Troubles keeping my INRs consistant.

Hmmm, three weeks ago my INR was 2.9 and yesterday it was 1.6, I just hate having to cut my pills (warfarin 2.5) in halves, most of the time they shatter in dust. I have been very constent with my vitamine K intake (spinach, lettuce, broccoli...) and still my INR fluctuates. Are there other things that will make my INR be like this?

BTW, what do people use to cut their pills in halves?

If you vary the ammount of water you drink every day, it might affect your INRs coffe and alcool dehydrates you for example. The secret of it all, is consistency.
For cutting my pills I use a sharp and skinny knife. Insert in the indent of the pill and apply pressure, do not saw. That's the way I do it.

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I'm always reading, I found this on the net, http://www.ptinr.com/data/templates/article.aspx?a=278&z=2
Atkins diet (Low carbs high protein diets) do affect your INR , again check with your doctor or warn him/her if your thinking on starting a Atkins diet.

the standard advice in the UK is that you should absolutly never cut a warfarin pill, because you cannot guarantee the exact dose. Instead, the doctors can prescribe a warfarin 0.5 mg pill (white in the UK).

Guess I'll have to check with my doc on that.

Thanks Tom

There is nothing wrong with halving a dose of Coumadin. That is exactly why the pills are scored. In addition, some people in the U.S. can't afford to have every possible combination of Mg's, so 5mg, being the most typical, are used as 5 or 7.5 etc. It's very unlikely that a minor deviation in pill splitting is going to do a thing to your INR.

If you pills are shattering when you attempt to break them in half, they are either old, been exposed to moisture, or bootlegged. I've had one bad batch in 6 years.

You can get a cheap pill splitter at the pharmacy..it uses a razor blade to cut the pills and it has a "V" shape that you put the pill in and you get a pretty accurate dose. Doesnt cost over a buck or two. Well worth it.

Hi
Having been on warfarin in a different part of the country 8 years ago and using 0.5mg, 1mg, 3mg and 5mg, I am surprised to find that in our primary care area they only prescribe 3mg tablets. All hospitals and doctors in the region follow this rule. All doses are in multiples of 1.5mg. Apparently it has signifcantly reduced the number of instances of mistaken under or over dosing in our area. When your INR is measured, you are given a blue sheet with days of the week on. Instead of telling you to take 6mg one day and 7.5mg the next the sheet simply tells you how many tablets to take, in this case, 2 and 2.5.
The number of tablets required per day is written in large type making it much easier for those with sight impairments to read. It also ensures that those with colour blindness dont make mistakes as well as making the dispening of doses by carers easier and less complicated.

It also helps those paying for prescriptions as only one tablet type is required.

I think the system is sound and apparently has been prooved to work with no adverse consequences.

That is a great idea.

I was reading on another forum that someone mistakenly took the wrong dose pills (filled weekly pill container with all the wrong dosages by accident, due to similarly colored pills of diff. strengths), and waaaaaay overdosed and had to be in the hospital.

Also, at the DVT Summit that I just went to, they talked about needing to more clearly mark diff. dose containers also.