Warfarin

[worriedson1]

My Mum has been given 1mg of warfarin today for thinning her blood as she has an irregular hearbeat(even then the dr said it is nothing worry about) but when i handed in the prescription slip for the 1mg of warfarin and got the tablets back, NOTHING on the box or leaflet in the box says How MANY i am to give her per day..



So i stayed safe and just gave her ONE with her dinner..

Has anyone had any experince with this tablet????

 

[allylee]

Hi, Warfarin is usually only given once per day , but do check with your GP.Mum will need to have her INR (clotting levels) monitored whilst she is taking this drug so she should have been given a yellow warfarin book and an appt for a blood test.The dosage varies til they reach a therapeutic level which should have been set by the presrcriber. Hope that helps Ally

 

[jenniferpa]

You should call the doctor's surgery pronto. When it comes to wafarin you have to be careful not just about the amount and timing but also what foods you eat. All of this information should have been provided to you.

 

[dingly]

warfarin- 1mg is brown, 3mg blue, 5mg pink. Dosage changes on INR results /blood tests. Maybe thats why pack doesn't state '1 tablet daily'. Hope this helps but contact pharmacy/GP. x

 

[Sue J]

My Mum has been given 1mg of warfarin today for thinning her blood as she has an irregular hearbeat(even then the dr said it is nothing worry about) but when i handed in the prescription slip for the 1mg of warfarin and got the tablets back, NOTHING on the box or leaflet in the box says How MANY i am to give her per day..



So i stayed safe and just gave her ONE with her dinner..

Has anyone had any experince with this tablet????

I would ring the pharmacy that dispensed it and say they have not given any instructions - you should definatley have that information. You've stayed safe but I would double check with them.

 

[worriedson1]

Hi, Warfarin is usually only given once per day , but do check with your GP.Mum will need to have her INR (clotting levels) monitored whilst she is taking this drug so she should have been given a yellow warfarin book and an appt for a blood test.The dosage varies til they reach a therapeutic level which should have been set by the presrcriber. Hope that helps Ally

DOH, i forgot about the yellow book

Had a look in it and it says

"Take your anticoagulant once a day" so that clears that up right?!.

Says the Condition my mum has requring treatment is " A F"

Says the Targer NR is 2-3

Do i have to fill the forms in my mum got with the yellow book the "Antocoagulant Treatment Record"??.

And my mum was not told when she is to go back for blood tests will she get a letter from the dr when it is time??.

Thank you for all your help.

 

[Nebiroth]

You definitely need more advice on this. Warfarin is to be closely monitored because it's very important to establish the correct dose - not enough will mean the desired effect may not be achieved, too much can cause problems like excessive bruising or bleeding. It is normal to have tests within 1-2 days of starting, then more tests, usually once or twice a week. The individual reaction to warfarin can vary a lot, that's why you have to have all the tests. I suppose it's possible that the prescriber considered the minimum dose would be sufficient - but this would be unusual.

In any case, if this were so, then the prescription would indicate the dosage. I suspect the only reason the pharmacy issued the tablets witohut a stated dose was on the assumption that it could vary according to the results of the tests.

Also be aware that warfarin interacts with many other things. Foods which contain high levels of vitamin K can decrease it's effects, whilst other foods such as cranberry juice and many supplements like ginseng can increase them.

The leaflet that came with the drug should have more details on these, which foods to avoid or use with care.

It also interacts in the same way with other drugs. Aspirin, for example, has a similar effect so should not be taken with warfarin.

 

[worriedson1]

You definitely need more advice on this. Warfarin is to be closely monitored because it's very important to establish the correct dose - not enough will mean the desired effect may not be achieved, too much can cause problems like excessive bruising or bleeding. It is normal to have tests within 1-2 days of starting, then more tests, usually once or twice a week. The individual reaction to warfarin can vary a lot, that's why you have to have all the tests. I suppose it's possible that the prescriber considered the minimum dose would be sufficient - but this would be unusual.

In any case, if this were so, then the prescription would indicate the dosage. I suspect the only reason the pharmacy issued the tablets witohut a stated dose was on the assumption that it could vary according to the results of the tests.

Also be aware that warfarin interacts with many other things. Foods which contain high levels of vitamin K can decrease it's effects, whilst other foods such as cranberry juice and many supplements like ginseng can increase them.

The leaflet that came with the drug should have more details on these, which foods to avoid or use with care.

It also interacts in the same way with other drugs. Aspirin, for example, has a similar effect so should not be taken with warfarin.

Mum just eats "normal" food so to speak,nothing drastic in change or anything.

AND the yellow book says to take the warafin ONCE a day so....take the tablet once a day right?!.

 

[worriedson1]

DOH, i forgot about the yellow book

Had a look in it and it says

"Take your anticoagulant once a day" so that clears that up right?!.

