starting warfarin

[cmjoyce]

Hi everyone. New here and terrified of starting warfarin. Has anyone had any problems in the first 30 days as I read in this time my Stroke risk doubles? Any help much appreciated

[BobD Volunteer]

Relax please. You will make your self more ill worrying than Warfarin ever could. Many millions throughout the known world take it with little or no problems. Sure there are one or two who may not react well to it but they are quite rare. If you are really worried why not ask your doctor about NOACs but remember they have no antidote unlike Warfarin. The important thing is to reduce your risk of stroke by whatever method and that doesn't mean aspirin.

Bob

[cmjoyce in reply to BobD]

Thank you so much. I am taking it you did not have a stroke yourself in the first 30 days. I just do not know how I could cope with this fear of the worst happening at the start. Do you know of anyone who did have a stroke when starting warfarin.

[cmjoyce in reply to BobD]

Thank you so much. I am taking it you did not have a stroke yourself in the first 30 days. I just do not know how I could cope with this fear of the worst happening at the start. Do you know of anyone who did have a stroke when starting warfarin.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to cmjoyce]

Sorry that story is news to me and frankly I don't understand the logic. However (and my English master always told me not to start a sentence thus) if we are talking bleed stroke rather than clot stroke then if you already have a potentially weak blood vessel then you are already a time bomb regardless of the Warfarin but I'm not a medic so what do I know.

Bob

[jennydog]

I had no problems at all starting on warfarin except for the vile taste of them. Take them with a huge swig of water.

I am now on Predaxa post-ablation because latterly my INR was unstable. I really do think that warfarin suited my digestive system better. The EP said that I was to take an antacid for 2 months with the Predaxa. I am not sure how my guts will cope after 2 months. I might well be begging to go back onto warfarin.

[CDreamer in reply to jennydog]

I found I had to take them after food and with a large glass of water. They need an acidic environment in the stomach to dissolve so you shouldn't have eaten any carbs such as cereals, bread or toast. Best to have a piece of fruit or a smoothie. If I stick to that rule I don't take any ant-acids.

[Wightbaby in reply to CDreamer]

Well I didn't know that and i have been taking it for over a year! I usually have mine with my evening meal...whatever that may be....!

[jennydog in reply to CDreamer]

Thank you so much. I will alter my a.m. routine to take in your advice and I'll try without the antacid. I only take that because the EP prescribed them along with the Predaxa. It is marvellously convenient not to have tests or avoid certain foods. I bought a pack of yogurts the other day and one was raspberry with cranberries. I ate it without feeling guilty.

[jennydog in reply to CDreamer]

Thank you so much. I will alter my a.m. routine to take in your advice and I'll try without the antacid. I only take that because the EP prescribed them along with the Predaxa. It is marvellously convenient not to have tests or avoid certain foods. I bought a pack of yogurts the other day and one was raspberry with cranberries. I ate it without feeling guilty.

[jennydog in reply to CDreamer]

Thank you so much. I will alter my a.m. routine to take in your advice and I'll try without the antacid. I only take that because the EP prescribed them along with the Predaxa. It is marvellously convenient not to have tests or avoid certain foods. I bought a pack of yogurts the other day and one was raspberry with cranberries. I ate it without feeling guilty.

[jennydog in reply to CDreamer]

Thank you so much. I will alter my a.m. routine to take in your advice and I'll try without the antacid. I only take that because the EP prescribed them along with the Predaxa. It is marvellously convenient not to have tests or avoid certain foods. I bought a pack of yogurts the other day and one was raspberry with cranberries. I ate it without feeling guilty.

[jennydog in reply to CDreamer]

Thank you so much. I will alter my a.m. routine to take in your advice and I'll try without the antacid. I only take that because the EP prescribed them along with the Predaxa. It is marvellously convenient not to have tests or avoid certain foods. I bought a pack of yogurts the other day and one was raspberry with cranberries. I ate it without feeling guilty.

[CDreamer]

Welcome.

Going on these drugs is scary, especially at the beginning but as Bob says, millions take them worldwide and it is important to be anticoagulated. Just because you have AF your risk of stroke increases, that's why you need the Warfarin. Do you know your CHADS-vac score? There is a link on the main AFA site so you can do it yourself.

