Does anyone have any experience or stats of the affect on INR (taking warfarin) in regards to stress - increases/decreases INR reading?

[pucc1n1]

[Lynneiow]

I can remember having a bad reading once (l can't recall whether it went up or down) and nothing had changed regarding my diet and medication, and this was put down to stress as l was going through a rough time. Maybe this should be considered a bit more, at the moment l am having hassle with the DWP and l dread to think what is happening about my INR.

[Hidden in reply to Lynneiow]

Yes, stress can have an effect on your INR reading and this was recorded in my yellow book once. A medical study has been carried out and this can be found at:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/119...

Hope this helps.

[Hidden]

Hi Lynneiow

I can't claim to have personal experience or stats but I can offer opinion and advice.

I believe that warfarin is very stable so far as emotional state is concerned so you really shouldn't have to worry about your INR changing directly due to stress or worry. The issue is what do you do with your stress and anxiety? If it causes you to have a drink or two more than usual or eat rather more than normal then these things can affect you INR. My advice is to try not to let worries about your INR add to your other anxieties, there is no need, but check your INR a little more often for reassurance and avoid that extra alcohol or added comfort eating.

Hope that helps but all the best

[Impatiens in reply to Hidden]

On the contrary PBirt - going through a divorce my INR was more unstable than usual and it is never stable but I thought it was medically accepted that stress along with dietary changes affected your INR

[AFman]

you find conflicting answers to this question however a 2007 review in Journal of Thrombosis and Hemostasis reported the following regarding mental stress and INR - "Mental stress can affect coagulation, although studies have found conflicting results."

[Lynneiow]

Thanks for the advice everybody - but no, I don't drink at all and l am a small eater anyway so food is not an issue for me. The only different thing at that time was stress. I suppose everyone is affected in different ways, maybe some can cope with stress without it affecting their INR and some can't. There is obviously no hard and fast rule on this, just a case of know your own body. I wish that l wasn't such a worrier, but you can't change the way that you are!

[BasThur]

Don't believe that at tall I been taking medication for 30 years, I gone through worry and stress through working, operations (the border line of life or death) its normal day to day life that a human has to put up with. Does not effect the test results at all, runny tummy may alter the INR rating "DONT BELIEVE" what you read check with your clinic doctors.