INR of 8.96!!

jme6976

Yesterday I ended up in the ER with a INR of 8.96. Wasn't feeling well after a walk, dizzy, head reeling and strange. Figured I might be thin so I checked with my home monitor and after 2 tests saying 8.0 (machine wont read any higher) I noticed my right palm was swollen and blue which I knew immediately was bleeding. Also had a few other bruises and knots appearing in random places so off to the ER I went. They drew labs and gave me fresh frozen plasma. Today I was at 3.5 and restarted on my Coumadin. Don't know exactly what caused it. I am just back from Mexico and could be travel, change in diet, not sure??? I did have a few drinks but never drunk or anymore than what I might drink at home. This was scary! I'm allowed to go back to work on Wednesday and hope to resume daily activities as normal. I had exercised every single day this year but dr's orders are nothing for 2 days. Anyone else ever experience a wild swing? The week before my test was 3.4. I test every week.

goonas

I've had a few swings but nothing to your extreme - my target is 2.0-3.0

I was bang in that range for 2 years - no change in dose everything was fantastic.

But in the last year I've been as high as 4.4 and then more recently as low as 1.4 - with nothing other than my fitness levels changing - don't drink much at all, diet is pretty good, losing weight etc.

Recently the doses have been going up as I seem to struggle to get into the middle of the range but always at the low side.

jme6976

My target is 3.2-4. They like to keep me on the higher side. This was scary and still don't know what caused it! I'm being super careful now until I can get a bit more straightened out. I do have troubles in the summer but never like this.

PaulaKro

My target is also 2-3; but ranged from 1.4 to 4.2.

I go to an AntiCoagulation Clinic. If there is change, they ask "what was different." They found that some of us had mango and our INR shot up fast. So they added that to their list of things to watch out for.

Is it possible you had a food that caused it? Or might it have been a combination of things that each pushed it up a little? Certain foods do it of course, drinks do too, exercise does, losing weight does, etc.

I was scared when mine hit 4.2, but they said a lot of people went into the 6's. The fact that you were 8.96 is mind boggling! That must have been so frightening!! Thank goodness you realized what was happening and got to people who could do something about it.

I had bariatric surgery in June'13 and last week was the first time they stabilized my INR (2.4) since then. The physical changes threw it out o'whack. Less daily calories (under 800/day now) less weight (down 67#), increased exercise (used to be 0); less food (especially greens).

They say the more "efficient" the body gets, the more efficiently it processes stuff.

Hope you can prevent this in the future. Let us know, okay??