Medication mix up

[RI Mom]

I accidentally gave my son my thyroid medication on Monday night instead of his Warfarin. I didn't realize my mistake until the next evening when I went to get his pill bottle and found mine in its place. PANIC.....I called the Cardio. who felt that the amount of thyroid med. would not be dangerous to my son (he consulted Poison Control) and suggested that I give the normal dose (4 mg.) of Warfarin last night. This morning I checked his INR and it was 1.4 I called the Cardio. who told me to double his dose tonight (that's 8 mg) then go back down to 4 tomorrow and re-check INR on Friday. It sounded a little extreme to me but he reiterated his instructions stating that he didn't want the valve clotting off. How does this sound to you all?

 

[dick0236]

I think your docs idea makes sense. If your son did miss a dose and an INR shows 1.4, the 8mg won't cause any problem. The worst that happens is that his INR might go a tad to the hi side, but I doubt it would be very high.

 

[Danny]

Theresa, i dont know anything about anti coagulation meds, but keep us posted, im sure he will be fine.

 

[catwoman]

Theresa:
Ordinarily I would say to give 50% of the missed dose the day you discover it and the remaining 50% the next day. However, since his INR was 1.4, I'd go with what your doctor said. Hope his next test will be OK.

 

[Freddie]

The doc told me to double my dose also when I went down to 1.3.

Your son should be fine.

 

[Bina]

Thankfully his warfarin didn't get mixed up with Viagra......poor little sweetie should be fine.

 

[Ross]

It's not really an issue, but doubling the dose is not going to make his INR rise faster, it'll just cause him to be a little over when tested again. If it's a mitral valve, the Doc should have given you Lovenox to use until he's therapeutic again.

 

[RI Mom]

Thanks guys.

I went ahead and gave the 8 mg. last night. I am so pissed at myself for making that mistake. Normally my medication is in my bathroom upstairs. His is kept in the kitchen. On Monday, I brought my meds. downstairs so that I could call in a refill. I must have accidentally put my bottle in the basket where I keep his. Strangely enough my Levothyroxine is the same shape and color as his Warfarin and there is a M or W on the back which is how I figured out my mistake. I remember on Monday night when giving him his meds that I noticed the W and thought "oh, W for Warfarin" having never noticed it before. Well it was not W for Warfarin. I don't know what it stands for but now Idrees' bottle has star stickers all over it so that this won't happen again

 

[Ross]

Don't be so hard on yourself. Your human. Only aliens such as myself, make bigger mistakes.

 

[AgilityDog]

The star stickers are a good idea. I know one pharmacy chain (CVS?) color codes the tops of its Rx bottles by family member, though I think you have to ask for that.

 

[catwoman]

The star stickers are a good idea. I know one pharmacy chain (CVS?) color codes the tops of its Rx bottles by family member, though I think you have to ask for that.

Seems that Target may do it too. I have one Rx of amoxi from Target with a purple band around the lid to the funky-shaped bottle.

 

[Dina]

Thanks guys.

I went ahead and gave the 8 mg. last night. I am so pissed at myself for making that mistake. Normally my medication is in my bathroom upstairs. His is kept in the kitchen. On Monday, I brought my meds. downstairs so that I could call in a refill. I must have accidentally put my bottle in the basket where I keep his. Strangely enough my Levothyroxine is the same shape and color as his Warfarin and there is a M or W on the back which is how I figured out my mistake. I remember on Monday night when giving him his meds that I noticed the W and thought "oh, W for Warfarin" having never noticed it before. Well it was not W for Warfarin. I don't know what it stands for but now Idrees' bottle has star stickers all over it so that this won't happen again

I think it may have happened because those meds are both taken everyday once a day. I am also on synthroid and when I was on coumadin also it was confusing because in my mind I categorized them together since I think of them as "daily and always" Of course with only myself I took them together-but I do see how easily you could mix them up. Hope his numbers will be back up tomorrow- Dina

 

[RI Mom]

We are at 2.5 today so I am feeling relieved. I will inquire about color coded bottles.

 

[dick0236]

We are at 2.5 today so I am feeling relieved.

Theresa, glad this has worked itself out OK. I made that kind of mistake many times in the distant past. Although its a pain in the A.., I fill a seven day pill box on Sunday of each week with my daily maintenance drugs for the following week.
Many, many times I don't remember taking my pills, but if I see an "open" compartment, I know that the correct pills have been taken.

 

[Philip B]

Meds

Meds

So many meds...so little time. Lighten up, at least you discovered your error and fixed it with a minimum of hassle.

-Philip

 

[Bina]

So many meds...so little time. ........
-Philip

.... that's funny.

Whenever I'm having a blonde moment, "Did I? or Didn't I?"
I'm really glad that I have the little plastic pill box to set me straight.

 

[Freddie]

So glad to hear everything has worked out.

 

[witzkeyman]

Thankfully his warfarin didn't get mixed up with Viagra......poor little sweetie should be fine.

that was too funny. hope everything is okay with her kid. I've always had the nightmare that I'd take the wrong medicine for a month, instead of Coumadin. sometimes, I don't look at the label for months. I just know the Coumadin has a peach color (5mg)