Hi everyone, I have not been on here for a while, but still read all the posts. having up and downers on my INR I am fed up with the nurse saying we will take less this week or more this week. I have been trying for ages to change from warfarin to one of new drugs on the market. Now that the Welsh Assembly have decided to be a little more lenient, I may be able to change hopefully. I have to see Dr next week and discuss the position of getting my life back. I am now 74 and I want to eat and drink what I want from now on instead of being told to eat this, dont overdo the eating of that, be careful what you drink. Most of the things I love I cant have now or have to cut down on them. What I want to know is it easy to go from one to the other without side effects. I would just love to sit down in a pub and order a big plate of greens and a bottle of wine. I have not had a drink for over two and a half years because I am scared of the consequenses, sorry about the spelling.
Transition from Warfarin to a new drug. - Atrial Fibrillati...
Transition from Warfarin to a new drug.
Very easy change, your doctor or clinc will tell you, but let the INR come down and then pop the tablets....
BUT the bottle of wine might still trigger AF so be careful with that, however you can binge on spinach once you are on a NOAC.
Be well
Ian
I've changed from Warfarin to Apixaban without any problems. On the Apixaban leaflet it describes how to go about the changeover.
My EP changed me from warfarin to Pradaxa immediately after my ablation specifically because my INR was unstable. EP is in Liverpool but I live in Wales. They gave me 3 months supply in Liverpool and I was dreading a fuss at my local GP's thereafter but it was never mentioned and I am still on Pradaxa 2 years on.
When you consider the costs of INR testing and all the traipsing about the increased cost of Pradaxa is minimal. And it's so easy. Annual kidney check and that's it.
Good luck with it.
Hi Jennydog. I live in wales near Cardiff and was told that I could not be prescribed a new drug because of the cost to NHS. I have been on warfarin for nearly three years and fed up to the core with constant testing and visits to dr. because mt range is up and down like a yo yo. If I lived in England i could get them on NHS but Welsh medical centre not prepared to let them onto NHS. I am going to fight this now as I am fed up with being fobbed off.
When I went to pick up my first supply in Wales ( Holywell, Flintshire ) I did ask the Chemist if there would be any difficulty. She looked at me in a rather confused way and said " I don't think so, my husband takes that ."
I think that you should use " the unstable INR " as your main argument .also possible inability to get INR checks during travels.
The Welsh NHS seems to make up its own policies as it goes along. If it wants to save money than I will willingly give it guidance about how to do so. Things are not good in North Wales.
I'm sure someone on here was recommending taking a Vitamin K tablet everyday with warfarin. The argument was that then the warfarin would be adjusted to a standard amount of Vit K, and won't go up and down all the time, because a plate of greens etc will not vary the amount much compared with the tablet. This means you don't need to be so careful what you eat. Might be worth searching on here to find the post . . .
I posted on that subject some time ago. I take 90mcg of Vit K2 p.d. and it stabilises my INR. I can eat plates of greens, glasses of wine, etc without it affecting my INR.
I do have a Coaguchek and I test weekly. But really for me, warfarin is a doddle. But if anyone else is considering K2 I would suggest they do some research on it so they can understand its effects, the best type (I take MK-7), etc.
Hi, I changed over within a week if I remember rightly with no problem whatsoever.
Good luck,
Wendi
I changed too and no problems or side effects. You will stop warfarin for about two days until inr is below 2 and then start new drug. Discuss details of changeover with doctor/chemist.
Careful with the wine!
Goiid luck 🍀
Lots of useful advice. I've been thinking of doing this for a while. Let's do it together, Dottilind! My GP/Clinic have no problems with the change.
Hi Dadog, well i will keep in touch with you as to when this changoner will happen if at all. It is had to get the new drugs in wales. I will put a good case to Dr and take it fro
Hi I have just changed from warfarin to apixaban. My consultant in Cardiff wrote to my G.P. and bingo! As you know, i self tested on warfarin and was perfectly happy but my life has been so much more pleasant since Ive been on apxaban. I felt a bit nauseous for a couple of weeks and then was fine . Go for it!
Thanks Jane will do, did not know you were on it. How did alblation go? I told consultant I did not want it as not too many af only 1 in year and half. Keeping fingers crossed.
Hi Dot. Ablation didnt go at all well!! When they tried to pierce the septum between right and left atrium the needle went into the aorta wall instead so they had to abort the procedure incase there was bleeding as this could have caused all sorts of potentially dangerous things to happpen. As it was I was fine. The needle must not have gone properly through thank goodness. However the E.P. thinks it happened partly because of scar tissue from the previous ablation but also because my heart conformation is maybe a little abnormal and hence the aorta was more in the way than it should have been. I therefore can not have it attempted again so I have just accepted the situation and am getting on with enjoying the rest of my life while remaining on flecanide and thanking God that is still effective! I had to be given a massive dose of vitimin K to reverse the warfarin when this happened so he changed me to apixaban as it would have taken a while for my I.N.R. to stabilise again and my G.P. has agreed to keep me on it so every cloud has a siver lining. How are you now Dot?
I changed from Warfarin to Apixaban almost 2 months ago. I haven't had any untoward side effects,in fact have got rid of some side effects that I was having on Warfarin. Just a few days off Warfarin , INR down to 1.1 and then Apixaban. I have put alarm on phone to remind me to take it twice a day. It is lovely not to be careful with diet. Good Luck, Best wishes Kath
Hi there, Dottilind. Do pester your doctor because when you give up warfarin and change to a NOAC it can be like coming out into the sunshine when you've been in a long, dark tunnel. No INR tests! A constant feeling of being protected, no heading out of range and being kept on the same dose and sent away for weeks, no wondering what you should or shouldn't eat. Liberation! Choose what you like from a menu instead of crossing off what you maybe shouldn't have. Get your life back again!
Changing from Warfarin to Apixaban
Switch from Warfarin to Rivaroxaban
CHANGING FROM WARFARIN
Alternative to Warfarin...
