I have been told time after time that this thins your blood and will help with issues etc. But can they/us stop treating people like children. You INR tells you how quick your blood clots compared to an average person (normal) taking warfrin just slows this process down so that your blood takes longer to clot. It does not turn your blood from yoghurt to milk.
If we can not get the correct information out there to the patience then it just slows down the learning process of how to treat the problem.
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DanMorris
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Personally, I think it is the doctor's job to make certain a patient understands their medical condition. Patient education is part of the job. It's up to the patient to ask questions and go to the appointment prepared with good questions in order to get good answers. Doctors are not mind readers. Well, most of them arn't. We, the patients, have to take responsibility for our own understanding. Don't be intimidated by a doctor. Say, STOP, the very second you get lost in what he is saying, so he knows he has to back up to where you lost what he was trying to say. Remind him you didn't go to 12 years of medical school and that's why you're paying him. For his educated opinion. No more, no less. It's as much our responsibility to understand as it is the doctor's responsibility to make certain we do.
Just one woman's opinion.
Canary
Warfarin DOES change the viscosity of the blood, making it thinner allowing the 3 types of blood cells that makeup the blood flow easier. However, INR only measures the effect warfarin has on you blood as is related to vitamin K. The affect of Salicylates is one of the things that is not reflected in you INR but can cause you to bleed like a pig if too much is ingested regardless of how high you INR is. The ratio if white to red blood cells are also not measured by INR and can cause clotting or bleeding as can a low platelet count.
Warfarin is definately a blood thinner and has nothing to do with clotting. My doctor described it in relation to cream a full skimmed milk. An INR in range has your blood like full skimmed and the last thing you want is INR of 1 which is more like cream which at time is thicker in places than others. Not a technical example but I find it gets the point across when friends ask.
Warfarin is the main oral anticoagulant used in the UK (oral means it is taken by mouth). An anticoagulant is a medicine that stops blood from clotting.
How it works
The blood needs vitamin K to be able to clot. Warfarin slows the production of vitamin K in the body, which increases the time it takes for your blood to clot.
Warfarin helps your blood to flow freely around your body and stops any clots forming in the heart or in the blood vessels.
Thank for Soundman for that very educational link. That certainly does a thorough job of explaining a lot. And it's from a solid source that may be depended upon. Thanks again.
There is a product out there that " helps smooth platelet aggregation ",it is called " fruitflow" ,there are various delivery formats ,a fruitjuice called Sirco contains fruitflow (Sainsburys) is available.
Fruitflow is approved by the EU (Article 13(5) ),mention it to your doctor .
Gosh, very worrying! Firstly Danmorris I am with you all the way...and for the very reasons inbetween your post and my comment (some) INR is International Normalised Ratio and is used as a meaure of blood clotting time, it is not a 'thing' in the blood that makes us bleed more. People who need to take Warfarin (commonly known as blood thinners) have a tendancy to form clots within the body (APS also known as 'sticky blood'!) And the drug simply slows this process down. Hence, when we cut ourselves/have blood taken it can take an awfully long time to stop....because the blood will not clot quickly, not because it is 'watery' or thinner than someone elses. Not sure that what we call it is entirely important but at damn suree we should all know exactly what is what with our bodies and the way the drugs work for us. Hope you are all well x
I'm trying my best to ingest this information but my brain just won't let me ... so, I'm going to read this later when the brain fog isn't clouding my information intake ... :/
Just what I was told........heperin and warfarin...reduce the risk of clots, aspirin thins blood!! dont know if its correct!!?? plaquenil also thins blood.
