Do we build up a tolerence to coumadin??????/

[lcwhitney]

Last year when I started taking coumadin a very small dose would send my INR through the roof. Now, 15 months later I am taking twice the amount of coumadin I was taking before and still have an INR that is too low. Has this happened to anyone else or am I just weird as usual.

Lettitia

 

[Nancy]

Hi Letitia-

My husband has been on Coumadin for 25 years. His dosage has varied throughout the years, but is usually somewhere between 5 mg and 10 mg. He has never built a tolerance to it.

It can vary a great deal. It depends on so many things, your exercise level, which might be improving and thereby increasing the need for a higher dosage. Also what you eat can change it and lots of other things. The dosage is not the important thing, the INR is the important thing, and that has to be at the right level for your condition. So as long as you are within range and your doctor or other person who monitors you knows what they are doing then I wouldn't worry about it. If they cannot get you at the right level, then it's time to have a talk with them. The fault would not be with you, unless you aren't taking your correct dosages faithfully, the fault would be with them because they aren't giving you the right instructions.

 

[John & Joann]

Coumadin for many years!

Coumadin for many years!

Joann is the Grand Champion. 31 years of Coumadin. It is not a big deal for her. She is very consistent in taking her medication at the exact time. Medication is usually around 3 mgm. Her numbers are usually very steady. Diet, exercise, life style, etc. do not vary much in our home.

We have not found anyone that has been on the medication for a longer period.

It is not a big deal at our home.

Clicking away in Western Ohio!

 

[Guest]

This is actually quite common among people who have mechanical valves. When you first start on warfarin, you are still functioning at quite a low level. You are not exercising, eating like normal etc. As you begin to do these things, your heart rate increases, your blood is pumped through your liver more efficiently and you start taking in more vitamin K with more food. All of these lead to needing higher warfarin doses. It happens so regularly that it is almost a marker that you are getting well.

If it gets to the point where you are taking four times as much as when you started, it is time to look for a cause. This could be interacting drugs, particularly things like Fiorinal, Tegretol, Bellergal, vitamin K containing vitamins and possibly some natural products.

There is no true tolerance, just things that interact, or better health.

 

[SHerrin Hutt]

Hi Littitia,
I had a stroke in Jan. last year and they put me on 5mg.and is was great till I had valve replacement in March. Since then I have had alot of trouble with mine going up and down. One week it is 5.9 and the next it is 1.9. I follow all the direction they give me and it stiil goes up and down. I have gone from 4mg.up to 71/2 a day. They said after six months this would even out but so far this hasn't happen. The best thing about this whole thing is the insurance has paid for my own protime machine. I can do this at home. It was a real pain when I went on vacation to Boston to vist my daughter. I had to go to the hosp. there three times last summer . I have not heard of anyone building a torrance against it though. Mine has only be in the range they wanted two weeks since March. I exercise the same about every week and I stay away from anything that has vit. K in it. I wish you all the best.


Sherrin
Mitri Valve repair 5/99
Mitri Vave Repalcement 4/02
LOUISVILLE

 

[Guest]

Look for an interacting drug. The most common are carbamazepine (Tegretol), phenytoin (Dilantin), and Fiorinal or Fioricet. These cause you to need about twice as much warfarin as previously.