 60 hours. Any change in dosage can take up to 72 hours before it shows in an INR.
Therefore, whether you take your warfarin before dinner or at bedtime or at breakfast makes no difference.
As long as you take it at approximately the same time each day. Note the approximately. You don't need to take it at 6 p.m. on the dot each day.

 

[tex]

I was told it didnt matter what time i took it, as long as it was the same time everyday.
Take Care,
Jane

 

[Ross]

I had my first lab visit today (finally--what led up to it was something of a nightmare) and it was a tad low (1.7; they want it between 2.5 and 3.5), so the tech changed my regimen (which was 1 mg. every night at 5 pm) to 3 mgs. tonight, 2 tomorrow, and a couple of other fluctuations over the next week until I test again next Wednesday.

She suggested only two things about time: that I take it when I don't take other meds, and that I take it at bedtime and take my other meds at dinner (in other words, switch when I take them) and in the morning. She'd like me to have metabolized the dose before I get tested until I'm more stable (no appetite makes eating something of a chore). I really had no idea of how complicated this was going to seem when my head's still in a muddle. The discussion here is really useful.

Oh boy, the cluelessness is strong in this one.

Doing things the way they are being done know will never stablize you. They'll never be able to tell what the correct dose is, when they do hit the desired range.