Links to other pages within Patient UK which are related to this topic:
Experience | Leaflets | Support | Patient+ | Weblinks | News | Products | Other
Print options:   Other options:   Bookmark and Share

  • You should be given an anticoagulant record book; read this, and always carry it with you.
  • You will have regular blood tests to check the level of warfarin in your blood- these blood tests are very important.
  • You should not begin a weight reducing diet without discussing it with your doctor first.
  • Avoid drinking cranberry juice while you are taking this medicine.
  • Alcohol should only be drunk in moderation.

About warfarin

Type of medicineAnticoagulant
Used forTo prevent and treat the formation of harmful blood clots within the body by thinning the blood and/or dissolving clots
Also calledMarevan
Available asTablets
Liquid

Warfarin works by thinning the blood.

Before taking warfarin

Before taking warfarin make sure your doctor or pharmacist knows:

  • If you are pregnant, trying for a baby or breast-feeding.
  • If you suffer from a blood disorder.
  • If you have a peptic ulcer.
  • If you have any severe wounds at present.
  • If you suffer from high blood pressure.
  • If you have had recent surgery, or are due for surgery in the near future.
  • If you suffer from problems with your thyroid.
  • If you suffer from liver or kidney problems.
  • If you consume a lot of cranberry juice.
  • If you have been diagnosed as having an infection of the heart.

How to take warfarin

  • Follow the instructions given to you by your doctor.
  • Your dose should be taken at the same time each day.

Getting the most from your treatment

  • You should be given an anticoagulant record book; read this, and always carry it with you.
  • Warfarin tablets are available in different strengths. Your dose may be made up of more than one strength tablet. Each strength tablet is a different colour to help you tell the difference between them; 0.5mg tablets are white, 1mg tablets are brown, 3mg tablets are blue and 5mg tablets are pink.
  • You will have regular blood tests to check how the warfarin in your blood is working- these blood tests are very important. The extent to which warfarin is working is measured by the INR (International Normalised ratio), a measure of the ability of your blood to prevent clotting.
  • Changing your diet suddenly can affect your warfarin levels, especially if you begin to eat more vegetables and salad or if you change the amount of fatty foods you have been eating. You should not begin a weight reducing diet without discussing it with your doctor first.
  • Avoid drinking cranberry juice while you are taking this medicine as it may affect the levels of warfarin in your body.
  • Alcohol should only be drunk in moderation. Alcohol can also affect the levels of warfarin in your body.
  • Do not take any 'over the counter medicines', herbal remedies or vitamin preparations without discussing this with your doctor first, as these may affect your warfarin levels.

Can warfarin cause problems

Along with their useful effects all medicines can cause unwanted side effects, which usually improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine. Speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following side effects continue or become troublesome.

Common side-effects - these affect less than 1 in 10 people who take this medicineWhat can I do if I experience this
Unusual bruising, bleeding, blood in the urine, blackened stoolsSee your doctor- your dose of warfarin will probably need to be reduced
DiarrhoeaDrink plenty of water to replace lost fluids
RashSee your doctor if this persists
Hair lossSee your doctor if this persists
Feeling or being sickEat little and often
Stick to simple foods such as dry toast
If you are sick drink plenty of liquid

Important: If you notice any yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice) contact your doctor or anticoagulant clinic immediately.

How to store warfarin

  • Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.
  • Store in a cool, dry place, away from direct heat and light.

Important information about all medicines


  • Keep all medicines out of the sight and reach of children.
  • Make sure that the person prescribing this medicine knows about any other medicines that you are taking. This includes medicines you buy and herbal and homeopathic medicines.
  • If you buy any medicines check with a pharmacist that they are safe to take with your other medicines.
  • Before taking this medicine tell your doctor if you have ever had an allergic reaction after taking any medicine.
  • Never take more than the prescribed dose. If you suspect that you or someone else has taken an overdose of this medicine go to the accident and emergency department of your local hospital at once. Always take the container with you, if possible, even if it is empty.
  • If you are having any treatment like an operation or dental treatment tell the person carrying out the treatment which medicines you are taking.
  • Always read the printed information leaflet that comes with your medicine.
  • This medicine is for you. Never give it to other people even if their condition appears to be the same as yours.
  • Never keep out of date or unwanted medicines. Take them to your local pharmacy which will dispose of them for you.
  • If you have any questions about this medicine ask your pharmacist.

References

  • British National Formulary; 54th Edition (September 2007) British Medical Association and Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, London.
  • Martindale: The Complete Drug Reference
Comprehensive patient resources are available at www.patient.co.uk
© EMIS 2009 DocID: 3490 DocRef: dils2751 Last Reviewed: 21 Nov 2007 Version: 23

The authors and editors of this article are employed to create accurate and up to date content reflecting reliable research evidence, guidance and best clinical practice. They are free from any commercial conflicts of interest. Find out more about updating.