Have you downloaded the leaflets from the AFA site? If not I recommend you do, I found them so useful and helpful when I first came here.

Ask away any questions, you will find help and support, even if we don't always have a direct answer to your question.

Best wishes.

[cmjoyce in reply to CDreamer]

Thank you so much for your help. I know I need to be on warfarin and it is not so much the taking it but I would love to know if anyone actually had a stroke within the first thirty days. I do not know how I could get through these early days just dreading the worst.

[Langara]

I had not read that ones stroke risk doubles in the first 30 days of starting Warfarin, and I haven`t heard of anyone who has had a stroke during this period. As BobD rightly says - don`t worry - that is the worse thing you can do. Take your Warfarin at the same time each day, or as close as possible, but don`t get hung up on clock watching. I find it best to take them after my evening meal with a nice cup of coffee ( decaff. of course!).

[Hidden]

I started on Warfarin 3 weeks ago and got in range today. Down side is weekly bloodtests and l have an unexplained rash on my body. Seeing Dermatologist today to see what is causing it. Apart from these l am happy with my choice. I was offered both tabs and warfarin and told 4,000 folk were registered with my hospital on Warfarin. I was scared initially; but l got very good back-up and help from the clinic.

Go for it and give it a try.

[rkoac1]

Warfarin takes several days to reach therapeutic level in the body. If stroke was considered to be a high risk for you, you would normally be requested to take Aspirin or Clexane injections twice daily until your Warfarin INR level has reached therapeutic level. Your INR should be checked daily by a GP (or yourself if you have a Roche Coagucheck device) to monitor changes in your INR level on a daily basis until you reach the desired level. Then you can stop Aspirin or Clexane. Ive been a Warfarin patient for 24 years and it doesnt need to be taken with food or anything. As long as you take it around the aporoximate time each day give or take a few hours its not a drama. I take mine at night after 9pm.

[rkoac1]

Oh and it usually should take only 3-5 days on Warfarin to reach therapeutic level. example, in my case my INR level needs to be between 2.5-3.5 due to my mechanical heart valve. It has taken me 4 days so far to reach 2.2 INR. Still taking clexane injections but I believe as from tomorrow it will reach my therapeutic level.

[Therealsue in reply to rkoac1]

Gosh. It took me 5 weeks to reach therapeutic levels of warfarin! I've also read that your stroke risk is increased in the early days of warfarin therapy, but if it was a major problem, then more would be written about it.

[Dodie117]

Not sure where you heard this?? Unless you have some complications that I do not have then you will not have a stroke due to warfarin in the first 30 days. In fact, logically the opposite will happen. Your risk of stroke will gradually lessen as your blood is anticoagulated.

Don't worry so much. As you can see from the replies on here this is very unlikely. Good luck.

[Hidden]

I started Warfarin a few years ago and not heard of any problems, but have read that about the first 30 days. Not sure where it came from. I was started slowly, then built up over a period of a few weeks. I don't understand why the risk would be higher for the first month. In any case, mathematically, it's double a very low figure based on that short period of time, so personally it didn't and still wouldn't put me off.

Koll

[cmjoyce]

Thank you to everyone. You are all such lovely people and it is a great feeling to be able to talk to people who have been there and know what they are talking about. All too often the doctors do not think we need to know anything other than just to do what they say. I myself like to have as much information as possible and thanks to you all I am beginning to feel a little less worried.

[rkoac1]

I still dont understand 30 days but Im not discrediting that it may take that long. I can understand it can take longer than 5 days to reach therapeutic level if you havent been loaded up for the first couple of days at a high dose like 7mg, then dropped to 5mg on the 3rd day then 5mg 4th day with an INR level taken on the 3rd and 5th days if you are not able to have it checked daily. But its is a drug that reacts differently to different people's diets and size. Perhaps your physicians arent loading you guys up in the first days of use in case of other complications. Therefore it will take longer to reach the desired level. But 30 days is a long time to get into the common therapeutic 2.0-3.0 INR range.

Out of interest, did your doctors start you guys at a higher dose of warfarin in the first couple of days? or start you off on small and then gradually build it up? this can mean all the difference in the timeframes it takes to reach levels.