What is the INR?

While taking Warfarin the patient will need to get their INR checked regularly. INR is short for International Normalized Ratio. This simple blood test checks to see how long it takes the blood to clot and puts that into a formula to report the INR. The typical person who does not take Warfarin should be at a 1.o. Most doctors consider 2.0 to  2.5 to be therapeutic. Due to my high risk of clotting, I am forced to keep my blood even thinner- a 3.5. Any lower than a 3.0 and I will get a clot without fail. Many times even being at 3.5 I still clot, though they usually break up and go away much quicker.

Until recently the blood test required a trip to the lab, but many doctors can now do the test right in their office using a machine that resembles what a diabetic uses to check their blood. There are no needles involved, only a small stick to the fingertip, and the results are instant.

Many factors can influence your INR, such as diet, sleeping habits, etc. Due to these fluctuations, many people do what we FLVers call the "Coumadin dance", where their INR jumps dramatically in short periods of time.

For these patients, doctors can prescribe a home testing unit. However, most doctors don't recommend this because the margin for error is too great and results are not as accurate. Since the patient's INR is a life or death matter, literally, it is best to have it checked by a professional in a controlled office setting.