warfin and exercise?

SLBry6024

how much does exercise effect INR levels?

My Job I am moving and lefting non-stop. my INR level are at 1.8 for three weeks now. the doctor thinks that I am super sensitive to the meds and exercising. What?? Ijust don't uderstand.

qbuster

I'm not a doctor but I as a newbie Warfarin eater who takes regular exercise (I walked 7.5 miles today) I have done some internet research on Warfarin and exercise. If you Google Warfarin & exercise you will find several articles on the subject including some by members of the medical profession and/or research scientists. For example: http://tinyurl.com/9tzj7el.

As far as I can see the key to a steady INR is to try and do everything consistently -.for example I watch my Vitamin K intake (which pushes the INR down) by taking care not to eat too many dark green vegetables (that is, eat some every day but try to avoid those know to be very high in Vitamin K like spinach, curly kale, sprouts, etc). Similarly, if you normally drink 1 or 2 pints of beer a day, thats OK but don't suddenly go on a binge otherwise you will deflect the INR. Since I have been on Warfarin I make a point of sticking to no more than 2 pints when I am in a pub (I tell my friends it is on medical grounds and they don't tempt me). When I am at home I usually find that 1 pint is enough.

As for exercise, there does seem to be some suggestion that exercise does deflect the INR downwards and if that is true then again consistency is the answer; so every Tues I walk 5-7 miles and every other day I do 2 miles on my Concept rowing machine. It took some time to get to my target INR of 2.5 but it has now settled down (on 7.5mg a day) and my feeling is that this is largely due to the consistency of diet, alcohol and exercise.

hughtwalker

How good is your relationship with your GP and/or the INR nurse?
Would they be prepared to take INR reading frequently enough to map the effects of days with and days without exercise - given the same dose of Warfarin.

What is your target INR range? When I was on it (January to July 2012) 1.8 would have been greeted with an increase in dose to get me up to 2.5 to 3.0.

I usually overreacted and had the dose cut after a week - then put up after another week. it was an exciting 6 months.

As 'qbuster' says, consistency is the key factor.

SLBry6024

of right now they are test INR every week. since I am super sensitive (their words) to the meds they are having me watching and writing down everything I m doing. I go back Wednesday to get tested again. Of for now I am watching food intake.