Hi, well I went this morning for my Warfarin control and guess what....it was still too low, I've now been put on Dabigatran (Pradaxa). I so hope this works out as I'm totally fed up with Warfarin, a complete nightmare. Anything I should know about this med? Any tips for making the transition from Warfarin to this? Thanks in advance !
Stay well
Avril
Smart move, Avril, to get away from Warfarin if you find it a nightmare. If your INR is already too low you may be OK to make the move at once. Is your pharmacist able to help here?
Hi, I've basically been told to just stop the Warfarin and start Dabigatran, so this evening I've taken my first one!! I feel like I've got my life back, no weekly trips for controls, I can eat a plate of broccoli when I want ...heaven!!! The only thing is that I might have to pay for it, it's €90 euros a month but my doctor has sent a form/request to the Medical Inspector and she's quite hopeful that it will be paid for. The problem is the criteria for changing to NOACS, 1st is over 65, diabetic , high blood pressure, (I don't tick any of these boxes) the 2nd is the inability to maintain a normal INR, I fall into this category so I hope I'm lucky, I'll know next Thursday. But to be honest if I don't manage to get the subsidy I'll still pay for it, I seriously think it's worth it even though it's a lot of money.
Stay well
Avril
I would give up all sorts of things willingly if I had to pay for a NOAC as the improvement to one's life, compared to the misery and frustrations of Warfarin, is huge and it would be well worth it. Good luck!
Thank you so much, I'm sure that over the course of the next few weeks I'll come to realise just how my life is changing.
Stay well Rellim296
Avril
I'm afraid that you've really lost me on this one.
I have a very real reluctance to injest pharmasutical products but accept that warfarin is probably a necessary evil. I have had no reaction to taking warfarin. My weekly visits to the INR clinic lasted for 3 weeks and I am now down to monthlies. I eat and drink what ever I like, including broccoli, and know that if some idiot car driver wipes me out when I am riding my motorbike or bicycle I can have an injection which will instantly reverse the anti-coagulant effect of warfarin.
Am I just lucky or, by not looking for problems I don't find them?
Just damned lucky!!!!
Hi, I think you're really lucky and i don't think people necessarily go looking for problems. I think it's wonderful that you've no problems at all. Before Warfarin I was on Acenocumarol, which is the most popular Vit k antagonist here, that didn't work as after a year of weekly visits they just couldn't stabilise my INR. They then changed me to Warfarin, after 4 months of weekly visits, this time to the hospital and not docs, they couldn't stabilise this either!! My Haemotologist came to the conclusion yesterday that there are some people who just can't tolerate these type of anticoagulants. I never had any side effects, it just didn't work. I had to write down everything I ate in the form of a menu to try and find a reason for it. So I started Pradaxa yesterday. It also means an end to the daily self administered heparin injections, I have such a bruised tummy! I am so looking forward to being free! So...one problem solved, now let's see if my AFib will stay away!!!!!!!
Stay well
Avril
Where are you that Acenocumarol is the most popular?
It was suggested to me by an out of hours doctor
In my area of the UK no one wants to prescribe it although it was suggested to me by an out of hours doctor when I told him of my joint pain when taking Warfarin. Indeed many doctors and (younger) cardiologists seem to be unaware of it.
I happened to meet a coagulation clinic nurse and when I mentioned it she said it is just because we know more about Warfarin.
Hi there, I live in Madrid and it's the most popular anticoagulant going by the Spanish name Sintrom, it's not used greatly anywhere else in the world except N Ireland I believe (that's what the Haemotologist said) and I also believe it's rarely used in the UK. If you mention Warfarin here many people don't know anything about it as Sintrom (Acenocumarol) is the standard anticoagulant.
Stay well seasider
Avril
Hi Avril
Warfarin, and Sintrom (Acenocoumarol) are almost identical both come from the same source and act in almost identical ways, the problem with both of them is the testing to get the INR to the right level which for some people (not all by any means) is harder. I am not sure why the UK uses warfarin, and Spain Acenocoumarol but I do know that warfarin is unbranded in the UK, completely out of any form of manfuacturers drug protection and the tablets themselves are very very cheap.
Be well
Ian
Hi Ian, you're totally right in that they are basically the same, both are Vit K antagonists. I think here they started to use it and the pharmaceutical companies jumped on the bandwagon and now it's very rare to find Warfarin here in Spain. It makes no sense to me as to why Spain uses one thing and the rest of the world use a standardised drug. Again , and this is only my opinion, I think the pharmaceutical companies here in Spain have a lot to do with it.
Stay well
Avril
The NHS indicative price for 100
Acenocoumarol is £4.62 and Warfarin £1.01 for 28 3mg tablets so not much difference.
How much is Pradaxa in the uk? Here it's €90.85 for 60 tablets 150 mg.
The cost to the NHS is £65.90 for 60 but will be more if on a private prescription.
Thank you!
No I am the same. Many people manage quite happily with warfarin as people have for many years. Only relatively a few people have problems but for them NOACs are a godsend.
It's definitely looking that way Bob, if there were no NOACS life would indeed be a misery for this of us who have these problems!
Stay well my friend
Avril
With age comes wisdom
I was put on Pradaxa immediately post-ablation having been on warfarin previously. I went straight from one to the other.. At first my stomach ached a bit but CDreamer advised that it needed an acid stomach. For some reason I had been given antacid tablets to go with the Pradaxa. Once I had ditched them I had no further trouble.
A warning, do not put a Pradaxa capsule on to a damp saucer. It will dissolve very quickly and release a vast quantity of tiny white balls which taste vile.
I am quite sure that you will feel liberated to be off warfarin.
PS you need to get your kidney function tested annually.
Hi Jenny dog, great advice about the kidney function test, I believe it was mentioned this morning but I'll mark that one down for the future. I didn't know about the acid stomach bit, good to know. And I certainly won't be putting the capsules anywhere near water !!!!
Stay well
Avril
Would be a problem for me as I take a PPI for acid reflux.
You need to get a kidney function test now to act as a baseline. I would also get liver and thyroid. My pharmacist said to get the first test at 3 months, then 3 to 65 months later depending on the first result. She also said better to get test done every 6 months as a year is a long time to wait.
Hi Peter, My thyroid gets done every 6 months as I have hypothyroidism, because of AFib, so that's well looked after. I will certainly ask for the kidney function test next week when I go to the docs, thanks for pointing that out!
Avril
And liver. It has a habit of playing up and being sensitive to changes in the body even if a drug does not directly affect.
If GP tries to fob you off just insist. The cost is so minimal.
Thank you Peter, I shall definitely look into that as soon as possible. Thank you so much. It's such a relief to get such good advice from this forum......I don't know how I lived without you all before!!!!!
Stay well
Avril
Age 60 warfarin hard with me INR difficult to keep in range after 3 yrs moved to Pradaxa at my request after chat with consultant. GP initially reluctant but did prescribe 18 months ago no problems and don't pay either
Hi frills, like me, aged 60 and impossible to get a decent INR! I hope I don't have to pay but here in Madrid the laws are totally different, fingers X!!!
Thank you
Stay well
Avril
I have been on diagibatran now for about a month. All is well though I find I need to take it with food as it can otherwise cause reflux and I think damage to your 'food pipe'!.
Ablation update
Angiogram update
Warfarin
AF and statins
