How do you feel when your INR is too high?
Asked by: Prof. Xander Walter | Last update: January 20, 2026Score: 4.3/5 (51 votes)
What are the symptoms of a high INR level?
Signs of bleeding or a high INR are:
Bleeding from cuts that do not stop. Nosebleeds that do not stop. Gums bleed when you brush your teeth. Coughing up blood.
How do I bring my INR down?
If you eat more vitamin K, it can lower your INR. If you eat less vitamin K, it can raise your INR.
What are the symptoms of too much warfarin?
- bloody or red, or tarry bowel movements.
- spitting or coughing up blood.
- heavy bleeding with your menstrual period.
- pink, red, or dark brown urine.
- coughing up or vomiting material that looks like coffee grounds.
- small, flat, round red spots under the skin.
What happens if INR blood results are too high?
If your PT/INR levels are too high, your blood is clotting too slowly. This may be due to: A bleeding disorder, a condition in which your body can't clot blood well. When you have an injury or a procedure that may cause bleeding, it may cause too much bleeding.
PT/INR and Warfarin: Medical-Surgical |@LevelUpRN
What is a critically high INR?
Normal and Critical Findings
[8]For patients who are on anticoagulant therapy, the therapeutic INR ranges between 2.0 to 3.0. INR levels above 4.9 are considered critical values and increase the risk of bleeding.
What are the symptoms of internal bleeding from blood thinners?
- passing blood in your urine.
- passing blood when you poo or having black poo.
- severe bruising.
- prolonged nosebleeds (lasting longer than 10 minutes)
- vomiting blood or coughing up blood.
- sudden severe back pain.
- difficulty breathing or chest pain.
What does warfarin toxicity look like?
You have frequent nosebleeds. You bruise easily. You have red spots on your skin that look like a rash. You have heavy bleeding during your period if you are a woman.
Can warfarin make you feel bad?
You may also feel tired, weak or sick.
What is an unsafe INR level?
In people without health conditions, an INR of 1.1 or below is considered typical. An INR range of 2.0 to 3.0 is generally an effective therapeutic range for people taking warfarin for certain conditions. These conditions include atrial fibrillation or a blood clot in the leg or lung.
What drink should be avoided when taking warfarin?
- Alcohol.
- Chamomile or green tea.
- Cranberry juice.
- Grapefruit juice.
What level of INR is stroke?
Initial INR and Ischemic Stroke
Univariate analysis showed a statistically significant difference in the initial INR for ischemic versus non-ischemic patients (1.7 vs. 2.8, p < 0.001). The initial INR values ranged from 1 to 3.4 for ischemic patients versus 1 to 6.4 for those diagnosed with hemorrhagic strokes.
What fruits should you avoid while taking warfarin?
Do not drink cranberry or grapefruit juice while you're taking warfarin. It can increase the effect of your medicine and put you at higher risk of bleeding.
What is the life expectancy of a person on warfarin?
In a Kaplan‐Meier analysis, patients who were treated with warfarin had a mean life expectancy of 52.0 months, whereas those who were not treated with warfarin had a corresponding life expectancy of 38.2 months (Δ = 13.8 months, p < 0.001) (fig 1).
How to lower INR quickly?
This study showed that the most reliable (in terms of successful reversal into the target INR range in most patients) oral vitamin K preparation is IV vitamin K (Konakion) administered orally. Using 2 mg Konakion (IV preparation given orally), 75% of INRs were < 4 by 24 hours.
What is the most serious side effect of warfarin?
The main side effect of warfarin is bleeding. If you're taking warfarin, you may have trouble stopping the bleeding from a cut or a nosebleed. More-serious bleeding may happen inside the body. Bleeding inside the body is called internal bleeding.
Can blood thinners make you feel off?
What are the side effects of blood thinners? Bleeding is the most common side effect of blood thinners. They can also cause an upset stomach, nausea, and diarrhea. Other possible side effects can depend on which type of blood thinner that you are taking.
Can you eat eggs while on warfarin?
On the positive side, patients are able to consume many foods considered safe if they are taking any anticoagulants. These are the foods that are considered safe to consume: Meat, fish, and eggs.
What happens if warfarin levels are too high?
The higher the INR, the longer it takes your blood to clot. So this helps to prevent blood clots from forming. However, if your INR is too high, there is an increased risk of bleeding, but a low INR may not provide enough protection against clotting.
Why is warfarin being discontinued?
This action is voluntary and is not the result of any quality, safety or efficacy issues regarding the product, but rather due to an unexpected manufacturing issue that cannot be resolved. The discontinuation of this product in the U.S.A. happened on April 24th, 2020.
What vitamins should not be taken with warfarin?
Due to its blood thinning effect, patients on warfarin are warned to be careful taking other supplements, such as ginkgo, ginger, Vitamin E, which can potentially increase the risk of bleeding events.
What are 3 physical signs of internal bleeding?
- pain at the injured site.
- swollen, tight abdomen.
- nausea and vomiting.
- pale, clammy, sweaty skin.
- breathlessness.
- extreme thirst.
- unconsciousness.
When should you go to the ER on blood thinners?
You should go to the ER if you experience bleeding while taking blood thinners. Blood thinners make it harder for your blood to clot on its own, so medical help is important.
Why can't you eat salad on blood thinners?
However, for some individuals on the medication Coumadin, eating salads can be worrisome because many lettuces and trendy greens are rich in vitamin K, which can interfere with this medication. Coumadin is prescribed to reduce the risk of forming blood clots.