Warfarin how many times a day

Ask the healthcare professional responsible for your care if you're not sure. If you usually take warfarin in the morning and forget to take it at your normal time, take it as soon as you remember and continue as normal.

However, if it's time to take your next dose, don't take a double dose to catch up, unless your GP has specifically advised you to. If you forget to take your dose of warfarin in the evening but remember before midnight on the same day, take the missed dose. If midnight has passed, leave that dose and take your normal dose the next day at the usual time. Ask your GP or staff at your local anticoagulant clinic if you're not sure what to do about a missed dose of warfarin.

You can also call NHS 24 service for advice. Bleeding is the main side effect associated with warfarin, as it slows down the blood's normal clotting ability. You're at greatest risk of bleeding in the first few weeks of starting treatment with warfarin and when you're unwell. Take extra care to avoid cutting yourself while taking anticoagulant medication because of the risk of excessive bleeding.

Contact your GP or the healthcare specialist responsible for your care if you experience any persistent side effects while taking warfarin. Warfarin can interact with many other medicines. The patient information leaflet that comes with a medicine should tell you if it's safe to take with warfarin. Herbal medicines and supplements can also interact with warfarin. You should therefore avoid taking them without first checking with your GP, pharmacist, or staff at your local anticoagulant clinic.

Some food and drink can interfere with the effect of warfarin if consumed in large amounts, including foods that are rich in vitamin K. When your first dose of warfarin is prescribed, it doesn't matter how much vitamin K you're eating because the dosage will be based on your current blood clotting levels. However, if you make significant changes to your diet, such as increasing your vitamin K intake or cutting out foods that contain vitamin K, it could interfere with how warfarin works.

Consult the healthcare professional responsible for your care before making any significant changes to your diet while taking warfarin. They'll also be able to give you more information about foods to avoid or limit. Getting drunk or binge drinking is dangerous while taking warfarin. It may increase the effect of the drug, increasing the risk of bleeding. The latest guidelines on drinking alcohol state that regularly drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week for both men and women risks damaging your health.

Fourteen units is equivalent to six pints of average-strength beer or 10 small glasses of low-strength wine. Because of the risk of bleeding, your dose of warfarin may need to be lowered or stopped a few days before having an operation or dental work. Tell the surgeon or dentist that you're taking warfarin. You should also tell anyone else involved with your care, such as an anticoagulant nurse, if you need an operation so they can make arrangements.

You can continue to take part in non-contact sports, such as running, athletics, cycling and racquet sports. However, make sure you wear protective clothing, such as a cycle helmet. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so. The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.

If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule.

Do not double doses. Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing. All rights reserved. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.

Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. The goal is to allow the patient to identify the color-coded dose and prevent mix-ups or errors. Therefore, if the color or dose of the dispensed tablet appears different from the pill taken previously, the patient should immediately notify the dispensing pharmacist or healthcare provider.

In , the Food and Drug Administration issued a public health advisory to healthcare professionals and consumers that U. Some FDA—approved products have the same brand names as drug products marketed outside the United States but contain completely different active ingredients.

Therefore, patients who fill U. We advise U. Foreign drugs may use identical or potentially confusing brand names for products with active ingredients that differ from U.

Warfarin has many foreign brand names Table 1. Patients who do fill prescriptions abroad should ensure the accuracy and quality of the medication dispensed. Never increase or decrease your dose unless instructed to do so by your healthcare provider. If a dose is missed or forgotten, call your healthcare provider for advice. The major complications associated with warfarin are clotting due to underdosing or bleeding due to excessive anticoagulation.

The most serious bleeding is gastrointestinal or intracerebral. Excessive bleeding can occur in any area of the body, and patients taking warfarin should report any falls or accidents, as well as signs or symptoms of bleeding or unusual bruising, to their healthcare provider.

An unusual headache or a headache that is more severe than usual may signal intracerebral bleeding. If you experience the following signs of bleeding, you should call or your healthcare provider immediately:.

Some simple changes to decrease the risk of bleeding while taking warfarin include the following:. Changes in daily living can affect the INR. Warfarin is not recommended during pregnancy. A woman who becomes pregnant or plans to become pregnant while undergoing warfarin therapy should notify her healthcare provider immediately. It is important to tell all your healthcare providers that you are taking warfarin.

If you are having surgery, dental work, or other medical procedures, you may need to stop taking warfarin. Check with your healthcare provider if you expect to travel. While traveling, it is important to carry your medication with you at all times. Do not put medication into checked baggage. Patients who take warfarin should consult with their healthcare provider before taking any new medication, including over-the-counter nonprescription drugs, herbal medicines, vitamins or any other products.

Many medications can alter the effectiveness of warfarin, resulting in an INR that is either too high or too low. Some of the most common over-the-counter pain relievers, such as: ibuprofen brand name Advil and naproxen brand name Aleve , enhance the anticoagulant effects of warfarin and increase the likelihood of harmful bleeding.

Those who require long-term warfarin should wear a medical alert bracelet, necklace, or similar alert tag at all times. If an accident occurs and the person is too ill to communicate, a medical alert tag will help responders provide appropriate care.