Driving and APS

[amy1808]

Do all of you drive ?? I'm finding first thing in a morning and teatime are a no go . Feel to sick and woozy head in a morning and just plain knackered at teatime after a day at work , my legs feel weak . Then when I have had my Warafrin and a bit of food I'm fine . I have to rely on other people which I feel bad about .😞

[amy1808]

O good that's what I'm doing , I know when I can't drive and won't , my consultant said no motorways or long distance driving . I can go to work and back and that's it and to friends but I'm being very sensible about it x

[amy1808]

I was told to take them at teatime !!!! Didn't know I could take at any other time x

[Yissica]

The reason generally you are told to take the anticoagulants at teatime/6pm is to allow the clinic nurses to adjust your dose from the venal INR blood test on that day. They all go home around 5.30/6pm and so will have called you with instructions in time!

clotcare.com/aboutwarfarin....

This is copied from above information sheet:

"Many clinicians may prefer that you take your warfarin in the evening. This is done so that on those days when your blood test is checked, the dose can be adjusted that day, if needed, rather than having to wait until the next day's dose. If it is hard for you to remember to take your warfarin at the designated time, discuss this with your clinician. It may help for you to take it at a different time of day or there may be other methods (such as a calendar or a weekly "pill" box) that may help you remember. "

So....As long as you take your warfarin dose regularly and within a 1 hour window each day then when you take it is irrelevant to the dose. Doses stay in your system for 2-4 days. The full dose is active within 4 hours of taking.

It's best to discuss this with your clinic but they should be understanding. I hope this helps.

[GinaD]

I take warfarin with breakfast because when I started on the drug, my children were home and involved with so many after school clubs and activities that breakfast was the only mealtime that was consistent.  My INR has been boringly stable so I elect to mstick with my doseage regime.  

 In the months after my strokes, I did not drive.  And in my case,  the stroke damage was in my visual cortex so I could not be so sure that what I saw was what was really there.   After a few months, I accurately saw the existence of things in the road but I sometimes miss-interpreted what it was I was looking at. Like the day when I thought a passing motorcycle rider was dressed up as Big Bird from Sesame Street, kneeling on his seat with one hand and one foot trailing in the air behind him.  Nope.  Just an ordinary motorcyclist with a colorful scarf, so my passenger said.  ( what would Freud say about this? )

But I was back to normal within a year and back to driving with no visions of Big Bird. I still use seperate reading glasses as the visual cortex hole can cause me to misread words -I see the word I think should be there instead of, at times, what actually is there.( such as seeing "door" instead of " dour." ) 

Be cautious and responsible and give it time. 

[Debbweb01]

Hi there! We all know when and when not to drive, I hope so anyway! I use to have vertigo too! Happy CRUISING! Godspeed