I have a few admittance to hospital with chest pains. They thought heart attack, angina now it seems AF. Started on warfarin 3mg and sent home. Had blood tests and and as a result at the hospital I developed a very bad bleed in elbow due to needle, my reading of 7.6 which I was told not to take any more for a few days. That afternoon I was amitted again to a different hospital University hospital of Wales as I had moved to a new village. They really cared for me there and wer very annoyed to think a hospital could send home a 72 year old woman to take warfarin without prior knowledge of what to expect. They took good care of me but the pain was unbelievable and everytime it started up it was so great it started chain reaction of pains in chest and arms, more blood tests everyday to determine the amount of warfarin to take. As luck would have it it is on a stable reading now and going to the doctors for a needle in the finger is really reassuring and my stress level has dropped/ has anyone else had this sort of thing happen to them or is this a one off. My reading now is 2.5 and take tabs accordingly. Home in my new flat and arm is still painful but getting better, and hopefully all will be sorted out.
Scared of Warfarin.? : I have a few... - Atrial Fibrillati...
Scared of Warfarin.?
Hi Dottilind
Wow for 3mg to give you a reading of 7.6 is really unusual, but you are right they should have counselled you on the effects and how to take the warfarin before prescribing it.
I've had black and blue arms twice from incompetent blood taking on the first occasion it looked like I was wearing a black and blue sleeve from elbow to wrist but no pain with it and it faded after a few days.
The good news now of course is that your stroke risk has been cut dramatically with you now being in range so unlikely to happen again.
Be well
Ian
Thanks Ian for your reply, even now I cannot ever remember having pain that bad. The bruise is still all way up arm to shoulder and achec for hours, that is after three weeks so hopefully I will be back to naormal soon. Thanks agin. Dot
I was very unsure about taking warfarin - you hear some awful tales. But it has been so easy and the confidence it gives me is beyond price. I can't imagine not taking it now, especially as tests show that I can be having AF and I'm not aware of it.
I know that it doesn't suit everyone just as the tiddly little aspirin upset my stomach.
I have had nothing as terrible as Dottilind's experience, but have not got on well with warfarin. I may have mentioned this. However, I did warm to it when I eventually got slap bang in the middle of the therapeutic range.
It was a nice feeling of security, while it lasted, very nice indeed, but I don't feel warfarin is for me.
I do now know, thanks to this forum and to Bob in particular, that I need an anticoagulant.
Hi Rellim296
I've been on 1x 20mg tablet of Rivaroxaban per night for 5 months and have no side effects. I'm delighted with this. Maybe worth considering.
Edited above
Yes, thanks for this, Odinola. Good to know. I am feeling one of the novel alternatives is the best way forward. I think I will ask a question about what alternatives I have right now. Had to stay on warfarin for ablation two weeks ago.
Sounds like your dose was simply too high Dottilind. I can't remember what they started me on, but I certainly had 1mg pills to take, still got them. I met a guy at the Patients Day last year who was on 1mg a day. I'm on 8 so we all differ a great deal.
Koll
Koll.
Do you ever get fed up taking these Warfrian tablets one by one or two as a time ! I take 5 in the evening along with my Statin, Beta Blocker taken in the morning just think when we are 95 we shall still be taking this Meds !
I used to take my Warfrian in the mornings was told to take them in the evenings with my Statin, it was pointed out we need our Beta Blockers in the day when out and about,we do not need I think to have our hearts to slow down all night its needed more in the day time. just a thought.
Like you I have 1 mg tablets to take.
Have a nice day did you change your clock ?
Christo
Yes Christo, I've got a pill box and I can't get much more in it !!!! Warfarin, rhythm control, and statin. Forgot my rhythm control pill this morning, haven't noticed any difference so might try stopping them after we've finished lambing.
Changed my clock but only after I got up an hour late (or was it early?) 
Take the Warfarin with my evening meal along with the rest.
K
Hi Christo, I love the fact that you think that by continuing to take the prescribed tablets we will live to 95. That's what I call positive thinking, keep the good work up.
By the way I lost an hour this morning, if you find it would you send it back to me.
Phyl.
Hi everyone,
So sorry to hear about your horrible experience Dottilind, I can see how that would put you off but it sounds like a hospital problem rather than the warfarin, they should have advised you and obviously didn't. I hope now you're in range things will settle down and your pain will fade, and you'll be protected against stroke at any rate. They do warfarin in more than 1mg tablets Christo, there's a pink 5mg one, ask your doctor, you could be taking one tablet instead of five! I'm on a nice rainbow of pink and blue Oh, and I did do my clocks but I feel a bit zzzzzz...
Lis
Yes, Christo, get a selection. I currently take 9mg two days a week (1 pink, 1 blue and 1 brown) and just the pink (5mg) and blue (3mg) the other days. Used to take me 10 mins to put them all into 7 pill boxes with compartments, but yippee, I have dropped 14 flecainide 50mg tablets per week.
They do look colourful, as you say Eatsalottie
Good morning all and thank you all for your imput into my scarey episode with warfarin. I now take 2.5 mg a night and have my next bloods on Tuesday so I am hopeing this has stayed put to the last reading and then I will be a happy bunny indeed. 0.5mg is a little white tab but today after 5 days I will have to take 3mg to make the 2.6 reading last week. What I would like to know is how everyones diet has changed. I do not smoke but I do like a glass of wine which is half and half with soda. Now I am told after losing my grapefruit to statins now I have to lose Cranberry juice. Also my favorite greens have to be cut down. Any feedback please?
Hi
I didn't change what I ate, oh apart from the Cranberry juice, but there was a consultant who at the conference who said we could have cranberry juice, but as it affected my INR I stopped it. Apart from that I don't do anything different. ~I was told in the beginning that as long as I didn't eat a whole plateful of broccoli or similar every day it was ok. just eat normally for you and the warfarin can be adjusted accordingly
Eileen
Good morning everyone, thanks for all our help on this site, they make feel a bit normal again and if my reading tomorrow is no higher or lower than last week I think my stress levels will settle down and I can carry on doing what i have to do in my new flat. At 72 it was hard and stressful moving but losing my lovely hubby two years ago I desperately needed a change. Would I do it again. Nooooooooooo
So sorry you had such a terrible experience with Warfarin, it does take some people a while to stabilise on the correct dose for them. I've had bad times over the years too, I was horrified after going to have my legs waxed many years ago, I was black and blue from bikini line to ankle and it's not an attractive look!! And my c-section scar was hugely painful with nasty haematoma's along the staple line, the pain was so bad I could hardly move let alone walk or care for a new born. But we live and learn and it all evolves into something we can live with. I take 7mg so am stuck with 1mg tablets which is ridiculous when they do 3mg and 5mg tablets but my GP just won't prescribe them for me, I end up taking 25 tablets every night and it's just silly. I hope you are on an even keel now and settled in to your new home xx
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