![]() Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If you miss a dose of warfarin, write it down in your yellow book. But if you forget often, your blood could be affected – it might become thicker and put you at risk of having a blood clot. It's not a problem if you occasionally forget to take a dose at the correct time. If you have lost your alert card or were not given one, ask your doctor or anticoagulant clinic for one. Your doctor may advise you to stop taking warfarin or reduce your dose for a short time before your treatment. This includes before you have vaccinations and routine sessions with the dental hygienist. If you need any medical or dental treatment, show your anticoagulant alert card to the nurse, doctor or dentist beforehand. This can be useful for them to know in case of a medical emergency. It tells healthcare professionals that you're taking an anticoagulant. You'll also be given an anticoagulant alert card. It's a good idea to take your yellow book with you to all your warfarin appointments. There's also a section for you to write down and keep a record of your warfarin dose. When you start taking warfarin, you may be given a yellow book about anticoagulants. You might need blood tests more often than normal if you start other new medicines, or when you are ill. Once your blood test results are stable, you might only need a blood test up to once every 12 weeks. You'll have a test every 1 or 2 days when you first start taking warfarin, then once or twice a week, until your ratio is stable at the target level. You'll have the blood tests at your GP surgery or local hospital's anticoagulant clinic. If the blood test result has gone up or down, your warfarin dose will be increased or decreased. The dose of warfarin you need depends on your blood test result. This means their blood takes 2 to 3.5 times longer to clot than usual. Most people taking anticoagulants have a ratio of between 2 and 3.5. The longer your blood takes to clot, the higher the INR. It measures how long it takes your blood to clot. You'll have a regular blood test called the international normalised ratio (INR). Getting this balance right means your dose of warfarin must be carefully monitored. The aim of warfarin treatment is to make your blood clot more slowly, not to stop it from clotting completely. If you take warfarin to reduce your risk of having a blood clot in future or because you keep getting blood clots, it's likely your treatment will be for longer than 6 months, maybe even for the rest of your life. If you have had a blood clot in your leg or lungs, you'll probably take a short course of warfarin for 6 weeks to 6 months. Warfarin does not usually upset your stomach, so you can take it with or without food. This is so that if you need to change the dose after a routine blood test, you can do this the same day rather than waiting until the following morning. Take it at around the same time each day. ![]() ![]() You'll usually take warfarin once a day in the evening. Your warfarin dose may change often, especially in the first few weeks of treatment, until your doctor finds the dose that's right for you. Warfarin liquid comes with a plastic syringe to help you measure the right amount. ![]() Warfarin also comes as a liquid, where 1ml is equal to a 1mg (brown) tablet. Your dose may be made up of a combination of different coloured tablets. The tablets and the boxes they come in are different colours to make it easier for you to take the right dose. Warfarin tablets come in 4 different strengths. The usual warfarin dose for children depends on how much they weigh. The usual warfarin dose for adults is 10mg a day for the first 2 days, then between 3mg and 9mg a day after that. It's important to take warfarin as your doctor advises. ![]()
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