warfarin problem

[nemisis2]

Hi Julia and also Jobn, I will take your advice and take my usual dose which is one blue every day and half on a Sunday and will also up the green veg. I had thought that 3.2 or more was really high but I don't know that much about it. Have always wondered though why the clinic tell me I should only test when they tell me too, they were very emphatic about that, but I do normally test once a fortnight. Thanks again, Pauline

[BobD Volunteer]

Just to add to what has been said in your other post. A short term reading of 3.5 is of no consequence. Many people for other conditions have a target of 2.5 to 3.5 so your high is still within "normal" range. In fact the world expert on INR once told us at conference that anything lower than 5 was not concerning.

Regarding your frequency of testing I suspect this is down to limiting the number of test strips you are provided with if these are given by your local medical centre as they are expensive.

I have a slightly different conundrum in that at my current useage quite a few of mine will go out of date unless I decide to pop in a few extra tests. Come to think of it since I have just finished a course of antibiotics maybe I should do a quick one.

[nemisis2 in reply to BobD]

Hi, Thanks BobD, actually I have to pay for my own strips which as you say are expensive, it cost me £72 for 24 of them, but my surgery will not pay for them. All the best, Pauline

[BobD Volunteer in reply to nemisis2]

NICE guidelines are I beleive that CCGs should suport self testing.

[nemisis2 in reply to BobD]

Maybe I should tell that to my GP she says if I want to self test I should pay for it.

[MarkS in reply to nemisis2]

No, you should not have to pay. Warfarin even with weekly self testing is a lot cheaper than the DOACs, and when well controlled is just as effective if not more so than the DOACs. It's very annoying when surgeries make such an ignorant comment.

[DERLIN]

Hi, I have been on Warfarin for 10 years, and my INR usually tests out at circa 2.5. However, 2 years ago I developed an infection. My GP prescribed a tablet (without checking first) that reacted with Warfarin. After 2 weeks I developed several large bruises around my body, and eventually went to A&E. The first thing they did was check my INR. It was 24. They said it was a record and they had never known a result that high. They kept me in hospital and immediately put me on a drip of 1 Litre vitamin K (the antidote). I stopped the tablet my GP had prescribed and I recovered to an INR of 3 within 5 days. I had no other problems as luckily it was diagnosed quickley. But to concur with Bob, it just goes to show that if you have a blip and it takes your INR to circa 5, it is not a serious situation.

[nemisis2 in reply to DERLIN]

Thank you for that

[Chuyueling in reply to DERLIN]

😮😮😮 24...!! Glad you're recovered. Hope the GP was pulled up for that. 😩