The Warfarin I am on now requires blood tests at least every month to check to see if my blood is thinned to my target range. Normal is 0-1. My target range is 2-3. Anytime I have a procedure where bleeding is possible, I have to stop the warfarin 5 days before and take large painful enoxaparin shots twice a day to bridge. Then stop those shots 24 hours before the procedure. 24 hours after the procedure I start back on both the warfarin and the shots. I have testing weekly or twice a week until I have 2 tests in range in a row and then back to monthly testing.

This is how my tumor was found. I went in for my monthly test (finger stick). The machine would not read a number. It will not if the value is over 8. Mine was 9. They sent me across the street to the ER at a hospital. I had an IV of vitamin K to bring my number down. Warfarin is also used as rat poison. At high doses it will cause uncontrollable bleeding and kill whatever received that dose. I guess I was pretty close and just lucky. They did blood work and found I had high bilirubin. Normal is 0-1 and I was 10. I had tests that found the 5cm tumor in the head of my pancreas.

Warfarin is most effective in thinning blood to prevent and treat blood clots. It will also dissolve current blood clots if your body type will permit it. I am of the body type that converts the blood clots to scar tissue. This has resulted in the scar tissue in my veins from my ankle to my groin. Warfarin requires the constant testing. Xarelto and a third medication I cannot remember the name of dose not require that testing. There may be other drugs now for treating blood clots. Hope you do not have to be on warfarin and can get by with one of the other oral meds.

Best wishes to you and everyone dealing with cancer.