I have got to post about Coumadin, I’ve been procrastinating long enough!  It is probably one of the top 10 high risk/high reward drugs on the market.  Often used to prevent strokes, blood clots etc. (obviously devastating problems), it can certainly increase the risk of bleeding on the flip side.  I will start with INR’s.  It stands for International normalized ratio…who cares right?  Anyway, it is used to monitor Coumadin dosing.  Believe me, Coumadin dosing can be a chore with frequent changes, drug interactions, diet changes etc. that can all affect Coumadin levels and ultimately affect INR.  There are some individuals who do seem to have good luck with keeping consistent INR’s, but then there are others who seem to require frequent dose changes.  The most common goal INR is 2-3, but this can vary as well depending on a whole host of factors.  More to come tomorrow night, I’d pack a lunch, we might be on Coumadin for a while.

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