INR testing while on vacation in London
 

I'll be vacationing in London for two weeks in May. My INR (prothrombin time) has been out of whack lately, so I need to get a blood test while in London.

Has anyone ever tried http://bloodtestslondon.com/ ?

It looks good online, but I would love input from fellow travelers.

Are there any other fast, easy, and accessible ways to get a blood test in London (without losing too much touring time)?

Thanks!

I don;t mean to be discouraging but I don't think travel when your INR is out of whack is a really great idea. Not sure how far out of balance it is - but travel - different habits, eating different foods, etc - can cause that to get worse. And you not only need to get it tested but you also need an MD - preferably one who knows you and how you respond to you med to change your dosage. And probably retest and perhaps remodify a couple of days later.

I wouldn't do this without talking to your MD and coordinating how you would get him info and instructions on what to do with your med.

Right, I totally appreciate your concern. I have worked with my MD on all of this. I can get him my info while I'm away. I'm definitely crossing the T's and dotting the I's. Thank you! Just wondering where to go to get an easy and convenient INR in London. Wondering if anyone knows about bloodtestslondon.com. I figured other travelers might know...

Looks good to me, too, but I do not see INR on their list - could be they use a different terminology or just include it in the report of the PT. If nothing else, they have a number to call for a nurse advice line where you could ask about a place to have the test done.

It's really such a simple test, can be done with a finger stick, that I doubt it will be difficult to get what you need.

I have heard there are home INR testing devices. I don't know much about them but have heard of some patients using them that live too far from a convenient lab testing location. You might ask your MD if that could be a good option for you. You could possibly do your own testing, email your results to your MD and adjust your medication (I am presuming you are on Coumadin?) accordingly.

Every resident of Britain has a General Practitioner (GP), who's the first point of contact for routine issues like this, and whose practice channels the service through the National Health Service. Details vary a great deal between locations, but most of us ill go to our local GP every morning, week or whatever, have the blood taken (the English IS INR, and the option IS listed on the bloodtests site, by the way), and find the results texted or emailed to us later in the day.

As a result, there are limited resources in Britain for most routine medical interventions outside the NHS, and few residents here have the foggiest idea how visitors might deal with your kind of problem. Visitors may use the NHS, for a fee in many cases (just turn up at any local GP and register if there's room in her practice), but it does require a degree of form filling - and the protocol for INRs at a GP near your hotel might not suit your travel plans.

If you're staying with friends, or attached to an institution, though, it's probably worth asking them for their advice about using their medical system, including getting them to check their GP's protocol. If you're visiting your company's local office, it's also worth trying to get your local HR department to advise (though they might, as is the norm with HR depts, get hold of the wrong stick altogether)

Of the standard NHS alternatives, few NHS walk-in centres (use the centre finder at http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNH...esSummary.aspx ) are resourced for INRs (though it might be worth asking), and few are set up to handle correspondence with foreign tourists. Hospital A&E departments are for real emergencies and take forever to access if you're not close to death.

Practically no-one in Britain will know anything about commercial suppliers like bloodtestslondon. But in your shoes, unless someone pops up here with real experience, I'd email them and ask for a quote on INRs alone.

The idea of not travelling might be appropriate for some people. But that's for your doctor to recommend: not some random poster from the wilds of the the New Jersey suburbs.

Great feedback. Thanks so much. I think I will try to go with bloodtestsondon.com, but follow your advice and contact/coordinate with them first. I'm looking forward to the trip. Thanks!

After my father had heart valve replacement surgery last year I took him to his surgeon for followups and the blood test to get his INR levels. The nurse used a device similar to a blood glucose monitoring device and had the results immediately for us.

Maybe you can email the London office and see if they have a similar testing method. You would know instantly and could repeat two days later if needed after med adjustments.

I know when I brought my dad to my home a month after his surgery he still needed the INR test occasionally. It was no problem being at a distance from his doc. I would call the reading in to the doc's office and he would tell me how to adjust my dad's meds accordingly, with the supply of pills I already have on hand.

That is the other key. Not sure what does you are taking - but to make adjustments you need to have a couple of different options.

For instance my mom usually takes 2.5 mg daily - but she was ill recently and had to take a couple of meds that caused her levels to increase. So she had to stop the med for two days and then start with 1.5 mg and slowly increase to 2.5 mg - so she needed not only her usual 2.5 mg but also 1 mg that could be cut into .5 mg to allow small adjustments. And any time an adjustment is made she has blood tests at home every 2 days until the level has been as desired for 3 tests in a row - but every MD has different standards in terms of what numbers they are looking for - hers wants her at 2.5 (between 2.3 and 2.7 min and max).

Saw this question on the lounge that was sort of directed to me.

Sorry, I can't help you. I take Xarelto, and I don't need to have my blood tested with that.

I do happen to have an appointment with my heart doctor next week, and I will be happy to ask him.

((H))

Thanks Tom. OP, I took the liberty of putting your question up in the lounge, hoping someone with a similar requirement who doesn't frequent the Europe forum may see it.

I travelled a lot when I was on an anticoagulant for a year & needed INR tests, so know it can be a bit of a challenge. Good luck & hope you find a reliable vampire soon ;

Thanks again. I'm 45 and on my second year of Coumadin after a PE. It looks like on be on Coumadin for life. I was holding steady in my INR range for a long time, but recently started trying to eat more healthy.. Funny how that would screw things up! Anyhow, my MD has been great, and we'll be in good touch while I'm in London.

Thanks again for all the feedback. I did contact bloodtestlondon.com, and they have already responded with a nice personal email to me. Sound like getting an INR test there should work nicely.

I think I will look into the self testing devices that some of you mentioned. That might be a great convenience for me... Maybe even a life saver one day!

If you look at the list of foods that affect INR you will find that many healthy foods - esp green vegetables are on it. It's really very difficult to manage if you want a healthy diet. My mom is only on it because at 93 the MD doesn;t want to put her on one of the newer better meds. If you have the option and are much younger I wuold definitely go for one of the newer agents without dietary restrictions or blood testing (pending a complete review/decision by your MD). I know some are hesitant to reco the newer ones because of cost.

Hi - Just a quick update... I am back from a fabulous two week vacation in London and Belgium. While in London, I did get my INR (blood test) through bloodtestlondon.com. I found this service to be super convenient, reliable, and reasonably priced. Just as their web page states, I was able to make an appointment ahead of time, and when I stopped in at the clinic ( which was not too far from an underground station), my wait time was about 15 minutes. I didn't have to present any medical information ( just billing and contact information), and I received my results by email in about 3 hours.

This turned out to be easier than I had expected. Best of all, my results were right in range, so my trip was even more enjoyable. Maybe this feedback will help-out other travelers to London.

Thanks again for all of your input prior to my trip. Cheers.

I'm so glad everything went so well (INR and trip). Thanks for the update. I'm glad your numbers are staying in range.

Wonderful! So glad you had such a good time and had no trouble keeping your results within range. It is good to know about this service in London and am glad it worked well for you.

The manufacturers of the new coumadin replacement drugs are working to get approval for safe and effective use in more conditions beyond atrial fibrillation. If a traveler needs anticoagulation for a condition where one of the new drugs works, it might be worthwhile to switch to the new drug, even if it is a lot more expensive than coumadin. No tests, no diet restrictions, and no dose adjustment could well be the traveler's solution.