Exercise and INR

[nicksb]

Was going through postings here that pointed out relation between exercise and INR. Apreciate if someone let me know is there any relation between excising and INR. I go for long brisk walks (that's the only exercise I do) but not regularly. If there a relation between exercise and INR, I need to plan my walk and test accordingly.

Now I am on 10mg warfrin and the INR range is between 3.3 to 3.8. When I was at 7.5mg my INR was between 2.1 to 2.7. I thought its better to be at 10mg than 7.5.

 

[Magic8Ball]

To put it simply.....The more you exercise the more blood will pump through your organs and be processed. This processing will reduce your INR.

However, if you are fairly consistent with your exercise you will have no problems....i.e. don't run 4 marathon's one month and then sit on your butt the next month and expect your INR to be stable if you take the same dose over the two months.

I would think that an occasional long brisk walk will have no affect on your INR at all, we are pobably only talking about big swings in activity that would have any affect.

 

[Ross]

Also don't worry about the amount of Coumadin your taking. The correct amount is whatever it takes to keep you in range.

 

[kbheart]

I was walking briskly for an hour four times a week, sometimes more. When I hurt my back last week, I only walked about 20 minutes on two different days. That was enough for my INR to spike. Next time, I'll test more often when I'm not able to exercise.

 

[Karlynn]

Regularly exercise will increase your metabolism and your dose of Coumadin will probably need to be increased. If you stop the exercise program for several days, your INR will go higher as your metabolism slows back down and it will need to be decreased again. There is no concern about when you take your Coumadin and when you exercise and going.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

I've noticed a moderate interaction between my exercise level and INR (i.e. there is a difference between weeks when I just go for slow walks with my dog and do more vigorous walks of 30 to 40 minutes). The differences amount to only a few tenths of a point which is adjusted for by a 1 or 2 mg change in my weekly dose.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Ross]

I've noticed a moderate interaction between my exercise level and INR (i.e. there is a difference between weeks when I just go for slow walks with my dog and do more vigorous walks of 30 to 40 minutes). The differences amount to only a few tenths of a point which is adjusted for by a 1 or 2 mg change in my weekly dose.

'AL Capshaw'

I've found this to be true of most of us, but those that metabolize faster see a larger spread then we do.

 

[kbheart]

How fast do you suppose an increase in exercise would affect your INR? I'm back in range at 3.0 today and ready to exercise again. How soon should I start taking my "normal" dose of coumadin? Or how soon should I test again?

As a reminder, my INR jumped up to 5.5 on Monday because I stopped exercising due to back problems. I seem to be one of those weird people where exercise has a big effect.

 

[Philip B]

Metabolic Rate & INR

Metabolic Rate & INR

I can personally confirm the information posted by previous members. Metabolic rate has an impact on INR. Exercise tends to speed up an individual's metabolic rate. Age tends to be a factor in how fast coumadin is processed. My INR spiked two weeks after I broke my foot in December. The injury required me to stop my exercise routine. It actually took a couple of weeks for my metaboic rate to drop enough to get the spike. The spike was pretty big when it happened.

Another member mentioned something about developing a routine approach to exercise rather than going for periods of time with no exercise and then engaging in lots of exercise. If you're engaging in walking as exercise, try to do it consistently. Your metabolic rate should stabalize and allow you to adjust your meds to keep you within your zone.

Others may disagree with my paractice, but I don't skip days when my INR climbs above my zone. I'll reduce my dosage by half if a big spike has occurred. One of my students recently told me that her doctor had her skip a couple of days of coumadin because she was .2 over the high end of her range. This is a high school senior who does high school sports and exercises daily at the local health club. She normally takes 14 mg daily to stay within the 2.5-3.5 range. I suspect skipping two days because she was at 3.7 will drop her out of range on the low side because her metabolic rate is pretty high.

-Philip

-Philip

 

[kbheart]

She normally takes 14 mg daily to stay within the 2.5-3.5 range. I suspect skipping two days because she was at 3.7 will drop her out of range on the low side because her metabolic rate is pretty high.

-Philip

-Philip

I would think so, too. I skipped just one day of coumadin and went from 5.5 to 3.6.

 

[CMAC]

Contrary to others who have posted, I must say that I have yet to experience any swings in my INR as a result of exercising. I exercise 5 days a week for approximately 1 hour per day (30 minutes weightlifting, 30 minutes cardio). Since my surgery in February of 2007 I have been taking 2.5mg of coumadin 5 days per week for a total of 12.5 mg/week. I do not take a dose on Sundays and Wednesdays. My INR has been within range since my arrival home from surgery. I began my cardio routine about 3 weeks after my surgery and I added the weights in June. I test every 3 weeks and my INR is generally between 2.8 and 3.2 without exception. I do watch my diet with respect to restricting foods that are considered very high in Vitamin K, i.e. brussel sprouts, broccolli. Other than that, I eat, drink and do whatever I want with no measurable effect on my INR. So unless I am considered an exception to the rule, I would guess that it is safe to say that the Coumadin metabolization process is unique in each individual user.

 

[kbheart]

I would be interested to see if you do have INR swings if you are ever unable to exercise for several days. It's only a change in routine that affects my INR.
I'm surpised that you require so little coumadin considering all the exercise you're doing, but I guess everyone is different. As I increased my exercise, I had to increase my coumadin. I'm up to 6 mg most days.
Happy exercising!
Kris

 

[CMAC]

12.5mg/week of Coumadin seems very low in comparison to what I see others posting in regard to their Coumadin usage. However, my INR has remained stable and within range over a long period of time. So I guess what Ross says regarding the correct amount of Coumadin is whatever it takes to keep you in range is true.