Sue

[Suemoylan21]

Hi everyone

My son has just had a mechanical valve replacement 8 weeks ago , he is doing very well but is now on warfarin for life which he is not that happy about as he is only 24 , very active and a great socialiser , just wandering if there are any other young people on here that have been through similar, he is mainly concerned about getting back into the social scene and having a few drinks , he has had 2 r 3 beers over the last week and no change to his Inr but how will he know his limit and what if he has one too many ( that's more my concern ) would love to hear some feedback

Thanks x

[BobD Volunteer]

This is a bit out of field for our members who generally have Atrial FIbrillation which is why they take anticoagulants. For us alcohol tends to be a no no due to triggering AF so we avoid. I do know that alcohol can affect INR so best be either regular with in take or not at all., Spikes may well cause changes in INR.

Out of interest if he has an artificial valve is he also taking aspirin or another similart drug as well as warfarin.

[Suemoylan21 in reply to BobD]

Thks bob he is only taking warfarin once a day

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Suemoylan21]

The amount or frequency is irrelevant. What matters is the resulting INR which for AF is normally between 2 and 3 with target 2.5. Target is usually higher for artificial valves, say 3.5.

[rosyG]

Agree wit Bob to avoid alcohol or have same amount each day.

He can self test if he wants to be really sure

[Suemoylan21]

Thks he is going to order a self testing system

[Gilldy in reply to Suemoylan21]

Hi - my friends daughter is on warfarin for life and she's 23. She takes a high dose to keep her inr in range but is very stable on this. She does not seem to suffer any problems with this and leads a full normal life. Not sure how much she drinks. I'll ask her mum. She's on warfarin due to clotting issues.

[Suemoylan21 in reply to Gilldy]

Thank you Gilldy, it good to hear something positive anything I have read so far about warfarin has been scary, I'm sure once he is used to it he can carry on with life as normal too hopefully x

[Dodie117]

Many people who have AF are moving away from warfarin and on to the newer anticoagulants. These are not affected by what we eat and do not need the constant testing. Not sure if they can be used for your son's condition but worth asking about as much easier to manage for a young person.

[Suemoylan21]

Thanks for your post the new blood thinners are not for valve replacements , hopefully they will be tried and tested in the future

[FyldeWhite]

Although not so young (at 48) I still enjoy the odd night out and my INR/ Warfarin intake has been stable for most of this year now. Your son needs to figure out his lifestyle as it will be personal to him but if I was him I would be attempting to live my life to the full while evaluating what was happening and adjusting where I needed to

[Suemoylan21]

Thanks alot sounds like good advice