Warfarin Rx

ApricotPie

member
Joined
Dec 12, 2018
Messages
125
Age
73
Country
United States United States
Gender
Male
My doc wants me on Warfarin for a while after surgery to prevent clots. Apparently it requires some testing to get the dosage right.

How did people handle this? Is it a lot of testing and trials? I knew I would need to get to PT, but this Warfarin stuff just came up at the pre-op meeting.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
The testing involves checking to see how well your blood is clotting, could send a nurse or lab partner to draw it or could actually send you to an office or clinic that specializes in only monitoring these specific blood levels. I have been on this medicine for 24 years because I have mechanics in my valve. Aside from the occasional bruise or special directions for surgery or dental work, I don’t find it a problem
 
My doc put me on Xeralto post surgery. No testing needed but the down fall is price. It's spendy and my Medicare advantage plan covers most of the cost after the deductible is met. I looked into warfarin and decided the process was too time consuming. So check with your doc and see if this a viable substitute for you.
 
Hi @ApricotPie
I've moved your thread to the Knee Replacement Pre-Op area, since your surgery date is still two weeks away.

It would be a good idea if you ask your surgeon what arrangements he/she makes for blood testing to calibrate your dose of Warfarin.
The testing involves having a blood test taken. The laboratory reports the result and your doctor then tells you what dose to take.
 
I was on Warfarin last winter after a hospital stay for something else. The beginning process will very likely be different for you. I was put in blood thinners in the hospital and not allowed to leave until I got to a base level they liked. Once home, I had some options. My home health care people had a device that would let them test just the INR-which is the blood clotting factor they were looking for- but their turnaround time to get the results back to my physician was unacceptably slow for her and I wound up dropping by her office once a week for a blood draw until I was stable at a dosage, and then every 2 weeks for the duration of my course. Her office is literally 5 minutes from my house, so it was not onerous.

I would definitely ask more questions of your physician, and maybe the hospital representative for your insurance to understand what your options will be. My surgeon too will be using Xeralto instead. Ask if that is an option. There are other similar options, it's just that Warfarin is just the cheapest. It may have other advantages that were not explained to me.
 
I agree with the hassle of the blood tests so I elected to use the self injectable drug whose name I cannot recall. Only had to do for 3-4 weeks I think. The class given before the surgery had all the options and had nurses there and we were able to make our own decision then unless the doctor ordered something specific. Good luck!

Oh, and no testing required for this self injectable drug,
 
Thanks for the information. The note i got with the Rx, is rather mysterious and seems to imply an on-going, several times a week check on INR. That would be inconvenient to say the least during my first week. I have a call into the assistant who did the Pre-Op to clear things up. Edited to add: I got a call from an outfit that manages things like warfarin dosage. I will see them 3 days after my surgery to see if I hit the mark for properly thinned blood

I don't do well with surprises when it comes to my health. :snork:

One of the things that comes through reading about other people's issues with the TKR is that the patient or their advocate must actively participate in and manage the 'system' of appointments, meds, therapy, etc. There is so much going on that nobody else knows all about what is happening.
 
Last edited:
Almost everyone if not everyone is on a blood thinner appropriate for them. I was on Xarelto in and out of hospital. Maybe 2 to 3 weeks after I got home. Coumadin is also used. Also the shot in the stomach, but mostly the other two are used.
 
I've done both the shot in the stomach and aspirin. I much preferred the aspirin, but your doctor will make the decision on what he thinks is best. I'd speak to him directly and see what he prefers, and have a discussion. With my TKR, shots were prescribed, with my revision, my OS said aspirin would be fine. I don't know if it has to do with different doctors, or different patients and their test results, or both, but I'd definitely talk it over with my surgeon and see what he says.
 

BoneSmart #1 Best Blog

Staff online

  • Jaycey
    ADMINISTRATOR Staff member since February 2011

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
65,180
Messages
1,597,062
BoneSmarties
39,365
Latest member
Dave4562
Recent bookmarks
0

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom