INRI after the vaccine

[Drizzt]

I have just had my INRI taken and for the third week since I had the Pifzer Vaccine my INRI was only 1.5 normally 3.0 or that’s my target. My warfarin dose is now double what it was before the Jab. Has anybody had the same problem? If so does it flip so in a week between test it could become to high?

[rosyG]

I’ve switched to Apixaban so haven’t experienced this but wonder if you can self test as I used to do you can monitor change as you are right to think it may go up again see what others on warfarin have found I know some self test so may well have answers

[BobD Volunteer]

The only reason my INR changes is if I forget a tablet or change other medication. Pfizer had no effect on mine.

[MarkS]

The Pfizer had no effect on my INR either. Have you been eating lots of green veg recently or changed other meds?

[Mrsvemb]

Not the Pfizer, but following the AstraZeneca my INR dropped to 1.8 but I was back in range in a week. The doctor who did my jab told me I must get my INR checked within 7 days of jab, so it’s obviously a known issue. Presume it’s similar for both jabs.

[paolina in reply to Mrsvemb]

It shouldn't really be similar as the 2 vaccines act in very diferent ways and must contain different ingredients.

[Mrsvemb in reply to paolina]

I agree that the vaccines both contain very different ingredients, but the common denominator is that they both work on the immune system.

[Tickerprobs in reply to Mrsvemb]

Hmm Mrs...My harpoonist asked me if I was on Warfarin and I told him “yes” but he didn’t suggest having an INR test. As it happens, I’m having a test on Monday (prearranged).

[Mrsvemb in reply to Tickerprobs]

When I went for my INR test I asked the nurse if there had been many problems, she said some, but not a lot. In my area they are advising an INR check within 7 days of vaccine.There are so many drugs/foods that interfere with the absorption of Warfarin, best safe than sorry.

[goliath123]

I have not had the Injection or Jab as you call it across the pond but I did have covid which I caught while in the hospital and since then which was in Dec. 2020 my INR has been messed up. They have been having to increase my dosage every time I go in for a check up. Don't know if thiis info helps or not.

[Tickerprobs in reply to goliath123]

Well Gol...No info is ever wasted. With a name like yours, I wouldn’t be worried about anything coming my way😂having said that the little fella with the sling and a couple of stones, soon put pay to that biblical character. Has your INR now settled and did the readings go low❓

[goliath123 in reply to Tickerprobs]

Yes the readings went low and they are still trying to get them up by adjusting my dose every week. My name may sound big and I am 235 Lbs. but I'm also 82 years old and lucky I survived Covid. I had A blood infection they put me in the hospital for infusions and 3 days later they discovered the gentalman in the room with me had covid, 9 days later I got it and am still having side effects from it. terrible.

[Tickerprobs in reply to goliath123]

Hey G...Sounds like you’ve gone and are still going through the mill. Unlucky to catch the virus that way. It must really annoy you when you hear the doubters and the conspirators spouting their opinions. GET WELL SOON AND TAKE CARE.

[goliath123 in reply to Tickerprobs]

Thank you have a great day

[Tickerprobs in reply to goliath123]

You too Goly. Chin up and don’t let it wear you down. Have a nice one. 👍

[Drizzt in reply to goliath123]

My target is 3.0 so dropping to 1.3 for two weeks then after adding 1mg per day only up to 1.5. I was not warned at all except that being on warfarin I may have more bruising around the sight. I will let you know what happens next week

[Lyndylan]

I had my INR checked about a month after the Pfizer jab and it was down to 1.9. My target is 2.5, so a bit low but not sure it’s connected. No one told me that I needed an INR check when I had my jab. Thanks for flagging this up, I will get a check after the second vaccine.

[ILowe]

You say, dropped to 1.5 from around 3.0. Now, figures much below 2.0 are usually hard to achieve. I know that from the old "heparin drip" when warfarin was stopped and I had to wait for it to decline so that they could operate on me. A cardiologist once told me this: If I ever saw that my INR was unusual, such as 1.5, I had to question it. Get another test, preferably a different lab, perhaps using a Coaguchek machine. My local surgery nurse told me that if ever I got an unusual result I could come in urgently and get another test since they had their own Coaguchek machine.

Assuming the 1.5 is confirmed correct. The dose/INR relationship is NOT linear. Doubling the dose will not automatically change the INR from 1.5 to 3.0 and is likely to shoot it much higher. In addition, and crucially, you have not established if the dip to 1.5 is a permanent trend or is simply a one off.

I am surprised your Warfarin advisor did not first try to boost the INR by using a few days of a higher dose, then continue with normal dose. This is safer, easy to do, and helps to avoid the dreaded swings. Also, in my experience, fasting, or even semi-fasting speeds the rise of the INR.

[Drizzt in reply to ILowe]

This was my third test two at 1.3 next week increasing the warfarin to 5mg per day from 4mg next week no change 1.3 increase to 6mg. This week both machine and lab test confirmed 1.5 increase to 7mg. No change in diet or anything else. The only thing they suggest is that it is the vaccine.We will see what Tuesday brings.

[Drizzt]

Thanks for all the replies. I have just had my latest check and it again has only gone up 0.1 to 1.6 dispite taking and extra 7mg of warfarin this week. Now on 8mg per day.

[Tickerprobs in reply to Drizzt]

Well Drizzy...Just had my first INR test, 16 days after my first jab and my reading is 2.3 on the Richter scale, so I must be firing on all cylinders. Hope yours levels out soon. 🤞