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Warfarin ( WAR-far-in ) (Coumadin®, Jantoven®) What is this medication used for? Warfarin prevents blood clots from forming or growing larger in blood and blood vessels. It can also be used to prevent blood clots from forming with certain implanted devices. This medicine is a blood thinner, also called an anticoagulant.
clotting. Keep all appointments with the doctor and laboratory. This medicine prevents blood from clotting; immediately report any prolonged or unusual bleeding to your doctor. The effects of this medication may last for 2–5 days after the last dose. • Some medicines and foods may interact with how warfarin works and may affect levels of this medication. Tell your doctor or other medical professionals that you are taking warfarin before starting any new medications. Avoid eating or drinking cranberry juice, grapefruit or grapefruit juice, or pomegranates or pomegranate juice. • This medicine works best if the same amount of vitamin K is taken every day. It’s important to not suddenly eat a lot more or a lot less vitamin K–rich food than usual. Foods high in vitamin K include asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, green leafy vegetables, plums, rhubarb, and canola oil. • Avoid activities or rough or combat sports that have a high risk of injury or head trauma. • This medication can cause bruising or bleeding. Brush your teeth and floss gently, a soft toothbrush is recommended. Blow your nose gently and do not pick your nose. • Ask your doctor before using any medicine for pain, fever, swelling or joint pain. This included aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve) and others. These medications may affect blood clotting and increase your risk for bleeding. • Tell all healthcare providers (including doctors, nurses, dentists, and pharmacists) that you are taking this drug. It might be helpful to wear a medical alert tag or carry and ID card stating that you take warfarin.
What does it look like? • Tablet • Liquid How is it given? • By mouth (oral or po)
• Into the vein (IV) or venous access device What are the common side effects? • Change in taste • Feeling tired (fatigue, malaise) • Pale skin • Hair loss (alopecia; more common with higher doses) • Feeling cold or having chills • Difficulty stopping bleeding of cuts or injuries What are the less common side effects? • Bleeding from the gums, coughing up or vomiting blood, or unusual or prolonged bleeding or bruising • Hives, rash, or itching • Nausea and vomiting • Fever • Difficulty breathing or swallowing • Swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, or eyes • Hoarseness • Chest pain or pressure • Changes in liver function, causing yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice) • Flu-like symptoms Special instructions: • A low dose of this medicine may be prescribed initially and gradually increased or decreased based on blood test results. • A blood test called prothrombin time/international normalized ratio (PT/INR) will be performed while the medicine is taken to monitor how well the blood is
Not all of the possible side effects of this medicine and precautions related to taking it are covered in this information sheet. For a complete list of side effects and precautions, ask your healthcare professional (doctor, nurse, pharmacist) for a manufacturer’s package insert or another reference.
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