INR control

[mully]

Hi don't know if this is of any interest to anyone ,but my INR has always been impossible to stabilize My heamatologist suggested taking a small dose of vitamin K and increasing the warfarin dose I didn't do this as don't want to be taking any more supplements, So I decided to massively increase my intake of vitamin K naturally (all the foods that I'be been told to restrict in the past) My INR is now stable, stays perfectly within range So obviously I've needed Vit K to the point where I'm supicious I've been deficient

[KerryA]

I eat food which contains Vit K as part of my normal varied diet, occasionally eating a bit more if my INR is a bit high. I also test my own INR on a fairly regular basis (more often if Ihave a cold or other illness which upsets thebalance) and adjust my Warfarin dose and or amount of 'greens' accordingly and so manage to keep my INR stable. Glad you've found a natural way to do it too.

[Sand1985 in reply to KerryA]

I’ve had a cold recently and my INR has raced up - is that what happens to you too? Are there any other illnesses that cause the INR to fluctuate

[KerryA in reply to Sand1985]

Almost any illness or injury, especially if it involves some inflammation, affects my INR. Sometimes it sends it up, other times down. The beauty of taking my own INR is that I can spot the changes very early and respond accordingly before it goes out of range.

When I was monitored by an INR clinic, my blood was only tested every 2-3 weeks, sometimes longer, so by the time I was tested (say when I had a cold), it was way out of range and the reaction of the nurse or doctor was to either give me a shot of Vit K (tastes vial) or stop my warfarin (once they did both!) which resulted in a drastic drop and made me feel awful and unsafe with an INR of 1.3 (I should be between 3 and 4). So I told them I would never take those extreme changes to lower my INR. They still didn't do my INR frequently enough as I'm sure I had significant changes sometimes within a 2-3 week block, taking me out of range (not always to a great extent), so it was always somewhat unstable. That's when I decided to buy my INR machine. It's been a Godsend and made my INR so much more stable and manageable including whilst on holiday.

[harrio]

Hi Molly, does vitamin k lower your inr?

[KerryA in reply to harrio]

Yes

[Sand1985]

hi mully - that’s interesting as I also recently did that and stabilised my INR. Which foods are you now eating that you were avoiding. I’m still a little hesitant to introduce some high vitamin k foods.

[GinaD]

I''m an English major. But when I first started warfarin it was in 1986 as the result of DVTs, which, in hindsight, were caused by uniagnosed APS. I was on wrfarin for a few years, thsen off, g then dignosed with APS in 2001 and have been on warfarin ever since. The first prescribing doctor had me come into his office twice a week for INRs. Although he at first told me to avoid vitamin K foods, after a while he told me to return to eating leafy greens every day. After a few more weeks he told me I was "one of those" who remain stable on warfarin when I eat vitamin K foods. That doctor has since left practice, though succeeding doctors have agreed that, at least in my case, taking K is what keeps my INR stable. And in the past 23 years I have been out of range only once -- and that was less then 1 point out of range.

[Madmumma in reply to GinaD]

What form of vitamin K are you taking and how much? I eat blueberries for breakfast every day.

[GinaD in reply to Madmumma]

Leafy greens -spinach, broccoli, salads, prunes and occasional blueberries in a breakfast smoothie. After having first sky high platelet counts 35+ years ago with DVTs , then TIAs and mini strokes even though platelet count had dropped to normal, , then a dx with a APS and warfarin 25 years ago, I have been APS symptom free. So, my diet snd warfarin doseage works for me. Why? -I think all this has to do with my childhood anemia and hunger. Hunger produces anemia and when red blood cell counts go dosn, platelet numbers go up. And given my sky high platelet numbers, it makes sense to me ( not a scientist) that my immune system would kick in to reduce platelets, bringing me to APS.

[jetjetjet]

HI M I have a very crazy PT/ INR i have to test evry 3 days . I am an APS Triple Positive primary person about a year and a 1/2 my hemo put me on vit K pill it is K2 as M-7 100 mg daily. This waas suppose to settle my erayic INR's BUT !!! not for MR Murphy here . it is just as off as ever i take anywhere from 3 to 8 and that is changed evr6yy 3 days after my blood draw at hospital . i cant use the finger test machine for this because i am LA positive and with me the results are way off and not consistent .so i go see my two VAMPIRES twice weekly yes every Monday and Thursday we have our Jab session /meeting and my arms look like i just came from a war zone . i have been doing this since Sept 1 2009 and my veins and arteries are hard -scabbed and tired like the rest of this old body.. here if any questions arise Thanks . Jet the living pin cushion

[nossib in reply to jetjetjet]

I can relate to how these tests can sabotage the veins in our arms. For some time now, I have a monthly finger prick test at ,my pharmacist who has a special machine that tells me my INR immediately and correct dosage. If too high or low, I am checked again during the week. Ask where is the closest pharmacist to you, with one of these machines.

[Madmumma in reply to nossib]

I’m also getting hard patches on my fingers from self testing. Not great.

[13131958]

Hi Molly,

Yes you have to have a consistent amount of Vit K each day to keep your INR levels in range.

You have to see what works for you and your body as far as the greens go each person is different to what there body will digest better I think.

There is a list out there that my nurse practitioner gave me to what is high and moderate and low in greens and other and how many micrograms is in each per cup or 1/2 cup. I am still learning this with my INR all over the map but slowly trying to figure this out. Not easy but eventually I hope to stabilize my INR once I get the portions figured out.

We are all in this INR party together and it is so nice to support each other the best that we can.

[13131958]

Hi

Sorry I called you Molly..

[mully]

Hi Thank you interesting to hear your experiences I just make sure I eat a good portion of broccoli every day