Cami - Soundman's link explains a lot very well. Definitely worth the read and video. Best of luck to you. I think you're doctors will back an appeal with letters. I would call and request that be done as soon as possible. You're next call should be registering for school French or American if you have a computer it doesn't matter where you are. I tend to think you will have more organizations here to help you like Americans with Disabilities. A lot of universities have actual departments for the disabled. You qualify for a lot of help with your multidiagnoses. There are a lot of very wealthy people like the Vanderbilts who run completely charity teaching hospitals in Nashville. They have an excellent reputation and if they can't help they could probably put you onto another source who can. It's a daunting task to be sure, but being a former jockey, I expect you like a little challenge. Take this on as your personal challenge. Instead of wondering where I will be in a year; I would think Where will I be best off in a year.
May your pain be light and your heart even lighter.
Sorry can I digress just a tad but still on the same topic.......so why warfarin or asprin or heperin????? is the the difference in the persons severity? like I have not had a clotting event but deffo have aps so just aspirin. Or dependent of the medical person treating you??
My understanding of what i have been told is a normal INR is 1 they want my INR between 2.5 - 3.0 so I,m 2 and a half to 3 times thinner than a normal INR of 1, so people with a INR of 4 are 4 times thinner than a normal INR of 1,, That's how it was explained to me. Take care....Don
Sorry Don my fault, what I meant why do people have different treatments....is it dependent on their severity of symptoms? or the professionals treating them. I, myself only have aspirin and plaquenil but have never had a stroke so therefore have no idea of my INR as it is not checked on aspirin. thanks P x
Exactly , it is based on individuals severity of symptoms ( in blood tests ) . Some people do very well on the newer anticoagulants ( blood thinners ) e g Rivaroxaban /Xarelto . Some people not . Before my E P and diagnosis of APS, plus 20 mg daily , I was in a tired weary fog . No energy . My sticky blood was not making my oxygen circulate . I have been in negative on the blood tests. My Specialist was going to reduce it to 10 mg , but when Covid happened she felt happier at my age (71) to keep me on 20 mg p d . She felt until a lot more is known about exactly how it affects APS , if I was feeling so well , APS in negative . Just stay on the 20 mg . Now OMICRON being so highly infectious , I am even more glad to be on the 20 mg . Plus whilst the surge is on in the City of London , I am shielding , exactly as I did 20-21. Fully masked outside flat . Hand gels , hand washing , bleach wiping shopping . Contact surfaces. Wearing surgical gloves on buses and in supermarkets . I realise boosters maybe full vax , makes milder . New treatments . Due my age 70 /APS , the clot was in my lung . UNVAX Young people and older vax pple are needing hospital treatment and oxygen . I will not take any chances . If surge ends in Spring Summer I would relax and not wear a mask in non crowded place . At the moment I see many unmasked people in the street in supermarkets . (Even at its height of infectiousness) I find this shocking . I will stick to my PPE Shielding at home happily , until I see proof of safety . Call me paranoid . No problem . No longtime proof of how my APS which made a clot in my lung , will behave with covid . I will do my own way. I am not stressed . Any opinions or comments agreeing or not , are welcome . 👍😀
The original poster is right. Warfrin is an anticougulant and it dose not thin our blood.
I guess that's why they are called blood thinners?
The way Warfarin acheives its anticougulant effects is by reducing the effect vitamin K has on the blood's viscosity (thickness and flow). There is no other effect from warfarin as it relates to anticougulant except for thinng the blood. That is a medical fact.
I use nattokinase and serrapeptase.
The main aim is to get the blood to
flow more easily especially through the
capillaries and alvioli of the lungs.
This helps greatly with oxygen and nutrient distribution.
Aspirin is said to work poorly at capillary level.
Any blood thinner will work to some degree.
Lack of oxygen and nutrients to the cells causes fatigue.
The theory is that nattokinase and serrapeptase help to remove
Fibrin which "furs" up the capillaries and also thickens the blood.
Fibrin is also a main component of blood clots.
Inflammatory processes cause fibrin to be produced.
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This is my 1st post is their such a thing as a silly question?
Raised intra cranial pressure - is it a hughes thing ? 
Oh what a kettle of worms i have opened from the response.
