Missed Dose of Warfarin

Treatment and medication
1

Hello All,

I have missed a dose will this help me get back to my target or completly mess up my INR ?

Thanks I have no idea.

Andy

2

Missing a dose will change your INR, maybe by a large margin. Contact your surgery and have an earlier than planned re-test. Don't take any unnecessary risks. INR too high and you risk a dangerous bleed. Too low and you are at risk of a stroke. 

3

You should be fine...my husband missed doses and it didn't make a huge difference to INR, so long s next dose is taken as usual. If you are worried go get a test...we bought a coagucheck machine in the end and did it ourselves...much less stress and no more going to hospital or surgery every few days

4

Thanks kindly for your reply the idea of getting a coagucheck machine is a great idea. Where do you buy such from ?

Regards,

Frank

5

I bought my CoaguChek online direct from Roche. Their back up team are excellent. If like me you are on Warfarin for life, there is no need to pay the VAT. My GP gives me a prescription for the strips you drip the blood onto, and the needles to fit the pricking device that comes with the machine. I e-mail the results to my nurse at the surgery and she e-mails the dosages back. Works very well indeed. I've done it for 3 years now. 

6

Put coagucheck into the search engine and it will come up...you buy them directly from the manufacturer.

It is so easy to use and means you never have to worry about missing a day at your gp or hospital. you can take it on holiday and everywhere.

They aren't cheap...but by golly...it made a huge difference to our lives. It paid for itself in lost work days in less then 6 months

7

Thanks kindly for your help, yes not inexpensive but I shall get one all depending on my GP advice. The lost time just sitting in a seat  to be called very annoying. So many thanks for your help.

Kind regards,

Andy

8

Your GP will try very hard to talk you out of it...they get paid for every warfarin test they do! Some also think us 'incapable' of sticking a lancet in our finger (diabetics do it all the time!!!). Stick to it and insist you are supplied with the lancets and the test slips on the NHS...Our life became pretty well normal once starting testing at home. If the INR too high lower dose for one go...if too low up a dose for one go...and re-test next morning...so easy. Kept constant test result for over 5 years.

9

I'd forgotten about the VAT...your right, we didn'y pay it either...saved £60!

10

Thanks so much I am going to see my GP in a few weeks I just hope she gives the go ahead for this !

Kind regards,

Andy

11

Thanks for that so there compelling  reasons to go for this now.

12

Wondering if you have any tips on how to get a successful reading using CoaguCheck device.   We got the machine and training from an anti-coagulation nurse just prior to an out-of-the-country trip.   The training went well and my husband felt confident, but now we are having trouble.  He is getting an Error 5.  Any suggestions?   We're almost out of test strips :-( 

13

All I can suggest is testing with a new a strip, can you contact the producer of this or maybe the nurse ?

Regards,

 

14

Error 5 means there isn't enough blood on the strip. I was advised to wash my hands in very hot water and stroke the finger to get blood flowing to the top. Also turn the fingerprick device up to its highest setting. Hold it firmly against your finger. If you can't see a large drop of blood, don't waste the strip.