Commonly asked questions

What should I do before a procedure or surgery?

• You may need to stop warfarin. Do not stop on your own. Talk with your care team first.
• Call your care team or the clinic managing your warfarin 2 or more weeks before a procedure or surgery.
• Your care team will make a plan for your warfarin. You may need a different blood thinner if warfarin is stopped.

Can I drink alcohol while taking warfarin?

• Talk with your care team about if you can drink alcohol. You may need to not drink alcohol or limit how much alcohol you can drink.
• If you do drink alcohol, it is recommended to have:
  o No more than 2 drinks (can of beer, glass of wine, shot of spirit) a day for men.
  o No more than 1 drink a day for women.
• You may have a higher risk for bleeding if you drink more alcohol than this.
• It is not safe to binge drink by having many drinks in 1 day.

What should I do if I cut or injure myself?

• Most of the time, small cuts or scrapes will stop bleeding after putting pressure on the cut or scrape.
• Call your care team right away if you have a hard fall. You may need to see a doctor.
• Go to the emergency room or call 911 if you hit your head or lose consciousness (not responding to touch or sound, not waking up) from a fall.

What if I become pregnant?

• Tell your care team right away if you get pregnant or are planning to get pregnant.
• Do not take warfarin while pregnant. It can hurt your baby.
• Your care team can change your medicine to a shot if you need a blood thinner. This will help you safely take blood thinners while pregnant.

Can I play sports or do physical activities?

• You can do physical activities that have a low risk for getting hurt while taking warfarin.
• Some contact sports or activities put you at higher risk of bleeding.

Can I travel while taking warfarin?

• Yes, you can travel. Tell your care team if you are going to be gone for a long time.
• You may need your blood drawn before you leave. You may have to make plans to have your blood tested while you are away.
• Try and keep your eating habits the same.
• Take your warfarin at the same time as you normally do.
• Make sure you have enough warfarin with you.
• Move around every 2 to 3 hours if you are on a long car or plane trip. This lowers your risk for getting blood clots.

Do all warfarin tablets look the same?

The shape of the pills may not be the same. Different companies make warfarin. The color for each pill strength will be the same. For example, the 5 milligram (mg) pills are peach and the 2.5 mg pills are green. Always check your pills to make sure you are taking the right dose.

Here are the warfarin pill strengths and their colors:

Examples of warfarin tablets: