The sun & INR

[Gail in Ca]

I have noticed that the sun affects my skin differently now that I take coumadin. I seem to get red fast but it tans faster than before.

I have increased my workout from step arobics 3X wk and walking 2X wk to include weight machines 3 days a week and have noticed my inr is lower now.
Gail

 

[Guest]

Changing activities can definitely affect the INR. When you get your heart rate up over what it was previously, the blood is pumped through the liver more times. Warfarin is only metabolized from the blood while it is in the liver.

I had one patient who weighed 460 pounds. When she started a walking program and got up to almost 1 mile per day she reduced her INR all the way down to 1.0. She had very little weight loss because she ate candy bars while she was walking. (My office is right beside the track.)

As far as I know there has never been a study with warfarin and sun but so many people report this that it must affect a significant number.

 

[Granbonny]

INR and sun

INR and sun

My before last INR was 3.1.....My inr 2 weeks later..2.4..Only thing doing different?...Sitting out in sun by pool...I asked my Cardio nurse when she called to tell me...Could it be the sun lowering my INR..I dunno know. she said..Just leave off the "Greens"..Don't eat them...Staying out of sun until tested again in 1 week.

 

[Guest]

Unfortunately the pro time is an inherently inaccurate test. The difference between 3.1 and 2.4 is insignificant as far as what I would do with your warfarin dose.

 

[sharon]

optical migraines

optical migraines

Like Rain, I never had optical migraines until right after surgery. I also had the gray-out, saw silhouettes and other weird stuff. Maybe that other stuff was caused by all the meds they pump into you at the hospital. The only drug I take is the coumadin, but I still get the neon squigglies occasionally but haven't put it down to allergies. In other posts we've wondered if it could have been caused by the heart/lung machines. We have lots of theories here don't we?
Sharon

 

[Guest]

Then you have all of the people who get them (like my wife) who has never taken warfarin or had heart surgery.