Says the Condition my mum has requring treatment is " A F"

Says the Targer NR is 2-3

Do i have to fill the forms in my mum got with the yellow book the "Antocoagulant Treatment Record"??.

And my mum was not told when she is to go back for blood tests will she get a letter from the dr when it is time??.

Thank you for all your help.

Does this info explain more??.

 

[worriedson1]

warfarin- 1mg is brown, 3mg blue, 5mg pink. Dosage changes on INR results /blood tests. Maybe thats why pack doesn't state '1 tablet daily'. Hope this helps but contact pharmacy/GP. x

Mum is on 1mg of Warfarin.

 

[caravaner]

Your mother has probably had her blood tested recently and should get either a phone call or request in the mail from the Warfarin Clinic as to when her next test is needed.

 

[rajahh]

My husband has been on warfarin for 12 years now. and has to have his INR checked regularly.

A phlebotomist comes to the house and takes the blood, and the yellow book and delivers it to the warfarin clinic. The clinic then decide if the dosage is correct and when to check again, and and send the book back to you. If they want the dosage changed straight away they telephone you. My husbaand at the moment is on 1.5 one day and 2 the next . You can get it in half a mg; 1 mg,3 mg and 5 mg.

Inside the yellow book should be a date without any details except perhaps the time of the appt if you are to take your mother to a warfarin clinic or hospital for the check to be done.

My husbands level is 2.5 to 3.5 but it can vary depending what he eats.

For example porage seems to alter it, also you must NEVER have cranberry juice or cranberry sauce while on warfarin, and Vitamin K can affect it too.

Also you must inform the warfarin clinic if your mother has any changes in medication either new tablets or increase of strength. There should be a telephone number in the front of the book .

Jeannette

 

[nita]

If you are worried, I think you should either go back to or ring the pharmacy for more advice, e.g. what she should not eat. Also ring the doctor's tomorrow for advice about when her blood test should be.

 

[SWMBO1950]

Please contact your mothers GP first thing in the morning and get the correct advice - it is very important that you don't guestimate how to administer it or the dosage!

Warfarin has to be closely monitored by regular blood tests and as others have explained and you do not want to be 'thinking' you are doing the right thing.

Best Wishes

 

[worriedson1]

Thanks for all your advice, i'll take the tablets and yellow book to the local pharmacy where i got them and ask to make double sure.

 

[maryw]

I think you also have to make sure she takes it at the same time every day, usually early evening.

 

[2TT charlie]

My mother was on warfarin for a year or so, also for Atrial Fibrillation (which is when the smaller (top) chambers of the heart are beating too fast). The first time they put her on beta blockers to slow the heart beat, the second time they put her on the warfarin as well. She had regular blood tests and yes, took whatever the dose was (because sometimes it can alternate between days, or be different on just one or two days) once a day in the early evening. (So that you're not taking the daily dose just before you have a blood test!) This is my (lay) understanding of how it works.

The basic principle seems to be that the blood test is to see how quickly her blood clots, because warfarin 'thins' the blood and slows clotting, which reduces the risk for stroke or clotting, but of course increases the risk for bleeding. They try to keep the blood consistency (for want of a better word - how quickly it will clot) within a target range. As long as your mother continues to eat 'normally' i.e. what she would normally eat, the blood test reading will reflect the usual state of her blood, so it's less about avoiding certain foods (or drink) as keeping everything as even as possible and not binging on foods that would affect the blood test. An eg might be something that makes her blood appear 'thinner' (I believe alcohol does this) so if she went on a blinder the day before the test, her blood might appear too 'thin' (risk of excessive bleeding) and they might reduce the dose only for the alcohol to disappear from her blood and suddenly it's too 'thick' and at risk of clotting.

My mother quizzed the doctors and they advised her that moderate alcohol consumption was fine (one glass of wine) unfortunately my mother's definition of 'moderate' was based on a 1940s and '50s example of living with a relative who was a surgeon - think Sir Lancelot Sprat!

Treat it like Ronseal - do exactly what it says on the tin.

 

[KatieB]

Hi, I can understand your worry. Warfarin is a great drug when administered and managed correctly. I have been on it for 16 years and take 9mg each day. You must speak to your GP or hospital doctor for advice on when to administer. Warfarin should be taken at the same time everyday e.g, I take mine around 10.30pm each night. The dosage you are giving your mum is very low so don't be too anxious. Keep an eye out for bruising or bleeding but other than that, try not to worry. Alcohol, green veg and other foods also have a blood thinning affect so you should keep an eye on how much she has of these (if any). She will need fairly regular blood tests ti check her INR. I have my blood checked every 9-12 weeks but when I started taking warfarin it was every couple of days.
Katie

 

[virg]

Be careful with other medications/treatments as well. Mum has a blip in her blood thickness levels and when quizzed about what she had been doing, it was put down to the ibuprofen gel she had been told to rub on her knee.

 

[megben]

If using painkillers be very aware that aspirin can be in some of them and is a no no with warfarin