Warfarin tablets are prescription blood thinners that prevent blood from clotting, which can lead to a heart attack. The tablets come in strengths from 1-10 milligrams and are sold under different brand names in addition to being sold under the generic name warfarin. Taking the correct warfarin tablets is extremely important because a dose that is too low for a patient's condition might not prevent the blood from clotting and a dose that is too high can lead to serious side effects.
Varying strengths of warfarin tablets are used, depending on the patient's medical condition, age, weight, medical history and other factors. Warfarin typically is sold as a round tablet, though specific brands might have slightly different shapes, such as square or oblong. All types of the tablets are meant to be taken orally via swallowing.
The colors of the tablets correspond to the dosage. These remain the same no matter what brand name is assigned to the medication. The lowest-dose tablets are pink and are 1 milligram each. Lavender tablets are 2 milligrams, green are 2.5 milligrams, 3-milligram tablets are tan, and blue pills are 4 milligrams. Warfarin tablets in higher dosages continue the separate color trend with peach tablets for 5 milligrams, teal for 6 milligrams, yellow for 7.5 milligrams and white for 10 milligrams. Most warfarin tablets have an indented line down the center so that they can be broken in half easily to create custom dosages for patients who require them.
Generic warfarin tablets contain the same medication as the brand name medications, though there might be slight differences between generic and brand name formulations. Some doctors do not prescribe generic warfarin to their patients because filler materials used in the pills might alter the drug's performance in some people. Patients who need to take a blood thinner should discuss their options with their doctors, including whether a generic version of the drug is suitable.
Patients should take warfarin exactly as directed by their doctors and notify their doctors of any side effects they experience while on the medication. Many other over-the-counter and prescription medications might interact with warfarin, so it is important for patients on blood thinners to keep a list of any medications and supplements they take and direct any questions or concerns to their doctors or pharmacists. Tablets might be switched for patients who experience undesirable side effects, because the exact formulations of the pills vary slightly from one manufacturer to another.