Aologies to those who have sent me a PM in the past few days

Message

T.C. · #1 Post by **T.C.** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 4:10 pm

I had a phone call from the Hospital at 8.30 the other morning to say that they had looked at my MRI and CT scans and found clots on my lungs so get yourself in here with an overnight bag.

Panic sort of set in fearing the worst :( but it transpires that it is quite normal in heart failure cases and they need to put me on blood thinners (anticoagulants) to clear the clots and for about 5 days I have to self administer by injection for a few days until the tablets kick in, which hopefully wll be after my next blood test in a couple of days.

It transpires that at some stage in the past I have also suffered a heart attack (which I was not aware of) and which is different to heart failure which is my diagnosed condition.

I know there have been a few PM's sent to me, so my apologies for not het getting back to you, I have had my mnd on other things, but I will respond in the next few days

Dalemac · #2 Post by **Dalemac** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 6:55 pm

That's not good to hear T.C. Hopefully this is just routine and everything will be OK.

Im sure whoever PM'd you require no apology, after all your health is the most important thing so just concentrate on getting yourself sorted!

Gio · #3 Post by **Gio** » Wed Oct 21, 2015 9:03 am

Are you on warfarin tablets?
Stomach level injections or can you use the upper leg?

T.C. · #4 Post by **T.C.** » Wed Oct 21, 2015 12:06 pm

Gio wrote:Are you on warfarin tablets?
Stomach level injections or can you use the upper leg?

I have started on the Warfarin tablets but I have to do a double injection into the stomach every day for about 10 days until the Warfarin kicks in and takes over.

I have a blood test every 3 days or so at the moment, so hopefully the injections will not last for long

Aladinsaneuk · #5 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Thu Oct 22, 2015 7:21 am

The injections are generally best in the stomach area - best way to fine the right area is too have your middle fingers touching over your belly button - the area covered by the hands is where you should go

In time as your warfarin levels stabilise you will have less blood tests - all depends on the target INR
there is also a finger prick version that many community terms use that gives an instant result

Make sure you carry the warfarin card with you at all times - and read the warning stuff in your warfarin box - you need to keep an eye on bruising etc....

I suspect that they are aiming for a target INR of 2.5 or thereabouts - depends on what clinical effect is desired

For those curious, thinning the blood reduces peripheral resistance and therefore load on the heart. Also helps with valves etc that are a tad furred up....

DO NOT DRINK CRANBERRY JUICE - it directly effects the efficacy of warfarin....

T.C. · #6 Post by **T.C.** » Thu Oct 22, 2015 9:13 am

Aladinsaneuk wrote:The injections are generally best in the stomach area - best way to fine the right area is too have your middle fingers touching over your belly button - the area covered by the hands is where you should go

In time as your warfarin levels stabilise you will have less blood tests - all depends on the target INR
there is also a finger prick version that many community terms use that gives an instant result

Make sure you carry the warfarin card with you at all times - and read the warning stuff in your warfarin box - you need to keep an eye on bruising etc....

I suspect that they are aiming for a target INR of 2.5 or thereabouts - depends on what clinical effect is desired

For those curious, thinning the blood reduces peripheral resistance and therefore load on the heart. Also helps with valves etc that are a tad furred up....

DO NOT DRINK CRANBERRY JUICE - it directly effects the efficacy of warfarin....

The target is indeed 2.5, and it has been emphasised about Cranberry juice, whoch fortunately I have never liked or drunk anyway, and I have also been warned off eating green leafy vegatables such as cabbage or anything with vitamin K.

They have said that eventually blood tests will drop to every 12 weeks or so which is not so bad, it is just at the moment I have to go every 3 or 4 days until the target INR has been reached and the dosage stabalised. The warfarin card is always in my wallet along with my medication list, and after tomorrow I am told that I should be able to go to my GP for the blood test rather than down to the Hospital.

I will just be happy to not have to give myself any further injections.

Aladinsaneuk · #7 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Thu Oct 22, 2015 11:55 am

Damn

Had better be careful - people may start to think I know what I am doing.....

Gio · #8 Post by **Gio** » Thu Oct 22, 2015 4:21 pm

Aladinsaneuk wrote:The injections are generally best in the stomach area - best way to fine the right area is too have your middle fingers touching over your belly button - the area covered by the hands is where you should go

In time as your warfarin levels stabilise you will have less blood tests - all depends on the target INR
there is also a finger prick version that many community terms use that gives an instant result

Make sure you carry the warfarin card with you at all times - and read the warning stuff in your warfarin box - you need to keep an eye on bruising etc....

I suspect that they are aiming for a target INR of 2.5 or thereabouts - depends on what clinical effect is desired

For those curious, thinning the blood reduces peripheral resistance and therefore load on the heart. Also helps with valves etc that are a tad furred up....

DO NOT DRINK CRANBERRY JUICE - it directly effects the efficacy of warfarin....

Also be aware of vitamin k in cabbage/spinach etc.
I hated taking the stomach injections after 2 months of them I was bleeding from the pin cushion effect!
As for warfarin, great stuff if you got nothing better to do than go to hospital every week and waste half a day

Willopotomas · #9 Post by **Willopotomas** » Thu Oct 22, 2015 5:18 pm

Damn. All the best with further treatment, mate. Sounds like you're having a time of it. Hopefully it'll all be worth it.

BikerGran · #10 Post by **BikerGran** » Thu Oct 22, 2015 7:24 pm

A mate of mine has been on Warfarin for years TC - she still goes to the hospital fairly regularly for blood tests but then they just phone her and tell how to adjust the dose (she has verious pills with different doses).

I think it's become a way of life for her - and it's certainly better than the alternative!

Good luck with it!

T.C. · #11 Post by **T.C.** » Thu Oct 22, 2015 8:02 pm

Gio wrote: Also be aware of vitamin k in cabbage/spinach etc.
I hated taking the stomach injections after 2 months of them I was bleeding from the pin cushion effect!
As for warfarin, great stuff if you got nothing better to do than go to hospital every week and waste half a day

I did mention that in my last post Peter. Suits me fine as I have never liked cabbage or spinach and now I have a valid reason not to like it even more.

Bikergran, they did say that eventually it would be a blood test every 12 weeks or so and they would adjust the dosage by phoning me if needed, and hopefully after tomorrow blood tests will be done at my local GP practice and the results will be phoned through by the end of the day.

I have to take about 6 pills in the morning, 2 at lunchtime and a further 5 in the evening, and like your friend it is already becoming a way of life. It does not really bother me as it makes me eat sensibly as I have to take them with food, and like you say I have to take them for life so no good griping. It is just the injections I cannot get rid of soon enough. I have some lovely bruising appearing on by belly now

T.C. · #12 Post by **T.C.** » Fri Oct 23, 2015 10:21 am

Well, just got back from the Hospital, INR is now up to 1.8, so they have said no more injections

, 10mg of Warfarin tonight and then drop to 7mg over the weekend and then blood test again on Monday.

Just saying that I no longer needed to inject made my day.

One of the benefits though is that I jump all the queues for blood tests. When I arrived at te Hospital this morning, it was about a 1.5 hour wait for some reason. I was in, tested and results back to me within 30 minutes.

Can't argue with that.

Gio · #13 Post by **Gio** » Fri Oct 23, 2015 9:34 pm

Thats good news about cabbage etc anmd not having the injections anymore, I still have a bulge where I had to inject, just can't seem to get rid of it.

Also if you like to do things with your hands (diy etc) please be careful.