My INR is lower than it should be at ... - Anticoagulation S...

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My INR is lower than it should be at 1.9 and should be between 2.5 and 3.0 do I increase my warfarin as this means my blood is too thick?

virgin543 profile image
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virgin543
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tk11 profile image
tk11

Talk to your anticoag nurse or gp about changing dosage as soon as you can. They might just make a small change for a couple of days to get it back up. Good luck

Pete-1 profile image
Pete-1

Don't you have access to specialists to give the appropriate advice regarding doseage adjustment and so forth?

Don't take cranberries and broccoli can interfere with INR as can eating much less or more than normal.

Hi virgin543. If you were an experienced, self manager of your anticoagulation and your INR had been low for more than one test then yes, you would increase your Warfarin slightly. Experience would tell you how much and then to retest not more than a week later. In all other circumstances you should talk to the healthcare professional who is managing your anticoagulation quite soon and let them advise you.

It is unusual to have a therapeutic range if INR of only 0.5 incidentally. It is more normal to have a specific target and a range which is plus OR minus 0.5 from this target, such as 2.0 to 3.0, or 2.5 to 3.5. Are you sure that you've got this right?

All the best

wrendarr profile image
wrendarr

Ask to be put on Rivaroxaban.

Tipper profile image
Tipper in reply to wrendarr

Not if you have an artificial heart valve!

olddodds profile image
olddodds

HI.

If like me & many others are on Warfarin, due to having a Mechanical heart valve, its important to keep within your range.As PBirt commented, its unusual to have a range like yours, are you sure of this. Ranges are usually 2-3. 2.5 - 3.5, maybe 3-4. The first thing to do is to inform your anticoagulation controller, hospital or G.P. They will probably increase your Warfarin intake & have another test in a week. Have you just started on Warfarin, if so, then your INR levels will fluctuate for a while before it settles down. Your diet, & any other medication will of course have a large part in your INR results. The main thing is not to binge on any one thing.As PETE.1 commented Cranberries are a NO NO, But having said that, i have had a small portion of Cranberry sauce occasionally at Xmas on my Turkey.As to Broccoli, There is no reason why you cannot have this as a regular vegetable in your diet. All green vegetables are usually high in vitamin K, which affects your INR level {thickens your blood} Liver is another one that is high in vitamin K. So having a regular diet is vital. I would recommend you do some research into the effects of medication & foods with people on Warfarin, But of course don,t panic if your level is outside your range. This is easy to say of course, as i have been that way a few times over the last 7 years.

I will probably get slaughtered for saying this, but if you have not got a Mechanical heart valve, & are taking Warfarin for another reason, then its not so important if your INR is occasionally outside your range.But having said that, its always important to oneself if there is a problem, regardless as to what reason.

Hope these comments help you.

mumknowsbest profile image
mumknowsbest

Hi

Keeping your INR in range is important whatever you have. out of range and you can have a stroke or a heamorrhage. the other reference here is to blood thinning or thickening. Warfarin does not make you blood thicker or thinner, what it does is affect the length of time it takes to clot. The blood stays at the same fluidity what ever.