What should your coumadin level be

You may need this test if you are taking warfarin on a regular basis. The test helps make sure you are taking the right dose. If you are not taking warfarin, you may need this test if you have symptoms of a bleeding or clotting disorder. It helps make sure your blood is clotting normally, so you won't lose too much blood during the procedure. A health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. After the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood will be collected into a test tube or vial.

You may feel a little sting when the needle goes in or out. This usually takes less than five minutes. A fingertip test may be done in a provider's office or in your home. During this test, you or your provider will:. If you are using an at-home test kit, you will need to review your results with your provider.

Your provider will let you know how he or she would like to receive the results. If you are taking warfarin, you may need to delay your daily dose until after testing. Your health care provider will let you know if there are any other special instructions to follow.

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Topic Contents Overview How can you care for yourself at home? When should you call for help? Where can you learn more? Top of the page. Overview You had a blood test to check how long it takes your blood to clot. How can you care for yourself at home? Be careful with medicines and foods Don't start or stop taking any medicines or natural health products unless you first talk to your doctor. Keep the amount of vitamin K in your diet about the same from day to day. Do not suddenly eat a lot more or a lot less food that is rich in vitamin K than you usually do.

Vitamin K affects how warfarin works and how your blood clots. Limit your use of alcohol. Once your dose is stable, blood tests are usually done every two to four weeks, sometimes longer. If your dose changes you may need to have your INR tested more often. It is very important to have your blood drawn when you are told to. Call your health-care provider if you can't make a visit so you can reschedule. There are some things that may change your INR.

It is important to tell your health-care provider about any of the changes below. This is so you can have an INR tested or your dose of warfarin changed if needed. You may need this test if you take medicines, such as warfarin, that change the way your blood clots.

Anti-clotting medicines are helpful if you are at risk for a stroke. But if you're in an accident and your blood doesn't clot quickly, you may be at risk of dangerous bleeding. Your healthcare provider uses the INR to know whether your anti-clotting medicines are at the right dose or if you need to change the dose.

Newer anti-clotting medicines don't need INR monitoring and dose changes like warfarin does, so this lab test may not be used for those medicines. You may also need this test to help your healthcare provider diagnose and manage certain health problems, such as liver disease and bleeding disorders.

Your healthcare provider will order the PT test first, so that the results can be used to calculate the INR. In a PT test, chemicals are added to your blood sample, and the lab measures the time in seconds that it takes to clot. Your provider may also order these tests if he or she is concerned about your liver function or risk of bleeding:.

Test results may vary depending on your age, gender, health history, the method used for the test, and other things. Your test results may not mean you have a problem.