WARFARIN

(WAR far in) Brand: Coumadin, Jantoven

What is the most significant information I must know about warfarin?

• You must not take warfarin if you have a bleeding or blood cell mess, blood in your urine or stools, an infection of the lining of your heart, ulcer or stomach bleeding, coughing up blood, last head injury or bleeding in the brain, last or upcoming surgery, or if you need a spinal tap or spinal anesthesia (epidural). Do not take warfarin if you can't be dependable in taking it each day.

• Do not use warfarin if you are pregnant, unless your doctor tells you to. Warfarin can reason birth defects, but the benefits of preventing blood clots in determined women may outweigh any risks to the child.

• Warfarin increases your risk of bleeding, which can be severe or life-threatening. Avoid activities that may magnify your risk of bleeding or injury.

• Call your doctor or search abnormal medical attention if you have bleeding that will not stop. You may also have bleeding on the internal of your body, such as in your stomach or intestines. Call your doctor at once if you have black or bloody stools, or if you cough up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds. These could be signs of bleeding in your digestive tract.

• Many drugs (including some over-the-counter medicines and herbal products) can reason serious medical problems if you take them with warfarin. It is very significant to speak your doctor about all medicines you have recently used.

• While using warfarin, you will need frequent blood tests.

What is warfarin?

• Warfarin is an anticoagulant (blood thinner). Warfarin reduces the formation of blood clots.

• Warfarin is used to prevent heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots in veins and arteries.

• Warfarin may also be used for purposes not listed in this medicine guide.

What must I discuss with my healthcare provider till taking warfarin?

• You must not take warfarin if you are allergic to it, or if you have:

· hemophilia or any bleeding mess that is inherited or caused by disease;

· a blood cell mess such as anemia (lack of red blood cells) or a low level of platelets in your blood;

· blood in your urine or stools, or if you have been coughing up blood;

· an infection of the lining of your heart (also called bacterial endocarditis);

· stomach or intestinal bleeding or ulcer;

· last head injury, aneurysm, or bleeding in the brain; or

· if you undergo a spinal tap or receive spinal anesthesia (epidural).

• You must not take warfarin if you can't be dependable in taking it because of alcoholism, psychiatric problems, dementia, or similar conditions.

• Warfarin can create you bleed more easily, especially if you have:

· a history of bleeding problems;

· tall blood pressure or severe heart disease;

· kidney or liver disease;

· cancer;

· surgery or a medical emergency;

· a malady affecting the blood vessels in your brain;

· a history of stomach or intestinal bleeding;

· if you are 65 or older; or

· if you are severely ill or debilitated.

• To create certain warfarin is safety for you, speak your doctor if you have:

· celiac sprue (an intestinal disorder);

· diabetes;

· congestive heart failure;

· overactive thyroid;

· last or upcoming surgery on your brain, spine, or eye;

· a connective tissue mess such as Marfan Syndrome, Sjogren syndrome, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, or lupus;

· a hereditary clotting deficiency (warfarin may create your symptoms worse at first);

· if you use a catheter; or

· if you have ever had low blood platelets after receiving heparin.

• Do not use warfarin if you are pregnant, unless your doctor tells you to. Warfarin can reason birth defects. However, the benefits of preventing blood clots in determined women may outweigh any risks to the child. Speak your doctor right away if you become pregnant during treatment. Use effective birth control while you are using this medication.

• It is not known whether warfarin passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing child. Do not use this medicine without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How must I take warfarin?

• Follow all directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your doze to create certain you get the excellent results. Do not take warfarin in larger or less amounts or for longer than your doctor tells you to. Never take a double doze of this medication.

• Take warfarin at the same time each day. Warfarin can be taken with or without food.

• Speak your doctor if you have any diseases with diarrhea, fever, chills, body aches, or flu symptoms. Speak your doctor if your body weight changes for any reason.

• While using warfarin, you will need frequent "INR" or prothrombin time trials (to measure how long it takes your blood to clot). You may not announcement any change in your symptoms, but your blood work will help your doctor determine how long to treat you with warfarin. You should stay under the care of a doctor while using warfarin. Do not miss any follow-up appointments.

• Wear a medical alert tag or carry an ID card stating that you take warfarin. Any doctor, dentist, surgeon, or another medical care provider who treats you must know that you are taking this medicine. You may need to stop taking the medication for a short time if you need antibiotics, surgery, dental work, a spinal tap, or spinal anesthesia (epidural).

• Store at room temperature away from heat, moisture, and light.

What happens if I miss a dose?

• Take the missed doze as soon as you remember. Skip the missed doze if it is nearly time for your following scheduled doze. Do not take extra medication to create up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

• Search abnormal medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. Overdose can reason overweening bleeding.

What must I avoid while taking warfarin?

• Ask your doctor till taking any medication for pain, arthritis, fever, or swelling. This includes acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofenac, indomethacin, meloxicam, and others. These medicines may affect blood clotting and may also magnify your risk of stomach bleeding.

• Avoid making any changes in your diet without first talking to your doctor. Foods that are tall in vitamin K (liver, leafy green vegetables, or vegetable oils) can create warfarin smaller effective. If these foods are part of your diet, ate a consistent amount on a weekly basis, and no more than 3 to 4 times for week.

• Grapefruit or cranberry juice may interact with warfarin and lead to unwanted side effects. Avoid the use of grapefruit or cranberry commodity while taking warfarin.

What are the possible side effects of warfarin?

• Get abnormal medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your person, lips, tongue, or throat.

• Warfarin may reason you to bleed more easily, which can be severe or life-threatening. Call your doctor or search abnormal medical attention if you have any unusual bleeding, or bleeding that will not stop. You may also have bleeding on the internal of your body, such as in your stomach or intestines. Call your doctor at once if you have black or bloody stools, or if you cough up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds. These could be signs of bleeding in your digestive tract.

• Call your doctor at once if you have:

· pain, swelling, hot or cool feeling, skin changes, or discoloration anywhere on your body;

· sudden and severe leg or foot pain, foot ulcer, purple toes or fingers;

· sudden headache, dizziness, or weakness;

· light bruising, purple or red pinpoint spots under your skin, bleeding from wounds or needle injections;;

· pale skin, feeling light-headed or short of breath, rapid heart course, trouble concentrating;

· dark urine, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);

· few or no urinating;

· numbness or muscle weakness; or

· pain in your stomach, back, or sides.

• General side effects may include:

· nausea, vomiting, mild stomach pain;

· bloating, gas; or

· altered sense of taste.

• This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What another drugs will affect warfarin?

• Many drugs (including some over-the-counter medicines and herbal products) can affect your INR and may magnify the risk of bleeding if you take them with warfarin. Not all possible drug interactions are listed in this medicine manual. It is very significant to ask your doctor till you start or stop using any another medication, especially:

· another medications to prevent blood clots;

· an antibiotic, antifungal medicine, sulfa drug, or medication to treat tuberculosis;

· supplements that contain vitamin K;

· an antidepressant--citalopram, duloxetine, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline, venlafaxine, vilazodone, and others; seizure medication--carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin; herbal (botanical) products--coenzyme Q10, cranberry, echinacea, garlic, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, goldenseal, or St. John's wort.

• This list is not complete and much another drugs can interact with warfarin. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal commodity. Do not start using a new medication without your doctor advice. Give a list of all your medicines to any healthcare provider who treats you.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about warfarin.

Remember, hold this and all another medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed.

Disclaim: Each effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses external of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way must be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safety, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the help of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.