FAR OUT!

Monday, my post TOO MUCH Rat Poison! was about the excess of Warfarin that was in my body due to the dosage prescribed by my “doctor of the day.” I was told at the time that the result for my international normalized ratio (INR) test was “way off the charts.” Today, after another lab test, I found out how far “off the charts” I really was on Monday.

If you had visited the INR link and read the article, you would have found that “the normal range for the INR is 0.8-1.2.” This past Monday, I was at 16! And, after a week of no Warfarin at all, I’m still testing at 3; twice as high as the “normal” range! However, since the Warfarin was prescribed due to blood clots, a range of 2-3 would be indicated.

Now, the Wikipedia article on Warfarin suggests that “for patients with an international normalized ratio (INR) between 4.5 and 10.0, 1 mg of oral vitamin K is effective” at reversing the effects of the warfarin. What did the doctor of the day do to reduce the risk of hemorrhage for me? Let’s see if I can remember…oh wait, that’s right; NOTHING! Oh, I got to discontinue my intake of warfarin for the week and just live with the risk. I have yet to find an LD50 (median lethal dose) or IDLH (Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health) numbers for humans. That would be interesting to know.

So, I have been directed to split my pills and start again with a dose of 2.5 mg; the results of the reduced dosage will be checked on Tuesday.

Are we having fun yet?

I apologize if I’m not as “chatty” right now as I have been. With everything going on, I just don’t feel like “talking.” And, as one of you can attest, there are several “discussions” that I’d like to jump into on another site, but I have trouble keeping my mind focused on the task at hand. And I am having fun typing on this keyboard with my hands shaking like they do, due to the muscle fatigue.

Kunolunkwa!

"As a juror, I will exercise my 1000-year-old duty to arrive at a verdict, not just on the basis of the facts of a particular case, or instructions I am given, but through my power to reason, my knowledge of the Bill of Rights, and my individual conscience. When needful, I will judge the law itself." -L. Neil Smith