Has your doctor prescribed you Warfarin?

Are you wondering what this medicine is all about?  More importantly, is Warfarin or Coumadin the drug for you? Well, to know more, read on. Warfarin is a medicine given to prevent blood clot formation in the body. It belongs to the anticoagulant class of drugs. Due to various reasons, sometimes, clots are formed in the blood. These blood clots are harmful because they obstruct normal blood flow and can cause a heart attack or stroke. So, Warfarin acts like a blood thinner or anticoagulant (which prevents the process of clot formation). It inhibits the clotting factors and lowers the chances of clot formation. Thus, it reduces any chances of an adverse cardiovascular event.

Warfarin is used primarily to:

•    Reduce the risk of stroke and heart attacks
•    Prevent and treat blood clots in our body

Warfarin is prescribed if:

•    You have atrial fibrillation or irregular heartbeats
•    You have an artificial heart valve
•    You have peripheral artery diseases. When the blood does not reach the feet and arms in sufficient quantities
•    You have had a joint replacement surgery

Warfarin is used to treat many conditions. It may be prescribed as a combination drug in some cases. That means you will need to take it along with other medicines too.

Things to tell your doctor before you start the medicine:

Like all drugs, Warfarin too, comes with warnings! It is imperative to discuss all of the medical history and the medicines you may be on, with the doctor. Additionally, the following can have certain effects on the body while taking Warfarin. Hence it is necessary to mention it to the doctor. That helps the doctor determine if it is safe for you or not.
•    If you have high blood pressure
•    If you recently have had surgery on the brain, spine, or the eye
•    Have a blood cell disorder
•    Have had any infection related to the lining of the heart
•    You are pregnant or have plans
•    Have had a stroke
•    If you have diabetes

How to take Warfarin?

Warfarin needs to be taken orally. It is a tablet.  
Warfarin tablets come in different strengths like 1mg, 1 mg, 2 mg, 2.5 mg, 3 mg, 4 mg, 5 mg, 6 mg, 7.5 mg, and 10 mg
Warfarin tablet has to be taken at a fixed time every day. You may set an alarm for taking the medicine.
In an event of missing a dose, you may take it once you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, you may skip and directly take the next dose at the decided time.
In an event of an overdose call your doctor immediately.
Do not increase or reduce the dose without consulting the doctor. It should be taken exactly the way the doctor tells you to.

The popular brands for Warfarin are:

•    Coumadin: This is in tablet form. The available strengths are 6MG, 2.5MG, 10MG, 7.5MG, 5MG, 2MG, 4MG, 3MG, 1MG. It is usually available in a bottle of 50 tablets.
•    Jantoven: This is also available in tablet form. It comes in strengths of 1mg, 2mg, 2.5mg, 3mg, 4mg, 5mg, 6mg, 7.5mg, 10mg. It can come as a blister pack or a bottle of 100 tablets.

Does Warfarin suit you?

It is vital to know if a particular drug suits you. Similarly, it is also important to know if the drug is beneficial to you and if you are getting the desired results. In the olden days, doctors would give medicine and wait to see its efficacy on the patient. Today, with advanced science, we can know beforehand if the drug is suitable for an individual. Every human is different, and the genes of every individual are different. Each of us has a unique DNA. What works for one may not work for another. The study of genetic information to predict a response to a drug is known as pharmacogenetics. We at Indus Health Plus have come up with the perfect solution to understand which drugs would suit an individual. With the amazing 'MEDNAwise test' it is easy to know if Warfarin suits you or not. MEDNAwise genetic test is the perfect tool to know the response of your body to various drugs. With this test, the doctors will find, the medicine that would be the perfect match for your health issue. The crucial advantage is that by knowing which drug would give the optimum results, the doctors can efficiently and effectively treat the disease. The speed of recovery is better, and the disease can be treated before it aggravates.

Know your body with the personalized preventive health check-up ‘MEDNAwise genetic testing’! Life is not a sprint but a collaboration with each other. We collaborate to become better. So, do not wait any longer. We at Indus are waiting to collaborate for collective good health. Come and sign up for the MEDNAwise genetic test. A valuable gift you can gift yourself.  The test informs you about your gene-specific health risks, diet, and fitness. Decode the secrets of your genes. Get personalized counselling based on the results. Our specialist will help you with the process.  What are you waiting for? Call us today!