Warfarin?

[Midori1999]

I have been on daltoparin for a while and have now been told I should go onto lifelong warfarin. I feel like this is going to be a huge hassle for me and quite life limiting. Am I being a drama queen? Perhaps anyone whose on it could give me their experience please?

What is your main worry about it?
Having regular blood tests?
Restricted diet? (Which is more trying not to vary the amount of certain foods and alcohol too much.)

I was put on it at age 24 for life but came off it after 5 yrs and just took 75mg aspirin a day - now 23 yrs later I had another DVT and am back on it for life. Although I did dalteparin (fragmin) injections throughout both pregnancies.
This time round the restricting alcohol etc is less daunting...
I also first time round had a high target INR of above 3 - so had to be more careful with dangers of contact sports/accidents less so with my current INR of above 2 - and no different to being on fragmin.
Regular tests - once you get stabliised you usually only need a test every month - I've just been moved off weekly tests after 9 months...and that was considered a long time (but then I'd rather be weekly - I had an INR of 5.9 when I took it before... but I was very irresponsible)

Also the blood tests are now fingerpricks rather than venous ones - although my GP insited on my first few being venous -even did a comparison one - so two tests - the results were identical.
If you really do end up on it for life you can buy a self testing machine for about £300 and should be able to get the testing strips etc on prescription (otherwise they are about £4 per test)...
The reason I haven't bought a machine yet is because I might be being moved onto one of the new anticoagulants - rivaroxaban. That don't need regular tests ...

Meant to say warfarin is less hassle than daily/twice daily injections - easy to travel with - no problems carrying and disposing of sharps etc...
and depends why you are on it...if you had a DVT/PE - which would you rather? (I really was lucky to be alive after my big DVT in my 20s)
Are you still coming to terms with your illness?
It is hard (and especially if you are young) ...I went into full out rebel/denial mode for a while - really not an easy patient.

Thankyou. I think tbh, it's just one more thing in a long string of health related things and the straw that broke the camels back, as it were. I'm already on a huge amount other medications, which have lots of hideous side effects and they are trying to manage another illness not related to the warfarin and I'm finding it all exhausting.

I think I'm mainly worried about frequency of INR testing, as I already have so many hospital/doctor appointments it's a bit overwhelming. Also, I am waiting to come off my current meds in order to have some surgery I need, so I'm assuming the warfarin will complicate things further? I'm concerned about diet and alcohol restrictions, I don't really drink much, but I do look forward to a few drinks on social occasions and from what I can gather more than one drink would be foolish? I've always been as to take or leave alcohol, so I'm not sure why it's bothering me so much. I'm trying to lose weight, so I do eat a lot of fresh veg. I don't know if I'm being silly, but can I not eat large amounts of green veg unless I do the same every day?

And yes, it is better than a clot though.

It is a pain ...it does interact with everything!!!
For instance if you forget to take another medicine that does interact it will effect your INR.
Green leafy veg (Broccoli, spinach etc) - ones with lots of Vit K brings your INR down rather than up ....and it takes about 3 days to have an effect.
If you regularly eat lots then you will need to take more warfarin anyway ....so if then you went for a week without eating any it would become more of a problem.
Warfarin and operations - same as fragmin - but there is an antidote to warfarin - Vit K injections (I think it works faster/better than the antidote to fragmin). You would come off the warfarin in advance maybe switch over to fragmin and then fragmin after until your INR stabilises again.
I don't know if you have children or are planning them in the future but you need to come off warfarin before getting pregnant or as soon as you know - it effects fetal development in the early stages...
For giving birth I had to stop aspirin a few weeks before my due date but fragmin was considered less of a problem....told to stop 3 days before DD1 was due to be induced - or for DD2 when I had first sign of imminent labour if it wasn't 3 days I couldn't have an epidural (so EMCS would have needed a general).

Drinking - I know...I found that really difficult when I was 24.
I used to be a chef and we would regularly drink after work...and if it turned into a bit of long one ....I found it hard to stop at one. Alcohol increases the effectiveness of warfarin. So it will put it up -but ime it isn't that bad as two glasses will cause a bleed....
(my mum is on it and has a few glasses of wine with dinner but not every week and she is really stable)
When I was young I said my INR was above 3 -so not much leeway for it to go up! A couple of times I had a few glasses, clouded my judgement and got absolutely pissed -(part of the rebellion thing -thinking fuck it I don't care - I'd rather die happy than not live etc). I was fine - although I did have a panic a couple of times - thinking I should go and tell the hospital what I'd done...I survived. Wouldn't recommend it though ...not the smartest thing I've every done....

Thankyou. I've finished having children, so thankfully that won't complicate things.

I saw the doc yesterday and they are atarting me on warfarin next month. They were clear it was my choice, but as my usual hawmatogisy has been very reluctant to start me on it and is now recommending it after discussion with numerous other doctors, including others involved in my care, it seems the sensible thing to do.

They've said no more than two units of alcohol, no diet restrictions other than no cranberry juice (no cosmopolitans for me then... ) and horse riding probably isn't a great idea unless I can be fairly certain of not falling off of getting kicked.

I start with ten days of daily blood tests and the it will gradually space out to up to 8 weekly, depending on how stable my INR is.

I am on lifeling warfarin now after two DVTs. I do have a genetic blood disorder whicn makes me more prone to clotting. However it took until I was almost 40 for anything to occur. Got through years of smoking, taking combined pill and a pregnancy without ill effect. Just lucky I guess.

So now yes, warfarin for me. I don't really perhaps take it as seriously as I should, but have regular INR tests and it seems relatively stable. I do eat lots of the green leafy veg, garlic and the others on the list. Also drink alcohol as and when I fancy.

I did have a couple of surgeries recently and had to stop the warfarin 5 days prior, and then use Fragmin injections until my INR went back up. So that was a pita, but no impossible.