Drug Name

Coumadin (Warfarin)

Drug Uses

Coumadin treats or prevents blood clots that may occur in the veins as well as lungs. It is as well as used to reduce the risk of death, recurring heart attack, or blood clotting events (e.g., stroke) after a heart attack.

How Taken

Take Coumadin as directed by your doctor.

• Take Coumadin by mouth with or without food.
• Do not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while you take Coumadin.
• It is very substantial to take Coumadin on a normal schedule as prescribed by your doctor. Take Coumadin at the alike time each day.
• Continue to take Coumadin even incase you feel well. Do not miss any doses, unless directed to do so by your doctor.

Ask your health care provider any questions you may possess about how to take Coumadin.

Drug Class as well as Mechanism

Coumadin is an anticoagulant. It works by blocking the formation of ceratin blood clotting factors.

Missed Dose

Incase you miss a dose of Coumadin, take it as soon as likely. Incase it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose as well as go back to your normal dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.

Storage

Incase you miss a dose of Coumadin, contact your doctor fair away. Take the missed dose as soon as likely incase you remember on the alike day. Incase you do not remember until the next day, skip the missed dose as well as go back to your normal dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.

Warnings/Precautions

Do not take Coumadin if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Coumadin;
• you possess bleeding tendencies, bleeding problems (eg, hemophilia), very bad or uncontrolled high blood pressure, confident blood problems (eg, abridged pale blood cell or platelet levels), or leukemia;
• you possess active humorless bleeding, bleeding in the brain, confident blood vessel problems (eg, aneurysm, dissecting aorta), or inflammation or infection of the heart;
• you possess active ulcer or bleeding of the stomach or bowel, urinary tract, genitals, or respiratory tract;
• you possess recently had or will be having eye, brain, or spinal cord surgery; spinal puncture; spinal anesthesia; or any type of major surgery;
• you are pregnant or may become pregnant;
• you are unable to possess routine blood clotting tests;
• you are unable to follow your doctor's instructions properly as well as do not possess someone to help you take your medicine;
• you are using mifepristone, streptokinase, or urokinase.

Contact your doctor or health care provider fair away incase any of these apply to you.

Important :

• Tell your doctor or dentist that you take Coumadin before you receive any health examination or dental care, emergency care, or surgery.
• Do not drink alcohol while you are using Coumadin; it may increase the risk of Coumadin's side effects.
• Do not change you activity level or weight without checking with your doctor; the risk of Coumadin side effects may be increased.
• Do not eat cranberry products or drink cranberry juice while you are using Coumadin. Tell your doctor incase these products are already part of your diet.
• Elevated body temperature may increase the effect of Coumadin. Be careful to avoid becoming overheated, especially during hot weather.
• Coumadin decreases blood clotting. Take caution while doing activities such as brushing your teeth, flossing, or shaving. Avoid activities that may cause bruising or injury. Seek immediate health examination attention incase you fall or injure yourself. Tell your doctor incase you possess unusual bruising or bleeding. Tell your doctor incase you possess not light, tarry, or bloody stools.
• Do not take aspirin while you take Coumadin unless your doctor tells you to. Incase you already take aspirin for a heart or other condition, talk with your doctor about whether or not you should continue to take it with Coumadin.
• Tell your doctor incase you will be traveling or incase you will be confined to a bed or chair for a extended period of time (eg, car or airplane ride). This may increase your risk of developing a blood clot.
• Incase therapy with Coumadin is stopped, the blood thinning effects may final for 2 to 5 days after you halt using it. Discuss any questions or concerns with your doctor. Do not suddenly halt using Coumadin without checking with your doctor.
• Lab tests, including confident blood clotting tests (eg, PT, INR), may be performed while you take Coumadin. These tests may be used to monitor your condition or check for side effects. Be sure to keep all doctor as well as lab appointments.
• Take Coumadin with caution in Asian patients; they may be more sensitive to its effects, especially bleeding.
• Take Coumadin with caution in the elderly; they may be more sensitive to its effects, especially bleeding.
• Coumadin should be used with extreme caution in children; safety as well as effectiveness in children possess not been confirmed. Children may need more repeated lab tests incase they take Coumadin.
• Pregnancy as well as breast-feeding: Do not take Coumadin incase you are pregnant. It has been shown to cause harm to the fetus. Avoid becoming pregnant while you are using it. Incase you think you may be pregnant, contact your doctor fair away. It is not known incase Coumadin is found in breast milk. Incase you are or will be breast-feeding while you take Coumadin, check with your doctor. Discuss any likely risks to your baby.

Likely Side Effects

Seek health examination attention fair away incase any of these very bad side effects occur:

• very bad allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); back, side, muscle, joint, or stomach pain; not light, tarry, or bloody stools; blood in the urine (pink or copper urine); bloody or coffee ground-like vomit; chest pain; decreased urination; dizziness; fainting; fever; numbness or tingling; pain, unusual color, or temperature change in any area of the body; pale skin; purple, not light, or painful toes; shortness of breath; skin sores or ulcers; stroke symptoms (eg, confusion, slurred speech, vision problems, one-sided weakness); unexpected very bad pain in your legs, feet, or toes; trouble swallowing; unexplained swelling; unusual bruising or bleeding (eg, nosebleed, unusual bleeding from gums, increased bleeding from cuts, increased menstrual or vaginal bleeding, coughing up blood); unusual headache or weakness; unusual pain, swelling, or discomfort; wounds or sores that do not heal properly; yellowing of the skin or eyes.

More Information

Coumadin is to be used only by the patient for whom it is prescribed. Do not share it with other people.
If your symptoms do not improve or incase they become worse, check with your doctor.