AF

I am to start taking Warfarin next week. GP was surprised when I went for medication check and I was not taking anythink to thin my blood or help prevent a stroke. I have had AF for 2.5 yrs. A bit concerned about Warfarin, but so many people take it so must be okay. Anyone suffer side effects.

[BobD Volunteer]

Been on it for ten years plus. Slight issue with brittle nails that is all.

Bob

[Hidden in reply to BobD]

Thank you Bob

[Dodie117]

Been on it approx 2.5 years and no problems. Biggest issue is testing but once target level reached I bought my own machine and do most of the testing at home. Also consider noacs. A lot of people are moving onto them and I am going to discuss this with my EP in October.

Start as you mean to go on. If you like to keep green vegetables in your diet do so at a reasonably consistent level and adjust your warfarin level to your diet and not the other ways round.

I'm sure it will be fine so good luck.

[Hidden in reply to Dodie117]

Thank you llyam.i cant get round the diet stuff.how does what u eat affect the drug. This is what is baffling me.

[Dodie117]

Im no medic but briefly vitamin K helps blood to clot and warfarin works against this. Spinach, broccoli etc are high invitamin K. If you do not eat these you are missing out on other vitamins and nutrients but if you do eat them you may need a slightly higher dose of warfarin. Most experts say eat them but be reasonably consistent (ie no greens for a week and then huge amounts of spinach is not the way to do it!) so have some most days.

There is a lot of info about this online so suggest you google it.

[PeterWh in reply to Dodie117]

There's a very good American website that list hundreds of things that affect warfarin by name and also the vitamin K value.

[Hidden]

no side effects, but prefer rivoraxaban for convenience.

[RobertELee]

Two and a half years without protection. Tut tut! Anyway it's sorted now, good for you. Warfarin is fine Rhetta and, if you take care, it will do its job effectively. But for many it's just so much hassle. All that monitoring, visits to the clinic for regular blood tests, ups and downs of the INR, watch what you eat - it goes on. This is 2015. There are alternatives. With the NOACs you simply take a pill and get on with your life. It just works and, statistically, even more effectively than warfarin.

It's good that you are now taking an anticoagulant - but it doesn't have to be warfarin. Having said all that, give it a go for a year and then make your own mind up.

[Hidden in reply to RobertELee]

Thank u Robert. In a way glad to b monitored cos no one has bothered with.repeat prescription for sotalol.80mg. The eating lark I can't get me round and I love me alcohol. Lol

[PeterWh]

For most people they are fine on Warfarin but some do have an intolerance / INR problems.

I am one of the unlucky 1% and my INR was swinging wildly from week to week and so they had to tell me to stop eating "green veg and salads" after a few months after I stared. Some of the old fashioned ones still say no greens but that myth has been dispersed. As both my anticoag nurse and the pharmacist (at medicine consultation review) said the key is to be fairly constant with intake on daily basis and not to binge. Very important in the two or three days before a blood test. By binge they meant no green things say on a weekday and then loads at the weekend. I was on a NOAC but on Warfarin because I had first ablation in March and on waiting list for next one. which should be soon.