BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuTaking warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven) - what to ask your doctorWarfarin - what to ask your doctor; Coumadin - what to ask your doctor; Jantoven - what to ask your doctorWarfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven) is a medicine that helps keep your blood from clotting. It is one of several medicines known as blood thinners. This medicine may be important if you have already had blood clots, or if your health care provider is worried that you may form a blood clot.Below are questions you may want to ask your provider to help you when you take warfarin.QuestionsWhy am I taking warfarin?What is a blood thinner? How does it work? Are there alternative blood thinners I could use? What will be changed for me?How much bruising or bleeding should I expect? Are there exercises, sports activities, or other activities that are not safe for me? What should I do differently at school or work? How should I take warfarin?Do I take it every day? Will it be the same dosage every day? What time of the day should I take it? How can I tell the different warfarin pills apart? What should I do if I am late for a dose? What should I do if I forget to take a dose? How long will I need to take the warfarin? Can I still take acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn)? What about other pain medicines? How about cold medicines? How about antibiotics? What should I do if a provider gives me a new prescription?Do I need to make any changes in what I eat or drink or my overall eating habits? Can I drink alcohol?What should I do if I fall? Are there changes I should make around the home?What are the signs or symptoms that I may be bleeding somewhere in my body?Do I need any blood tests? Where do I get them? How often?Open ReferencesReferencesAronson JK. Coumarin anticoagulants. In: Aronson JK, ed. Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs. 16th ed. Waltham, MA: Elsevier; 2016:702-737.Becker RC, Ortel TL. Antithrombotic and antiplatelet therapy. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 70.AllVideoImagesTogA Closer Look Atherosclerosis(Alt. Medicine)Pulmonary edema(Alt. Medicine)Wounds(Alt. Medicine)Common cold (Alt. Medicine)Myocardial infarction(Alt. Medicine)Influenza(Alt. Medicine)Reiter syndrome(Alt. Medicine)Depression(Alt. Medicine)HIV and AIDS(Alt. Medicine)Cough(Alt. Medicine)Talking to your MD Taking warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven) - what to ask your doctorHip or knee replacement - before - what to ask your doctor Heart attack - what to ask your providerAnesthesia - what to ask your doctor - childAnesthesia - what to ask your doctor - adultSelf Care Taking warfarinRelated Information Pulmonary embolus(Condition)Deep vein thrombosis(Condition)Atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter(Condition)Heart attack(Condition)Arrhythmias(Condition)Blood clots(Condition)Heart attack – discharge(Discharge)Heart failure - discharge(Discharge)Atrial fibrillation - discharge (Discharge)Heart valve surgery - discharge (Discharge)Taking warfarin(Self-Care)Heart attack and acute coronary syndrome - InDepth(In-Depth)Heart failure - InDepth(In-Depth)Stroke - InDepth(In-Depth) Review Date: 3/6/2025 Reviewed By: Jacob Berman, MD, MPH, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Taking warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven) - what to ask your doctorWarfarin - what to ask your doctor; Coumadin - what to ask your doctor; Jantoven - what to ask your doctorWarfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven) is a medicine that helps keep your blood from clotting. It is one of several medicines known as blood thinners. This medicine may be important if you have already had blood clots, or if your health care provider is worried that you may form a blood clot.Below are questions you may want to ask your provider to help you when you take warfarin.QuestionsWhy am I taking warfarin?What is a blood thinner? How does it work? Are there alternative blood thinners I could use? What will be changed for me?How much bruising or bleeding should I expect? Are there exercises, sports activities, or other activities that are not safe for me? What should I do differently at school or work? How should I take warfarin?Do I take it every day? Will it be the same dosage every day? What time of the day should I take it? How can I tell the different warfarin pills apart? What should I do if I am late for a dose? What should I do if I forget to take a dose? How long will I need to take the warfarin? Can I still take acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn)? What about other pain medicines? How about cold medicines? How about antibiotics? What should I do if a provider gives me a new prescription?Do I need to make any changes in what I eat or drink or my overall eating habits? Can I drink alcohol?What should I do if I fall? Are there changes I should make around the home?What are the signs or symptoms that I may be bleeding somewhere in my body?Do I need any blood tests? Where do I get them? How often?Open ReferencesReferencesAronson JK. Coumarin anticoagulants. In: Aronson JK, ed. Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs. 16th ed. Waltham, MA: Elsevier; 2016:702-737.Becker RC, Ortel TL. Antithrombotic and antiplatelet therapy. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 70.
