Life-Style
Consistency is a key to Coumadin safety
PTINR.com Staff
Consistency is one of the three important C’s of behaviors for a safe and successful warfarin experience
Consistency is, in many ways, the key to life. Defined as a steadfast adherence to the same form or principles – consistency requires commitment and dedication whether from your golf or tennis backswing to your dietary choices.
A rich quality of life for patients taking warfarin (Coumadin ®) (Coumadin®*) includes extensive travel, freedom from laboratory visits and a stable INR test results, free from side effects. Consistency is one of the three important C’s of behaviors for a safe and successful warfarin experience – communication and compliance being the other two.
Diet
Your diet enables you to choose from nearly an endless selection of different foods and beverages. Foods high in vitamin K are ones you need to monitor more closely, but not avoid. When your diet remains consistent, your clinician can adjust your warfarin dose to help keep you in or close to your INR target range. Consistency in diet means: the type of foods you choose, attention to your portion sizes and the frequency you consume foods high in vitamin K
Dosing
Your warfarin dose is carefully chosen to meet your medical need. The dose chosen for you is influenced by many factors, some include: your gender, age and other medications you are taking. It is very important to take the exact dose your clinician prescribes. If you forget to take your dose of Coumadin®, take the next dose as soon as possible on the same day but do not take a double dose to catch up.1 When you remain consistent in taking warfarin exactly as prescribed – your INR test results are a reliable indicator of safe and effective dosing.
Testing
The level of Coumadin® that prolongs your bleeding time to prevent a dangerous blood clot changes constantly. Your diet, other medication use and even your metabolism influences your blood test results. More frequent and consistent testing, including patient Home INR Testing has been proven to improve your safety. “More frequent testing also provides the ability to detect any drift in INR stability sooner, rather than later, thus keeping INR within a set range. Testing at home allows not only for an increased frequency of testing, but also improved timeliness, providing the ability to perform the test when it is needed. In addition, the data showed less fluctuation in values.2
Consistency allows you variety and choices in life enabling you to keep your INR test results in range more often.
*Coumadin® is a registered trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Company.References:
1 Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. (2009). Medication Guide for Coumadin Tablets and Coumadin for Injection [Package Insert]. Princeton, NJ: Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.
2 Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2001). Decision Memo for Prothrombin Time (INR) Monitor for Home Anticoagulation Management (CAG-00087C) [Memorandum]. Baltimore, MD.