No - warfarin crosses the placenta barrier and has an anticoagulant effect in the developing fetus. Therefore warfarin should not be taken during pregnancy. If the woman has a condition that requires anticoagulation during pregnancy there are alternative medications that can be prescribed by the physician.
Anticoagulant
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American Dental Association answeredReduced blood clotting is a side effect of aspirins and anticoagulants, such as heparin or warfarin. These medications can be helpful in preventing stroke or heart disease, but can cause bleeding problems during oral surgery or treatment for gum disease. Your dentist should be aware of any drugs you may be taking, especially when scheduling treatment that could involve bleeding. -
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Intermountain Healthcare answeredWhen taking blood-thinning medication (Coumadin), it's important to eat a consistent amount of foods with vitamin K. Don't eat a lot more or less of them than you used to.
These are foods that include vitamin K:- leafy greens
- broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage
- avocado
- asparagus, peas
- soy products
- mayonnaise, salad dressing
- liver, liverwurst
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Intermountain Healthcare answeredSee All 2 AnswersAfter knee replacement surgery, take Coumadin exactly as your doctor instructs. It's important to have just the right level in your blood. If the Coumadin blood level gets too high, you might bleed too easily. If it gets too low, your blood might form a clot in your veins.
Blood testing: Your doctor will regularly order a blood test to monitor your Coumadin levels. This blood test is called a PT/INR, and it measures the ability of your blood to clot. The test may use blood from a finger stick or regular blood draw.
Eating plan: Since there are many foods that affect Coumadin, you may need to make some changes to your diet. -
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Stacy Wiegman, PharmD , Pharmacy, answeredSee All 2 AnswersSome people may experience side effects while taking Coumadin. Many side effects are mild and do not require medical assistance unless they persist or become severe. Some of these common side effects include: altered sense of taste, bloating, feeling cold or having chills, gas, loss of hair, mild stomach pain, nausea, tiredness and vomiting.
Other side effects may be more serious. Contact your doctor immediately if you experience any bleeding that will not stop, black or bloody stools, bleeding from wounds or needle injections, blood in the urine, coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds, dark urine, discoloration anywhere on your body, dizziness, easy bruising, feeling light-headed or short of breath, flu-like symptoms, foot ulcer, hot or cold feeling, infection, numbness or muscle weakness, pain in the upper right part of the stomach, pale skin, purple or red pinpoint spots under your skin, purple toes or fingers, rapid heart rate, sudden and severe leg or foot pain, sudden headaches, swelling, trouble concentrating, unusual bleeding, urinating less than usual or not at all or yellowing of the skin or eyes. Discuss other possible side effects with your doctor.
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Aurora Health Care answeredA heparin flushing procedure for your central venous catheter (a soft, flexible tube that is placed into one of the main vessels leading toward your heart and used to give blood, medication, or other fluids, or to draw samples of your blood) should be done three times weekly.
If your catheter has two ports, flush each one separately. If resistance is met when injecting the flushing solution, a blood clot may be blocking the tip. Contact your physician immediately. Prefilled syringe administration systems are available, and you may opt for this method. Instructions for their use are available on packaging or from the health professional referring you to that system.
Following are guidelines for heparin flushing:- Gather equipment and supplies (25 gauge 3cc disposable syringe, vial of heparin flushing solution [multidose vial of 10 units per ml], and alcohol wipes)
- Wash hands.
- Clean the rubber center of the heparin solution vial with an alcohol wipe.
- Remove needle cover. Fill the syringe with air equal to the amount of flushing solution your doctor has ordered for you. The amount generally used is 5 cc.
- Without moving plunger, insert the needle through the center of rubber. Then push the plunger all the way in. This injects a measured amount of air into the bottle.
- Turn the bottle and syringe upside down. Keeping the point of the needle in the liquid, slowly pull back on the plunger to 5 cc (or amount prescribed by your doctor). Check for any air bubbles inside the syringe.
- If there are any air bubbles, tap gently with your fingers on the syringe so that they rise toward the needle. Then remove those bubbles by pushing the plunger up slightly.
- When the dose is correct (e.g., 5 cc) and there are no air bubbles in the syringe, remove needle from bottle. Take care not to change the position of the plunger in the syringe.
- Replace needle cap.
- Swab end of central venous catheter injection cap with alcohol wipe.
- Allow alcohol to dry. Do not touch the end of the cap.
- Remove needle cap from the syringe and carefully insert needle into middle of catheter injection cap.
- Unclamp the catheter and inject the heparin solution slowly.
- Reclamp the catheter as the last of the solution is injected.
- Withdraw needle.
- Discard syringe in a safe receptacle.
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SecondsCount.org answeredWarfarin sodium (Coumadin) is a medication called an anticoagulant, commonly referred to as a blood thinner. The body naturally balances the ability to form clots with the ability to break them down. Warfarin, which is taken by mouth, reduces your body’s ability to form clots.
Patients who are given warfarin therapy are those who have certain conditions that put them at high risk of serious blood clot formation. This includes some patients with congenital heart disease (heart disease that is present at birth). Congenital heart disease conditions where warfarin therapy is often used include:
- After having an artificial/mechanical heart valve placed
- After stenting of some blood vessels
- In certain patients who have had a Fontan procedure
- In patients who have had previous blood clotting problems
Warfarin therapy requires regular blood testing (called PT/INR) to measure the body’s clotting ability. Usually this is performed at a blood draw lab, but some insurance companies will provide for home monitoring machines. You do not want the blood to clot too easily, increasing the risk for clot formation, nor do you want the blood to not be able to clot at all, which increases the risk for a major bleeding episode.
There are several factors that can affect warfarin’s effectiveness in the body, including changes in diet and the use of other medications, so it is very important to have the blood test done regularly to assess the body’s clotting ability.
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RealAge answeredPraxbind (idarucizumab) is a medication used to reverse the effects of another medication, Pradaxa (dabigatran). Pradaxa is a blood thinner (anticoagulant) used to prevent blood clots, but in cases where it leads to uncontrolled bleeding, or if its effects need to be stopped so that emergency surgery or other procedures need to be performed, Praxbind is used. Praxbind may be injected or infused with an IV. Anticoagulant therapy can usually be resumed after the situation that required Praxbind is resolved. Possible side effects to Praxbind include allergic reaction, headache, constipation, and delirium. Patients with hereditary fructose intolerance have had dangerous reactions to Praxbind, which contains sorbitol. -
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Stacy Wiegman, PharmD , Pharmacy, answeredDoses of warfarin vary among patients. Most patients take between one and 10 milligrams (mg.) daily. However, doses vary based on each person's clotting time. A blood test called an "INR" (International Normalized Ratio) measures blood clotting speed. Your doctor will determine your dose of warfarin based on your INR and likely check your blood a few days later, and possibly adjust your dose. A typical INR range for a patient on warfarin is between 1.5-2.5 (but doctors might desire a higher number for some patients).
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Intermountain Healthcare answered
When you are taking anticoagulants, you need to be careful about foods and other medications that may interact with them. Be sure to do the following:
- Check with your doctor before starting or stopping any other medications, including prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, or supplements.
- If you are taking anticoagulant medications, do not take aspirin, medications that contain aspirin, or pain relievers known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (ibuprofen, Advil, or Aleve). You may take acetaminophen (Tylenol).
- If you are taking Coumadin, be very consistent about the amount of foods containing vitamin K that you eat. Ask your doctor or nurse for more information.
- Tell all your healthcare providers, including your dentist, that you're taking anticoagulants. They need to know this before prescribing anything else.