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I am a daily user of warfarin .I take 9.5 mg a day is that normal

branden profile image
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branden
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Hi Branden. Yes it is. Dose depends on what therapeutic range your are aiming at but also your own personal metabolism, diet, others medications etc. These days I take 7mg per day to achieve INR 3.0 to 4.0. It used to be 11 mg but now I also take a large daily dose of Statins which increases the effectiveness of the Warfarin and I have been on Warfarin for over 15 years which tends lead to lower doses needed in many folk's experience. I have known patients on 17mg per day and some as low as 4 mg per day so your 9.5 is not abnormal. The key thing is that you stay within your therapeutic range of INR!

Tipper profile image
Tipper

I take 9mg to achieve 2.5 to 3.5.

I think one's body mass may have an impact on the amount required too as I am a bit ...err... large!

mumknowsbest profile image
mumknowsbest

I agree with this, as long as you are in range, there isn't a normal dose as every one is different

Pete-1 profile image
Pete-1

Target INR of 3.0 range 2.5 to 3.5 usual dose 5.5 one day then 5.0 the next for 5 years. Dose needed if I cut down food intake then reduced.

9.5 is higher than I've heard of before but is presumably what is needed according to blood tests. I assume you have regular blood tests.

jokelly profile image
jokelly

Both my husband and myself were on Warfarin. He takes 5 mg to successfully maintain 2-3 INR. I took around 10mg for three months and still my INR would not rise above 1.6. In the end I grew unwell from such a dose, my hair started to fall out and my fingernails went chalky - so I refused to take it any more and campaigned for dabigatran. It was a battle but in the end I was pronounced Warfarin intolerant and given this new drug, which requires no INR testing or monitoring. It depends on how your body tolerates the dosage required.

olddodds profile image
olddodds

HI,

How long have you been on Warfarin. & why. ? Its quite normal when you first start taking warfarin , that your dosage may well be high. When your body system settles down, & you have a regular diet, you should find that your dosage will be reduced. But that's not to say that everyone is the same. It may well be that your body needs a higher daily dosage to achieve your INR target. If you require warfarin for a mechanical valve replacement, then you will be on warfarin for life. If you have another condition which requires you to be on this medication, then I would push your GP to have another form of medication, as there is new ones out there now which do not require regular check ups as you do when on warfarin.{needles etc}

If you have to stay on warfarin I would certainly recommend you to self test, of course once your INR level steadies down. I have been self testing now for some 6yrs.

Going back to your high intake of warfarin, you will find that many others who are on warfarin take a similar dosage to achieve a given target. My range is 2-3, & my daily dosage is 4mg.I am slim, & weigh about 11stone. & touch wood its always been within my range. But be careful, if you are on some other medication as well; for other problems, then these will have some effect on your INR.so make sure that your GP, or hospital who are who controlling your INR level that they are aware.

Good luck

Josh1984 profile image
Josh1984

Totally normal mate, I'm on 9-10mg a day and my dose is still rising. I've been on warfarin 1 year with regular tests and ill be on it for life (heart valve replacement at 29 years old)