
Warfarin: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, & Dosing
Warfarin
Warfarin is a blood thinner and an anticoagulant. It helps prevent blood
clots and the problems that might occur from them by decreasing their
development, and in this article, we talk about
this drug in terms of its uses, doses, side effects of its use, and many more.
Warfarin Uses
Warfarin is used to treat patients with blood clots.
Such as: leg clot, or pulmonary embolism, and it is also used to prevent the
formation of new clots in the body, and preventing the formation of harmful
blood clots helps reduce the risk of stroke or heart attack, and conditions
that increase a person's risk of blood clots include the following:
- Atrial fibrillation; A type of tachycardia.
- Heart valve replacement.
- The person had a heart attack recently.
- Performing some surgeries; Ex: hip or knee replacement.
Dosages Of Warfarin
The dosage of this medicine depends on the person's
medical condition, and some laboratory tests. Such as: the (INR) test, in
addition to the person's response to treatment, for example, the dose to reduce
the risk of stroke and heart attack is 5-10 milligrams per day for people 18
years of age and older after relying on the results of the examination, and the
doctor will monitor the person very carefully when taking this medicine to
determine the appropriate dose, and to get the best results from it, it must be
taken regularly, and the medicine label should be read before starting to take
it. Warfarin is taken orally with or without food, depending on the doctor’s
directions, and it is taken once a day.
Because this drug is absorbed through the skin and
lungs and harms an unborn baby; Women who are pregnant or who want to become
pregnant should not take it or inhale the particles coming from its pills.
Warfarin Side Effects
Warfarin causes many side effects, some of which are
common, and some of which are dangerous, and these effects include the
following:
The most common side effects, which are mainly associated with abnormal bleeding
caused by warfarin, They include the following:
- Abnormal bruising; Such as bruises that cannot be explained, or the growth of bruises in size.
- Nosebleeds, gums;
- Bleeding from wounds, and is characterized by the need for a long time to stop.
- Increased amount and duration of menstrual bleeding.
- Pink or brown pee.
- Passing red or black stools.
- Coughing up blood
- Vomiting blood, or vomiting a liquid that looks like coffee grounds.
Serious side effects, if a person suffers from these serious effects, he
should contact a doctor immediately, and if the symptoms pose a threat to his
life, urgently call 911, and these effects include the following:
- Death of skin tissue, this condition occurs when blood
clots form that block the flow of blood to a specific area of the
body, usually accompanied by pain, and a change in the temperature or color of
the affected area.
- Blue toe syndrome, which causes pain and a dark purple appearance in the toes.
Warfarin Interactions With Other Medicines
Warfarin interacts with other medicines, vitamins, or
herbs that a person is taking. The doctor must know all the medications and
products that the patient takes, and manage them very carefully.
The most prominent drugs that interact with warfarin
include the following:
Anticoagulants, these drugs increase the risk of bleeding if taken
with warfarin, and the most prominent of these drugs are: Comes:
- Factor X inhibitors; Such as: apixaban, edoxaban, and rivaroxaban.
- Direct thrombin inhibitors; as dabigatran.
Antiplatelet drugs. The risk of bleeding is increased when warfarin is
taken with antiplatelet drugs. Such as: clopidogrel, piprasugrel, and
ticagrelor.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the risk of bleeding also increases when warfarin is
combined with this group of drugs:
- Aspirin.
- Diclofenac and ibuprofen.
- Indomethacin and naproxen.
Antidepressants. Antidepressants increase the risk of bleeding when taken
with warfarin, including the following:
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors; Such as: citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paresten, and others.
- Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors; duloxetine and venlafaxine.
Antibiotics and antifungals, some of which change the way warfarin works in the
body; Therefore, the doctor needs to monitor the patient carefully when
stopping or starting any antibiotic or fungicide.
The most prominent of these drugs are the following:
- Antibiotics; Such as: macrolides such as azithromycin, clarithromycin, erythromycin, and trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole.
- antifungals; Such as: fungal azole drugs, such as fluconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole, and posaconazole. Some herbal products.
Some herbal products increase the effect of warfarin on the blood
fluidity. Such as garlic, Ginkgo Biloba, and some other herbal products reduce
the effects of warfarin and increase the risk of blood clots. Such as: Coenzyme
Q10, St. John's wort, and ginseng.
Drugs that affect the cytochrome P450 enzyme, this enzyme helps the body process drugs, and drugs
that activate this enzyme affect how the body deals with warfarin according to
the following:
- Some drugs increase the amount of warfarin in the body, which exposes the person to the risk of bleeding, these include amiodarone, efavirenz, isoniazid, and metronidazole.
- Some drugs accelerate the action of this enzyme, which reduces the amount of warfarin in the body, and exposes the person to the risk of blood clots, and these drugs include carbamazepine, nevirapine, phenobarbital, and rifampin.
The Risk Of Taking An Overdose Of Warfarin
If a person accidentally takes an extra dose of
warfarin, the specialist must contact the doctor immediately, as the person
needs to change his next dose of the drug, or take a blood test, but if the
person takes more than one dose of the drug, He will be at risk of severe
bleeding and will need to go to the emergency immediately, and it is
recommended that the medicine package, or the leaflet inside it, be taken to
the emergency with the person, in addition to any medicine left with him.
What Happens If The Patient Forgets To Take Warfarin?
If a person forgets to take a dose of warfarin, he
must take it as soon as he remembers, and if he does not remember it until the
next day, he should contact the doctor to get the appropriate instructions.
Everything mentioned about the medicine was based on its medical leaflet, but this does not replace the need to consult a doctor.
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