Links to other pages within Patient UK which are related to this topic:
Experience | Leaflets | Support | Patient+ | Weblinks | News | Products | Other
Print options:   Other options:   Bookmark and Share
Want to search some more? Use the Google Search box below to search our site.

Related pages in Patient UK

Your Experience (^ top of page)

 Please add your experience about this condition / medicine
 View Patient Experience for 'Warfarin' (48 there)
 Atrial Fibrillation
 Atrial Fibrillation and Warfarin

Support Group Lifeblood: The Thrombosis Charity

 Oral Anticoagulants

 Warfarin Treatment

Recent related news items

 New drug set to replace warfarin
 Warfarin and brain haemorrhage

Latest Health News

 View current health news

NHS Approved Pharmacy - for online prescriptions

Medical equipment

 Pill/Tablet Equipment

Visit the Patient UK Medical Equipment shop

Books


Visit the Patient UK shop

Other - Useful resources (^ top of page)

Pictures, diagrams, photos, images, etc.
Evidence based medicine
Online textbooks and journals
UK Guidelines
Online Videos
Medline
Other good health sites

Want to search some more? Use the Google Search box below to search our site.

Advertisements













Disclaimer: Patient UK has no control over the content of any external links above. Inclusion does not imply endorsement by Patient UK.

Want to advertise on this site? Find out how >>

Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of Information Leaflets which are related to the topic you are currently viewing
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of Support Groups which are related to the topic you are currently viewing
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of Medicines & Drugs which are related to the topic you are currently viewing
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of diagrams which are related to the topic you are currently viewing
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of PatientPlus (detailed reference) articles which are related to the topic you are currently viewing
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of UK Guidelines which are related to the topic you are currently viewing
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of other selected websites which are related to the topic you are currently viewing
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of Poems and Stories which are related to the topic you are currently viewing
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of Operations and Procedures which are related to the topic you are currently viewing
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of Online Videos which are related to the topic you are currently viewing
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find links through to our interactive forum.
Here you can follow a link to view existing patient experiences on this subject, or to add your own
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find links to news stories on this subject in our Online Newspaper
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find links to related products
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find links to other useful sources of information
Click here to open a printer-friendly version of this document, in a new window, together with the print dialogue box
Click here to open this document in PDF format
This will offer you the usual PDF options i.e. document navigation, search, zoom and formatted print
Note: this is the best way to print the document
Click here to listen to the MP3 audio recording of this document
Click here to download the audio recording of this document as a podcast, for listening to at your leisure
Click here to open our Dictionaries and Glossaries page
Click here to see related products in our Online Pharmacy
Note: this will open in a new window
Click here to add this page to a social bookmarking site of your choice
Click here if you want to find out more about social bookmarking. This link will take you to the Wikipedia explanation
Note: this will open in a new window
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of Information Leaflets which are related to the topic you are currently viewing
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of Support Groups which are related to the topic you are currently viewing
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of Medicines & Drugs which are related to the topic you are currently viewing
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of diagrams which are related to the topic you are currently viewing
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of PatientPlus (detailed reference) articles which are related to the topic you are currently viewing
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of UK Guidelines which are related to the topic you are currently viewing
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of other selected websites which are related to the topic you are currently viewing
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of Poems and Stories which are related to the topic you are currently viewing
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of Operations and Procedures which are related to the topic you are currently viewing
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find a list of Online Videos which are related to the topic you are currently viewing
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find links through to our interactive forum.
Here you can follow a link to view existing patient experiences on this subject, or to add your own
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find links to news stories on this subject in our Online Newspaper
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find links to related products
Clicking here will take you to the foot of this page where you'll find links to other useful sources of information
Click here to open a printer-friendly version of this document, in a new window, together with the print dialogue box
Click here to open this document in PDF format
This will offer you the usual PDF options i.e. document navigation, search, zoom and formatted print
Note: this is the best way to print the document
Click here to listen to the MP3 audio recording of this document
Click here to download the audio recording of this document as a podcast, for listening to at your leisure
Click here to open our Dictionaries and Glossaries page
Click here to see related products in our Online Pharmacy
Note: this will open in a new window
Click here to add this page to a social bookmarking site of your choice
Click here if you want to find out more about social bookmarking. This link will take you to the Wikipedia explanation
Note: this will open in a new window
Click here to return to the home page
Click here to read our 'About Us' page
Go to the Emis Access website, where you can book an appointment with your GP, order a repeat prescription or view you medical record online.
Note: this will open in a new window
View and/or join in discussion about health, lifestyle and disease in our interactive forum.
Note: this will open in a new window
Visit our pharmacy product price comparison website
Go to our online newspaper for current medical news and commentary.
Note: this will open in a new window
Adverts on this site do not influence the medical content. Click to read more.
Adverts on this site do not influence the medical content. Click to read more.
This organsition has been certified as a producer of reliable health and social care information.

Click the image to find out more.