cc & warfarin

[MyLady]

Two necessities: a sympathetic, supportive GP; and a hospital pharmacy to advise on dosage (to which the GP will refer you) - the testing can be done at any local hospital with a lab that does INR tests: they routinely handle temporary patients on holiday. Their phlebotomists take your blood and send the sample to the lab and will tell you the result over the phone. You then phone the result into your 'home' pharmacy who'll tell you how much to take. When you run low on supplies, you need your 'home' GP to issue a prescription for replacements: take that to a currently local dispensary to get the tablets.

 

The only point in that where you need to be at all economical with the truth is telling the hospital that you are "on holiday."

 

The crucial ingredient is the supportive GP, but many doctors are turned on by helping patients: I gather that some are not supportive, but guess you won't have to approach many before you find one who will refer you to a suitable pharmacy dept and write your prescriptions.

 

Granted I am lucky: we still have a bricks-and-mortar home and my GP there is supportive. Some of our trips home have allowed our local general hospital to do the tests and advise on dosage, but Northampton hospital took my blood and tested it when we cruised past there (involving much less waiting than at home) so I know from personal experience that the system does work in practice.

 

Find a good GP where you are cruising and the other problems disappear as if a wand had been waved.

 

Roger (DVTs in both legs)

Edited January 26, 2014 by MyLady

[NickF]

For a ccer one of the newer anticoagulants that don't need regular blood checks would seem to be a good idea. Rivaroxaban or dagibatran would seem to be a good idea. But they are expendive so some GPs will not prescribe them, they have no antidote and are not suitable for all patients on warfarin so have a word with your anticoagulant clinic.

 

Just one other point....antiplatelet drugs (aspirin, clopidogrel) are not a substitute for anticoagulants (warfarin, dagibatran, rivaroxaban ) as they have an affect on arterial blood rather than venous.

 

If you do stick with warfarin I think tou will find pretty well any GP surgery will do an INR blood test for you, you the just phone the result through to your anticoagulation clinic who tell you what dose to take.

 

Happy cruising!

 

Nick (pharmacist)

[MyLady]

If you do stick with warfarin I think you will find pretty well any GP surgery will do an INR blood test for you, you the just phone the result through to your anticoagulation clinic who tell you what dose to take.

Mine doesn't - they refer you to a local health centre or the general hospital for all blood tests. I don't know whether my experience or yours is the exception...

 

Roger

Edited January 26, 2014 by MyLady

[NickF]

Mine doesn't - they refer you to a local health centre or the general hospital for all blood tests. I don't know whether my experience or yours is the exception...

 

Roger

I guess you are the one that has the test Roger and I don't so the theory clearly doesn't match up to the actual situation in all areas.

Nick

[plainsman]

Warfarin when being taken has to be monitored. The topic title says it all really. Does anybody have any suggestions on the best and most efficient way for a ccer to gget this done.

 

Second question. Does anybody know anything or have any suggestionss for the other blood thinners.

You don't say why you are on Warfarin, this medication is used for a variety of conditions. The best people/person to ask is your GP, Anticoagulant Nurse and/or Consultant They know your case and history, everyone's case/condition and how they respond to medication (the theraputic window) is unique to the individual. What works for me may not be ideal or even safe for you. You could try British Heart Foundation or http://www.atrialfibrillation.org.uk/ to arm yourself with appropriate questions before seeing your GP/Nurse.

 

Don't mess with your meds.

[MyLady]

Warfarin when being taken has to be monitored. The topic title says it all really. Does anybody have any suggestions on the best and most efficient way for a ccer to gget this done.

 

 

I guess you are the one that has the test Roger and I don't so the theory clearly doesn't match up to the actual situation in all areas.

Nick

I only know what my own experience has been, but that all starts with my GP, followed by the Warfarin clinic to which the GP referred me, but those two told me that I could get the test done at a hospital near whereever I was cruising. When I was near Northampton it took a few phone calls, but they obtained the info that Northampton General (IIRC) was the appropriate place to go. I did go there and they told me the result. I phoned that back to my Warfarin clinic who advised me what dose to take, again, by phone.

 

To my mind, the key is a GP who is supportive to the CC lifestyle. (S)he is the one who provides the referral to the Warfarin clinic, and who writes the prescriptions for future medication. My experience suggests there will always be a fairly local hospital willing to do the INR test for someone who is 'on holiday' in their district. That description, 'on holiday', brings the situation into the class of ones anticipated by the situation - and isn't Continuous Cruising a perpetual 'holiday'?

 

I repeat, the key is a supportive GP. From what I've heard from the ACC, not all GPs will be supportive, but if I'm right, most GPs are doctors because they want to help patients,so you won't have to try many before you find one that is.

 

Best of luck Wassat. Let us know when you've solved the problem - and where and who is the GP. Mine is Dr Pue in Keighley, W Yorks.

 

Roger

Edited January 27, 2014 by MyLady