Very Pi#@ed Off

[Cooker]

This is not a question as much as it is a flaming rant and I know I will be told I should be home testing but that is not an option although it may be in the near future ?..

I came down with a severe case of bronchitis a week ago or so ? I went to my PCP and she put me on Levaquin and tested my INR which was 4.9 at the time (a bit high but not bothersome to me) ? I have been on 5 mg a day since my surgery in 2006 and my INR has been extremely stable, on the high side but that is where I like it. They called and changed me to 5mg four times a week and 2.5mg three times a week and tested a week later, INR was 3.2, that was on a Friday ? They called and changed my dosage to 2.5mg four days and 5mg three days and tested me this morning, three days later and my INR was at 1.3 mad:extremely pissed) ? they called this morning and wanted to change me to 5mg five days a week and 2.5mg two days a week and wanted to retest in a week ? Well, when I saw that I was at 1.3 when I left the PCP I went home and took another 2.5mg which gives me 7.5mg for today and refilled my pill box back to 5mg a day ? I told them that I would NOT be coming in to retest in a week because I have my monthly INR with my cardio on the 13th and that I was not a happy camper ?. If I am between 2.5 and 5.0 I am comfortable ? I know it has to be the Levaquin that has caused this, she (my PCP said it could make it go up or down) and I question this logic ? Also, when I dropped from 4.9 to 3.2 in a week I think now that it was wrong to lower my dosage ?. This person will not manage my coumadin again and my not remain my PCP ? I will discuss it all with my cardio on Friday the 13th.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Do you have a copy of AL Lodwick's Dosing Guide?

If not, GET ONE !

It's the Best 5 Bucks you can spend on INR management, 'even if' you still use a clinic or Doctor, if for nothing more than peace of mind that their instructions are consistent with Modern Guidelines.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Bina]

OMG, your PCP doesn't know much about ACT.
Lowering your dose for 3.2 is totally stunned when you were already in a down swing.
Are you going to get a Lovenox shot today?

 

[Cooker]

Do you have a copy of AL Lodwick's Dosing Guide?

If not, GET ONE !

It's the Best 5 Bucks you can spend on INR management, 'even if' you still use a clinic or Doctor, if for nothing more than peace of mind that their instructions are consistent with Modern Guidelines.

'AL Capshaw'

Thanks ... I will.

OMG, your PCP doesn't know much about ACT.
Lowering your dose for 3.2 is totally stunned when you were already in a down swing.
Are you going to get a Lovenox shot today?

No shots .... just up my dose

 

[Bina]

If you are concerned about the shot, don't be.
It's a very small needle, a quick stick in the belly.

 

[Cooker]

If you are concerned about the shot, don't be.
It's a very small needle, a quick stick in the belly.

shots don't bother me .... I have a call into my cardio.

 

[Eva]

I am still a novice here with ACT, but my common sense tells me she should not have relowered it another time!

Sorry for you...it is frustrating and keep 'hanging on'

 

[CThrock]

Cooker I can understand your frustration. I dealt with my INR last week.
They kept telling me to hold my doses for a couple of days. I take 7.5 M,W,F & 10mg T,Th,Sat,Sun. and my INR was 4.6 Which its been pretty stable for several months. I knew the holding bit was not what I should do,from just reading from this forum. So talk to a couple people from the forum and took half a dose for that day and my regular dose the next will check again on Wed. Felt much better about that.
The thing is if I had'nt been reading and listening to people here I would of listen to the protime clinic nurse. I wonder sometimes how many people they have miss guided.
Hope everything turns out ok. Keep us update!!
As you could probally tell I got my INR machine last week. I'm so happy.

 

[Ross]

http://www.warfarinfo.com/levofloxacin.htm

 

[Cooker]

http://www.warfarinfo.com/levofloxacin.htm

Thanks Ross .... but mine was 4.9 before I ever took it and dropped to 1.3 in a week .... I seem to require very little warrarin to stay in range so the decrease suggested must have been over kill .... anyway I'm off the stuff and my cardio called and said resume my normal 5mg per day and I'll test next week...

 

[Karlynn]

Sorry to read this Cooker. Just one more story demonstrating the biggest issue with Coumadin is the professionals that don't know how to manage it.

 

[heartfelt]

Hey Cooker, if I hadn't found you guys I would still be in the clutches of those guys who think they are fine-tuning this drug by jerking me up and down and all around on my dosages, plus I wouldn't have known to insist on my own little home monitor and I'd still be depressed I'd ever had a mechanical valve replacement. I finally feel liberated and safe knowing I can come to these pages and get any help I need to stay on top of my INR levels. I didn't feel that at all when I was going to the clinics dealing with surly nurses.

Ross and others suggested I get Al Lodwick's chart and with help I'm learning how to use it. I think it's easy if you aren't severely right brained like I am, but still help is available here. I love the freedom of home monitoring and I also love my InRatio.


p.s. I think the Lovenox shots feel like a bee sting and every one of them left a bruise; not much fun for me, but I'm not as brave as Chimps are either.

 

[njean]

I was just waiting for you to cool down my friend before I posted to your thread.

Sorry about the hassle but I think that any of us that is on coumadin can fully understand your frustration! Most lab personnel & have no knowledge nor common sense when it comes to managing our INR!

I used to go to a lab where the doctor would literally yell at me & ask me "just what the heck I was eating"! Everytime I went there, I'd leave so stressed out & wanting to strangle anyone that got in my way! I put up with that crap for years until I got my home monitor which was heaven sent!

As for the Lovenox shots, well I've had plenty of those & I started giving them to myself because my DH would take a sadastic approach to administering them to me, if you know what I mean!!!

Good luck to you & I hope your INR stablizes soon!

 

[Cooker]

I was just waiting for you to cool down my friend before I posted to your thread.

Sorry about the hassle but I think that any of us that is on coumadin can fully understand your frustration! Most lab personnel & have no knowledge nor common sense when it comes to managing our INR!

I used to go to a lab where the doctor would literally yell at me & ask me "just what the heck I was eating"! Everytime I went there, I'd leave so stressed out & wanting to strangle anyone that got in my way! I put up with that crap for years until I got my home monitor which was heaven sent!

As for the Lovenox shots, well I've had plenty of those & I started giving them to myself because my DH would take a sadastic approach to administering them to me, if you know what I mean!!!

Good luck to you & I hope your INR stablizes soon!

I'm sure I'm on the rise ... took 2.5 extra yesterday and back on my reg. dose ... it is partly my fault for even letting the PCP adjust my dose..... Thanks Norma