INR range chart and recommended adjustment?

[Alex B]

Hi All,

I"m supposed to be between 2.5 - 3.5 INR. I was calling in every week or two with my results and adjusting my warfarin accordingly. However, I've been pretty stable so they cut me loose now and said to only call in if I'm outside the range. My question is where I can find the chart that I know some of you use to make your own adjustments. For instance my last reading was 2.6 and while it is inside the range, it's down from 2.9 last time, so I'd like to make a "small" adjustment.

Anyone?

Thanks,
Alex

 

[Protimenow]

I know some people may have Al Lodwick's dosage chart. I don't. However, the thing that most of us do is make no adjustments more than 5% of our weekly dose.

At 2.6, even if you do NOTHING, you may find that you're back at 2.9 or down around 2.4 in a few days. There are a lot of factors.

I'm not sure I'd worry about it, but I wouldn't make an adjustment of more than 5% of my weekly dose, regardless.

I'm sure someone else could probably provide the chart. (If I recall, I think the chart you refer to was one that was sold, so there may be a copyright on it. You may even find a similar chart if you google for it)

 

[Lynlw]

Here you go. is this what you are looking for? http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?31691-Online-Coumadin-Dosing-Calculator

 

[catwoman]

Alex:

What is your daily dosage and what size of tablets do you have?
My dosage right now is 5mg -- has ranged 4.5 to 7.5 over the years. My PCP writes RXes for 1s and 10s. This $tretche$ my dollar since I can halve the tablets and get more for my buck. (This is a money-saver method I read about in a magazine several years ago.) When I adjust my dosage, it's generally in percentages -- 10, 20%. So increasing my dosage by 10% would mean taking 0.5mg more daily -- or I could move it up to 3 days of 6mg and 4 days of 5mg and forget about the extra 0.5mg.

There are numerous dosing charts in use. Ask for a copy of the chart your doctor's office bases its dosage changes on. We were able to get a copy of our PCP's chart when my husband took warfarin for 7 months for arrhythamia after his MV repair. It was different from the chart I use, and so I suggested dosage changes to my PCP's office. (Our doctor is off Wednesday afternoons, when John had his INR tests, so it was NOT our own doctor making the adjustments.) We got John into range based on my suggestions, and it was OK with our PCP.

 

[dick0236]

I never change dosage if I am within my range. Next week you may well be back to +/- 2.9 without making any change. If my INR stayed around 2.6 for a few tests I might increase by 1/2 dose per week. The INR chart Lyn refers to is a good one and there are several you can find on the web. Marsha also has a good idea....ask your doc for his chart. I use the Al Ludwick chart but there is no address I can find, although I think they may still be available. Most of the ones I've seen are pretty comparable in dosing. The importance of using an established protocol(chart) is that you make consistanat adjustments.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

When I am slightly out of range, I make VERY SMALL adjustments to my weekly dose, typically around 3%.

 

[Bina]

Alex, with your INR of 2.6 you were still VERY safe. I would not adjust for that INR because you don't want to fall into the trap of "chasing" a number when it's really not necessary. My pills are 2mg and 3mg, so I can make small adjustments when necessary.