Feeling down

[Rienij70]

Good morning everyone. Have been awake since 5 o'clock.Feeling sorry for myself. Got a cold and sore throat. Still battling with my NRI level. Last Wednesday tested 1.6 so again warfarine tablets increased to 5 mg a day. Next teast Wednesday 30the. Just can't seem to get it right. Have been struggling since last March. Have spoken to a member of the team, and she didn't have an any ideas as to why. It sometimes happens she said. If warfarine is so unstable why do doctors put us on it. Sorry to winch but as I said feeling a bit in the dumps.😥

[PeterWh]

For most people it isn't a problem. Some of us have a natural intolerance to warfarin. I do. In the first six months I could get swings of 2.5 from one week to the next with no or very little change in dose.

What the Anticoagulation nurse had me do was stop all green vegetables and green salads and that helped and sorted and now pretty stable.

[Rienij70 in reply to PeterWh]

I think I will need to try something. Because this is getting beyond the joke. I already was careful with my greens. Might turn to fruit instead for all my 5 a day. 😊

[PeterWh in reply to Rienij70]

When you look at it there are loads of non green vegetables providing you like them (I don't dislike any).

[Rienij70 in reply to PeterWh]

Hi PeterWh I am like you I like any veggies, and fruits. But trying to investigate any possible reason why they have such difficulty to stabilise me. I came across an interesting note about mangoes, apparently they can be quite dangerous as they have a negative affect which is different in each individual. I never heard of that before. Luckily I still have some unopened bags in the freezer fruit medley containing Mango! My daughter is going to take them for her smoothies. It shows that unwittingly you could eat or drink anything that interacts. 😊 Rienij

[Rellim296]

Bad luck about the cold and sore throat and sleeplessness.

When it works well, warfarin is very good but what you write sounds very familiar to me! Most people get on really well on it and a few of us can't get it right however hard we try. It's very frustrating and undermines one's confidence. Do you get 'Oh here's our problem patient!' when you walk in for an INR test? And they ask if you have taken all your pills as if you haven't been toeing the line. Warfarin made my life misery and when I was switched to rivaroxaban it was like coming into the sunshine after being in the dark.

Is there a doctor at your GP surgery who has an interest in anticoagulation?

[Rienij70 in reply to Rellim296]

Hello Rellimm296, thanks for your reply. Oh how familiar your answer is. Have you taken every dose? Changed diet? Changed medication? NO NO!! I really wish I knew the answer, don't like to keep going for blood testing. As you sit in the surgery waiting area and pick up all the germs that currently doing the rounds. As to a doctor who can help me, there is a designated doctor on my warfarine form. Although he is not my designated GP. If there is no improvement soon, I might try to see him. ( another battle ). 😊

[Rellim296 in reply to Rienij70]

I'd make that appointment now as improvement could be elusive! For weeks I ate only the same veggies (sweet corn, beetroot, aubergine, onions, all the almost no vitamin K ones) to try and get my INR in range for four consecutive tests. My ablation was getting postponed because of INR dropping below range and I had to try to get stability. I only ate at home so I was in control. It worked in that I got four results between 2 and 3 but they were all different and one was almost too high and one was almost below. At the hospital four days after the final test (2.7) my INR was 3.4 but it didn't seem to be a problem. Why I continued taking warfarin for a whole year afterwards I don't know. I never got it right. Posts I wrote two years ago are one long moan.

[CDreamer]

Sorry you are so fed up, I think I would be as well in your situation - so you are entitled!

Colds can always make me feel miserable, hope you feel better soon and that you sort the anti-coagulants. This time of year is always a low time for me, especially after such a wonderful autumn.

Best wishes for speedy recovery CD

[Rienij70 in reply to CDreamer]

Thank you CDreamer😊

[Hidden]

Sorry to hear you are feeling down......it happens to us all, but having a cold 'n stuff makes it that much worse. Warfarin works well for many, but for some, it can be difficult to maintain a stable INR. Can I suggest you check out the NOAC option. They are easy to use, do not require regular blood tests and are not so sensitive to diet.

Many GP's are not keen because of cost issues, but if you cannot achieve a stable INR, it might be worth pursuing.

Hope you feel better soon, John

[Rienij70 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks John good idea.😊

[Dodie117]

NOACs are becoming more and more normal now and GPs more inclined to prescribe them. So see GP and PUSH. They are recommended by nice, in the long term probably more cost effective as no testing and probably safer.

Then you can eat as much greens as you like. Good luck 🍀

[Dadog]

Go for a NOAC....ignore any objections about cost. Your trips to INR clinic and results processing cost just as much if not more. Your well being, mental and physical, are more important than cost. Give it a go and good luck.