I just worry about my INR levels. My levels have been consistently between 2.0 and 2.2 for the past several months. I cut myself on Monday night when I was cutting up some meat. I almost cut a big chunk of skin clean off with a very sharp butcher knife. I thought for sure I'd be headed to the emergency room. But my thumb bled for about 5 minutes and then my blood gobbed up like glue around the cut and clot-welded it shut. That got me thinking about how thick my blood really is. If my blood can just thicken up and clot with an INR of 2.2 then maybe I need to have my target INR raised. Thanks for all of your help in advance.

Do you have a hematologist? I think I'd start there, to see what he recommends for you specifically. It sounds like, from what little I know about it, that SOME specialists even recommend 3-4.5 but of course that also really increases your risks for bleeding too. I think it may depend on whether a person with APS clots while on warfarin at a lower range.

Honestly, I've cut my fingers many times since being on warfarin and sometimes it takes a good hour to stop bleeding completely and sometimes no time at all, and it seems to be like that whether I'm 2.1 or 2.8. I think it depends on the cut, how deep, how wide, how much pressure you're able to apply and how quickly you apply it etc, That globby affect doesn't seem abnormal to me even if on warfarin. But if concerned, definitely discuss it with doc who's familiar with APS

jerry1976,

It's hard to say if you will require the higher INR to prevent reoccurence. Typically, a lot of patients with APS do require a higher INR than those without APS. It's really a question that your Hemoc should be able to address with you since everyone (with or without APS) processes Coumadin differently. I know many APS patients who required a 2.5 to 3.5 (or even higher) INR and I know other APS patients who are fine in the 2.0 to 3.0 range (same can be said with any patient on anticoagulants).

Just because you have APS doesn't necessarily mean you will require the higher INR. It all depends on your medical history and how your body responds to anticoagulatio treatment.

Several resource that may help you include Clot Connect (http://www.clotconnect.org/patients/links-to-resources/thrombophilia-blood-clotting-disorders#antiphospholid) and the APS Foundation of America LLC (http://www.apsfa.org/faq.htm)

I have APS and FVL and my starting range was 2.5 to 3.5. I think that is fairly standard. If you still clot, then they raise the level and start adding other drugs too if needed. That does happen but not to most people with APS. My hematologist still doesn't want me under 2.5 but we are working harder to keep it not much above 3.0. That is mainly because my adrenaline addiction increases my risk of bleeding.

Thanks for all of your responses. I really appreciate it.