Warfarin
Warfarin is an oral anticoagulant that prevents and treats blood clots; PockDose lists Coumadin tablets, containing warfarin, in 1mg, 2mg and 5mg strengths.
What warfarin is used for
Warfarin, the ingredient in Coumadin, is an anticoagulant: it makes blood slower to clot. It prevents and treats clots in the veins, including deep vein thrombosis (a clot in a leg vein) and clots that travel to the lungs. It lowers stroke risk in atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat) and is used with mechanical heart valves and after a heart attack or stroke. It cannot break up a clot already formed; it stops new ones and limits the spread of existing ones.
How warfarin slows clotting
Blood needs clotting factors, and the liver cannot make several of them without vitamin K. Warfarin blocks the enzyme that recycles that vitamin, so fewer factors are made and clotting slows. It takes several days to build, and the effect differs from person to person. That is why the dose follows the INR, a blood test of clotting time, and not a fixed schedule.
Taking the tablets day to day
Warfarin is one tablet a day, with or without food. Choose a slot you will not forget, such as the evening meal, and keep to it so each dose lands roughly 24 hours after the last. Coumadin is the warfarin tablet sold here, in 1mg, 2mg and 5mg, and a daily amount is often made up from more than one strength. Keep the tablets in their original box, away from sunlight and damp.
Bleeding and other side effects
Slower clotting is the whole point of warfarin, and it is also where the side effects come from. Bruising more easily than usual, nosebleeds, bleeding gums and small cuts that take longer to stop are the everyday ones. Bleeding that will not stop, blood in vomit or urine, coughing up blood, or black tarry stools need urgent treatment. A rare reaction called warfarin-induced skin necrosis makes patches of skin painful and dark, usually within the first days of treatment. Some women notice heavier periods.
Diet, alcohol and other medicines
Vitamin K, found in green leafy vegetables, broccoli and some vegetable oils, works against warfarin. Cutting it out is not the aim; keeping the amount steady is, because a sudden rise or fall in intake can move the INR. Alcohol pushes the other way. Heavy or binge drinking strengthens the thinning effect and the chance of bleeding, and swinging between none and a lot destabilises a settled result. Some antibiotics and antifungals, aspirin, anti-inflammatory painkillers and herbal products (St John's wort, ginkgo, coenzyme Q10) also change how warfarin acts.
Sources
- Warfarin: MedlinePlus Drug Information — National Library of Medicine
- Warfarin 0.5 mg Tablets - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) - (emc) — electronic medicines compendium (emc) / Sun Pharmaceutical
Where can I order Warfarin for delivery in Hong Kong?
Warfarin can be ordered online from PockDose for delivery to Hong Kong. The range is generic Coumadin, also sold as Warfarin tablets, as 1mg, 2mg and 5mg tablets. Payment is by Visa, Mastercard or American Express on a secure, encrypted payment page, or by Bitcoin or Ethereum.
How are Warfarin prices shown?
It depends on the product, strength and pack size. The warfarin product listed here shows its current prices in HKD or the currency you select.
Does PockDose sell generic Coumadin?
Yes, generic Coumadin is listed as 1mg, 2mg and 5mg tablets and contains warfarin. It is also sold as plain Warfarin tablets in the same three strengths, as tablets, so you can pick the name you prefer.
What brand names does warfarin have?
Coumadin is a brand name of warfarin, which is also sold as Jantoven and Marevan. Here, warfarin can be bought online as generic Coumadin. These are generics, not the original brand.
How long does warfarin take to work?
A few days. The clotting factors the liver made before the first tablet have to clear from the blood before clotting slows. Dosing usually starts low and is adjusted as the INR results come in.
Can I drink alcohol with warfarin?
Alcohol changes how warfarin behaves, so both the amount and the pattern matter. Heavy or binge drinking raises the blood-thinning effect and the risk of bleeding, and a sudden change in how much you drink can push the INR out of range. Small, steady amounts are easier to manage than an occasional heavy night.
Do I have to give up green leafy vegetables?
No. Greens are rich in vitamin K, which opposes warfarin, but an empty plate is not the aim. Consistency is: a spinach-heavy week after months of none, or dropping kale and broccoli overnight, is what moves the INR. People who eat greens regularly can carry on and keep the weekly amount about level.
What happens if I miss a dose of warfarin?
Take it later the same day if you remember before bed. Otherwise go back to the usual single tablet the next day; doubling up to make up for it is never right. One missed tablet is unlikely to change clotting straight away.
How long does warfarin stay in the body?
Its effect outlasts the tablets: clotting stays slower for about 2 to 5 days after the last dose. That is why the INR is checked before surgery or a procedure, and why the blood-thinning effect cannot be switched off from one day to the next.