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I'm not sure what it is like in the US, but here in the UK the two methods are not mutually exclusive. I self-manage normally, but if the situation gets complicated for whatever reason I have the backup of a hospital anticoagulation clinic. That way it is the best outcome for both patient and...

This issue occurred in 2018, so the affected strips are long expired now. In my post from 2018 on this thread I linked to the Roche announcement - see here - which lists the affected batches. You can test your machine by doing a test at the same time as doing one at your anticoagulation clinic...

I am impressed with the efforts you guys go to. In my case, my INR is pretty stable - I have been on the same daily dose for the last 2 or 3 years, with only occasional minor and temporary adjustments. The CoaguChek XS machine of course keeps a record of 100 (I think) measurements, with time and...

Just been catching up on this issue, which currently appears to be specific to Australia. I have a Google Alert setup for Warfarin news stories, and the Sydney Morning Herald suggests supply issues will continue until July at least, and in some areas supply is so bad they are resorting to...

Excellent news, Steve! I had similar fun in hospital: having gone in by ambulance as an emergency case, I spent 25 days in care in total, ending up with a mechanical valve, bypass and pacemaker. The bypass wasn't strictly needed at the time, but the surgeon said "we might as well whilst we're in...

Totally agree. Mine is checked every six months against the clinic's machine, as I reported earlier.

@pellicle is correct - I did not say they were mutually exclusive groups, and if you look at my profile line below you will indeed see that I am one of them. All I am saying is that there are a lot more diabetics out there monitoring their blood glucose than there are people out there monitoring...

Our health service did all that years ago, with hundreds of thousands of tests, and concluded the machines are similar quality results to labs. No need to keep doing the lab tests now. Good enough for me.

I suspect also that the diabetes market is much bigger, with a lot more of us testing blood glucose than blood INR, so that attracts more competition.

It is very rare to get paper grocery sacks here in the UK, and there is a mandatory charge per plastic bag of a minimum 10p each to encourage recycling, though there are a small number of exceptions. Therefore heavy duty "bag for life" plastic bags are common. Other supermarkets are available :p

For what it is worth, I had my six-monthly check of my CoaguChek XS machine results at my doctor's today. Although they have over 15,000 registered patients, only 3 other patients are on Warfarin and self-testing - others on Warfarin attend the nurse clinic there every 6 weeks or more frequently...

Personally I would raise it with the Lab as a query, and give them a chance to respond. You have set out a clear history in this thread, and at least one of their readings is not consistent with either your readings or another lab's. If they are making errors then they have a duty to take such...

Yes, great write-up, ibatt. It brings back memories of all the noise and disturbances I experienced too during hospital, and which i am sure are common. It seems to me that sleeping is an important part of the recovery process, and it amazes me how medical professionals seem oblivious to this...

I agree with both of you, and am more inclined to believe the CoaguChek than the lab. In my mind there is less to go wrong with the machine - the test result is immediate, and can be easily repeated if any doubt. There are more variables when testing at a lab, no matter how good it is. If you...

I am at a loss to help with why the sustained drop in INR, and would not normally suggest a significant change in dose but given how low he still is have you considered going to 12mg/day for a while, (I think he is currently on 10mg?) and test every 3 days (the typical time Warfarin takes to...

In terms of coping alone, I was lucky in that I already had an electric reclining sofa and so could sleep in that, adjusting the angle inch by inch as needed, and easier to get in and out of than a bed. The organisation I work for was also very supportive - no pressure to rush back to the...

Yep. Too much air is a bad thing too: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/man-impaled-air-hose-enjoying-inflated-reputation/story?id=13693534 (And this was one of the less shocking stories I found!)

Also re eBay etc: if buying test strips ensure they (1) have a few months of life before they expire as the machine will then reject them, and (2) that they come with a "code chip". Each batch of strips needs the right code to give the correct readings. A pot of 24 strips will last almost six...

Hi Chuck. I've been self-testing since soon after my AVR in 2014, as I was keen (a) to lead as normal a life as before and so (b) understand Warfarin management was needed to achieve it. Having your own machine obviously also frees you from having to visit clinics regularly. I may be lucky in...

Welcome, MIB! And as a Brit can I say it is spiffing to read a bit of Southern-talk in your well written intro! (Honestly, this is the first time in my life I have written spiffing, but it felt appropriate ...) I think there is some benefit to not having much time between the alarm bell ringing...