I am currently on vacation somewhere warm and sunny, in what has become something of a set annual two week break from the long, grey skies of winter in London, and indeed currently escaping a "storm of the century" . Though of course our UK weather is pretty gentle compared with what a lot of the rest of you get - we just enjoy moaning about it being too cold/too hot/too wet etc. Needless to say I have brought my now 5 year old trusty CoaguCheck XS with me, which is itself a joy in that it gives freedom to travel away from my anticoagulation clinic - no need to find one in a different country, particularly for those of us who are useless with languages.
A week ago my INR was 2.5, at the lower end of my therapeutic range of 2.5 to 3.5. After 4 days here it was 4.2 - not too much to worry about, but clearly a significant change, and good to know so that I can tweak my Warfarin dose down a bit. At home I find my inconsistent diet does not have much effect on my INR, but perhaps the change is more down to an increase in alcohol consumption (the poolside bar do some good value cocktails!), and I wonder if the weather has also been a factor? Here in the Canaries it is about 24 to 27C (75 to 80F) compared with a little above freezing at home, and non-stop sunshine.
Whatever the reason for the change in INR, the good thing is that I know about it and can react accordingly.
A week ago my INR was 2.5, at the lower end of my therapeutic range of 2.5 to 3.5. After 4 days here it was 4.2 - not too much to worry about, but clearly a significant change, and good to know so that I can tweak my Warfarin dose down a bit. At home I find my inconsistent diet does not have much effect on my INR, but perhaps the change is more down to an increase in alcohol consumption (the poolside bar do some good value cocktails!), and I wonder if the weather has also been a factor? Here in the Canaries it is about 24 to 27C (75 to 80F) compared with a little above freezing at home, and non-stop sunshine.
Whatever the reason for the change in INR, the good thing is that I know about it and can react accordingly.