High INR and headache

[heartman77]

HI ALL....had anyone else had any experience with having their INR being initially too high ( mines 6.9 today, Im new on coumadin) .. and having bad headaches? I know one of the Vets here has had experience with this.....Thanks all.......Lots of love.....Micheal

 

[EireCara]

Hi Michael, I had an INR of 5.3 last week and I had some really nasty headaches. 3 days in a row, exact same headache exact same spot.!!!

 

[Ross]

First question is, who the heck is managing your INR that it got that high to start with?

Sounds like a major malfunction has occured. Are you bleeding anywhere, bruising without cause? If you have a major (Migraine like headache) go to the emergency room. You may or may not have a brain bleed going.

 

[Luana]

Michael,
My highest INR was 5.9, with no headache. I would say listen to Dr. Ross: Have someone take you to the ER. Now.

 

[Maryka]

When I was first out of the hospital and was monitored by home-health nurses, my INR was too low, too low, too low. Then I got to my own home and cooked for myself and the INR shot up to 7.2. The doctor (at whose office it was tested) had me immediately re-tested. Still SO high. I had NO headache, however, though that would have been a bad co-symptom (as in possible stroke) I am sure. I was taken off Coumadin for a couple of days and tried to get the level down through food (I seem to very susceptible to greens in my diet) and my INR came down. Ross always says to eat all of the greens you want, but I find that too many greens immediately drives my INR low. Conversely, raising my anticoagulant dosage will make the level shoot up. I try to live a standardized life, food and coagulation-wise. However, 7.2 is way too high!

 

[heartman77]

I am off coumadin right now and another nurse is coming today to check my levels. They have been monitoring me very closely but for some reason my INR shot up all at once..Im sure after todays blood test they will keep me off it temporarily or wean me back on the coumadin starting with a very low dose. Ive been eating a consistent diet and really being careful. I dont want them coming back and telling me I did anything wrong to cause this. One good thing also is I have been losing weight since surgery. I was 215 the day of surgery and now eight days later i am 203. Im eating well, but smaller portions, and talking my walks. Id love to get below 200 ( and then some) for the first time in years. Thank you all for caring and for the info...I take all of it to heart. I feeling a little better today and just waiting on the nurse. Ill keep you posted tho as i TRULY value your opinions and knowledge. .......lovr Michael

 

[Ross]

INR doesn't cause headaches, but if you had a brain bleed going, I'm also sure you'd know that by now too. Most often when we see something like this high INR happen, it's mismanagement. This is why I was asking how and why it got that high to start with.

 

[ARGreenMN]

Mike, are you still in the hospital? I can't remember if you got discharged yet or not, but since a nurse is coming to see you today, I'm assuming you're still there? I'm sure they'll keep you under close watch until you get things regulated, but make sure to mention the headaches to them if you haven't already!

 

[heartman77]

Andy im home Buddy.....been home since Saturday.......yes the nurse is coming back today to check my numbers and see if its gone down with me off the cumadin. Did you get my message Andy about the tornadoes in MN? I was concerned if they hit near you........Mike

 

[AgilityDog]

Hey Mike, if you lose weight, you probably will be decreasing your coumadin dosage, but 6.9 is pretty durned high.
I know when I retain water, or just put on a couple pounds, I frequently have to increase my dose.

But I've hit 7.1 without having headaches or any other side effects, and I'm prone to migraines.

You could have a bug which causes both the high INR and the headache. But you are doing the right thing, seeking medical attention, holding until you get back in range, and then adjusting the dosage. Hopefully you'll get a good report today.

 

[heartman77]

HI ALL.....My INR is 3.5 today and I am just waiting for the surgeons office to call me back with any applicable changes. My temperature keeps spiking at night lately....sometimes to between 100 and 100.5 degrees F. and they are looking into that also and I am just waiting for a call. Did any of you experience fevers after surgery?

 

[Ross]

100 or so is pretty normal for a while, over 100 not cool.

 

[Luana]

HI ALL.....My INR is 3.5 today and I am just waiting for the surgeons office to call me back with any applicable changes. My temperature keeps spiking at night lately....sometimes to between 100 and 100.5 degrees F. and they are looking into that also and I am just waiting for a call. Did any of you experience fevers after surgery?

Yes. It's usually not a problem and it is common; however, do not disregard it. Trust me, you don't want to have endocarditis. That's not a very significant fever, but if it goes any higher or doesn't go away you probably should have blood cultures done.
Hugs,
Luana

 

[a4wanman]

I second the motion for blood cultures. Had bacterial infection from from Sept. 2009 to March 2010. I thought I had the N1H1 flu until blood cultures identified the bacteria. While infected, my fever would spike (around 101.4) at night, but would be OK during the day.

 

[Bina]

I had very very low fever for the first 2 weeks. Hospital kept me for 16 days to balance INR and it's been great for almost 5 years now.

 

[Lynlw]

How does your incision look? This close to surgery, with on ongoing low grade fever,(100 and up) my concern would be more of an infection in the sternal /chest incision or even a bladder infection from having the foley, and not BE. Justin had BE when he was 11 but had a post op inection afer his surgey when he was 19, all of the cultures of his wound and chest were positive, but since it didn't get to his blood stream (thank God) his blood cultures were negative. I'm sure it is possible to get BE close to surgery, but my first thought would an infection where you had either the main incision or lines put in. Keep close eye on ALL of your incisions (red, warm to touch, any oozing) and if you feel like maybe you have a bladder infection (which is pretty common after surgeries) let your doctor know.
ps I'm glad the head ache is better.

 

[heartman77]

All the nurses have said that my incision looks terrific....nice and clean.....no redness or discharge.....staples come out this Tuesday at the surgeons office so I will have the doc really give me the once over.....bladder feels great....and i am one to know as i have BPH and and very sensitive to any change in that area. Ill let you all know what happens on Tuesday at the surgeons. Love you all Michael

 

[ARGreenMN]

Hey Mike, glad your INR is getting down to where you want it! Are the headaches getting better too?

You may have been under the knife while this was going on, but Malibu had a low-grade fever like that (right around 100-101 like yours) for a while too. And it was at about the same point in the process you're at too I think. I don't know if she ever figured out exactly what caused hers, but I think hers finally went away, or at least got better.

Glad your scar is doing so well. Maybe there's something to be said for those staples afterall

 

[heartman77]

Ah ok...I will have to ask her about the fever......she must be a little ahead of me in the process.....i was the 9th of June.....do you know what her surgery date was?

 

[nngbwh]

I check the public calander it's May 21.