International normalized ratio. A number that is used as a report of the ability of blood clotting in someone's system that is on Warfarin. 2 - 3 is good. That's what is aimed for. Under two means you can throw a clot possibly, 4 or 5 means you can bleed. Your blood is too thin basically.
Many people are sensitive to this drug. My mom is one of them. Ever since she's been on this Warfarin (yeah, rat poison) I am forever getting calls from the Dr. to change her dose. She uses between 1/2 mg to 1.5 mg but never more to maintain a Prothrombin time (pro time) of 2 - 3. I'm used to adjusting her medication, been doing it a long time now however for some strange reason she is up to 4 or 5 mg of this drug for a few days now and is only got a PT of under 2. What the hell is going on?
So today, the nurse comes in with her Coumadin again (Warfarin) and I ask her what my mom's INR is. She is unsure since it wasn't taken yet and I question the amount my mom is getting. I know what her INR's were a couple of days ago so ask her to check with the Dr. She does and the Dr says to take it any way. Now, I'm concerned that even though her INR's are low that inevitably they are going to spike with all this Warfarin in her. So we give it to her.
The nurse decides I should talk to the Dr and he comes in and I question him because now it's discovered her INR is over 4 !! 4.16 and I've just given her 5 mg of warfarin again! I'm not happy. He says it will be ok. I guess we'll see but if they don't hold her Warfarin tomorrow I'm really going to start asking questions.
What if she falls again? She can get a bleed with that high an INR. I want her off that damn drug, I hate it and so does she. We are both sorry we agreed to give it a try for her. Her Plavix was doing a great job and now she doesn't have it and she has this crap. Nothing but a pain in the ass.
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