INR result

[Rienij70]

Went for my blood test this morning, INR 2.5 very pleased with that, however when I phoned I was told the nurses hadn't yet decided on my dosage. So will have to wait until tomorrow, as my INR has gone up from 1.7 last Wednesday to 2.5 today, which is a lot. So fingers crossed they be able to advice me. 🙏

[Nannie-C]

 2.5 is a perfect level for a fib (ideal levels are between 2 to 3). I went up in a similar way and still on same dose now. Good luck with your warfarin journey

[Rienij70 in reply to Nannie-C]

Hi Nannie-c thank you for that information, I just wished that communication was a bit better. Having struggled for many weeks, feedback would be nice. 😳

[Annekw in reply to Rienij70]

All the more reason to try the new NOAC s I'm on Apixaban tablet twice a day,no need for testing! 

[Rienij70 in reply to Annekw]

Hi Annekw, I did ask my cardiologist about that as my sister is on them, but he said no. Stay on warfarine was his answer, he maintained that that was safer. Maybe Yes or maybe no. But when your INR levels fluctuate like mine have been doing than one must wonder what is going on.

[10gingercats in reply to Rienij70]

Aside from from medical reasons as to why anyone SHOULD stay on Warfarin.....it saves the NHS a lot of money and hospitals trusts are trying to keep their costs down.....

[PeterWh in reply to Rienij70]

Or lack of knowledge!!!

[Christo4 in reply to Annekw]

Annekw.

I  agree with that,I changed to rivoraxaban never looked back, plus for me safer.

Christo.

[Nannie-C in reply to Rienij70]

We are so lucky in Perth with a specific warfarin clinic in town, see a nurse or pharmacist, test INR, get result and new dasage plus new appoint all in one session. The clinic staff are very helpful and available for advice when needed. More areas should do this but any surely nurse seeing INR patients should always ensure they get their result on the test day for patient safety. Is it the surgery you go to? Perhaps a wee word with the practice manager would help improve system. It's a strange new world we are in !! 

[Rienij70 in reply to Nannie-C]

It certainly is a strange world. It seems to me depending were you live, what sort of system is used. Still that is not new, you here it often on the news, they call it the post code lottery. 

[PeterWh in reply to Rienij70]

Not even the postcode lottery.  Dependent on not only local CCG (aka Trust) but also can very considerably form one GP practice to the next in the same area.

[paulalex1313]

My INR is fairly constant within the 2 to 3 level and I am now on two monthly checks. These are done in the surgery by a nurse and the computer system they use produces the new dosage immediately they input the latest INR result. The whole procedure takes less than five minutes, so I don't understand why your nurse is waiting to decide your new dose. Does your surgery not use this very effective computerised system?

[Rienij70 in reply to paulalex1313]

Hi 10gingercats and paulaex1313 , I don't know what system they use my blood gets taken at the surgery, and goes to the hospital in Banbury. Which comes under the Oxfordshire Health authority. I would hope they have the latest technology. Just had a call 4 on a Sunday , 5mgr all the other days. Next blood test 20th April. So here we go again.😳

[seasider18 in reply to Rienij70]

In the main GP's want to be rid of INR testing as it so time consuming for them. My surgery has over a 100 patients being tested and it takes up Monday afternoon for one nurse and all day Wednesday for two. On top of that they have scheduled phone calls from housebound patients who have been supplied with machines.

In Brighton pharmacies now do all the testing and they send the samples to the hospital and next day phone the patient with result and any dosage changes.

[Dodie117]

Noacs probably more cost effective and better in general. 

When on warfarin I had my own machine so that made it easier especially as I was away a lot. Now on apixaban. 

[ILowe]

Back to the original question. Is a change from 1.7 to 2.5 a lot? Well, not at all. In addition, the figure is exactly in the middle of your desired range.

Time to get away from reliance on the health system for giving you the dosage. Diabetics handle their dosing routinely, and in some ways that is far more complicated. Time to take control.

Swings are normal for many people. Some people have wide swings on a regular basis, and they do NOT change the dosage and that is the right thing to do. So for instance, I once went from 2.2 to 5.5 and then stabilised, without changing the dosage.

If only people would accept wide swings as normal, and then NOT change the dosage, they would find they would stabilise eventually. I can show you with school level reasoning, that attempting to correct a pendulum can make the pendulum swing even greater.

If you are not sure, then monitor more often. Sooner or later most swings will go in the other direction without help. 

[Rienij70 in reply to ILowe]

Hi Ilowe, I am sure you are right, maybe it is just me that I don't trust all the chemicals that we have to take. I was always a firm believer that there is enough in your body to control your health. But I suppose as you get older things don't work the way they used to. A bit like a car really. Oh dear I am rambling another sign of getting older. Going back to the warfarine dosage, they want me to have another blood test next Wednesday. So hopefully it will all settle down. My AF started during my hip replacement operation, and had bilateral PE. For which I was put on warfarine for 6 month. Than had a period without. However than had three times blood clots after an AF episode. So have been put back on warfarine. 

May I say thank you for your support. Most people don't understand that AF and everything it entails can be scary. 

Kind regards 

[ILowe in reply to Rienij70]

Yes, it is scary. That is one of the best things about this forum, where questions and feelings are both taken seriously. I too get scared, puzzled, frustrated. Every time I do a blood test, it can be like doing a small test at school! Of course, because I take my own decisions, that can be frightening though I prefer that way to asking someone I do not trust. It is always reason to rejoice when the result is one I like.There are millions of people on Warfarin, and it is one of the best known medicines we have, and being on it due to AF is an excellent idea. As for having another blood test, that is usually a good idea. Above all, do not get stuck -- post again on this forum if it helps.