Coumadin vs Warfarin

[Deb R]

Does "switching" from Coumadin to generic Warfarin have any effect on INR?

[MICHELLE]

I FOUND THAT THE SWITCH FROM COUMADIN TO WARAFIN HAS CAUSED ME SEVERE STOMACHE PROBLEMS I AM BEING TREATED NOW FOR THE GASTRO PROBLEMS THAT THE WARAFIN HAS CAUSED. AS FAR AS MY INR IT HAS NEVER BEEN BETWEEN 2.0-3.0 IN YEARS.

WHO KNOWS IF THIS MEDICINE IS HELPING ME AT ALL. I THINK THAT MY BODY REJECTS IT. HIGHEST DOSAGE TAKEN 40MG TWICE DAILY. NOW I AM AT 30MG TWICE DAILY

[Frank Kordewiner]

Michelle: switching from Coumadin to Warfarin should not have caused your stomach problems.
As far as I know they are both the same. Coumadin is a flascier name for rat poison (Warfarin).
What INR readings have you had lately ?? 40 MG is outragously dangerous. Get another doctor.
Have you checked the Web for Herbs you should not eat ?? A realy eye opener.
Click on: " Herbs interfearing with Coumadin".
Hang in there girl. Been on these goodies for 4 years and also have a good physian who keeps an eye on my by monthly INR's. I also been diagnosed with the Leiden V Factor - a missing gene. Getting off these goodies (warfarin- Coumadin) is playing russian roullete. Frank

[Michelle]

Now that i am refusing this medication i am in the danger zone. Keep me in your prayers only God can help me now.

Frank Kordewiner wrote:

Michelle: switching from Coumadin to Warfarin should not have caused your stomach problems.
As far as I know they are both the same. Coumadin is a flascier name for rat poison (Warfarin).
What INR readings have you had lately ?? 40 MG is outragously dangerous. Get another doctor.
Have you checked the Web for Herbs you should not eat ?? A realy eye opener.
Click on: " Herbs interfearing with Coumadin".
Hang in there girl. Been on these goodies for 4 years and also have a good physian who keeps an eye on my by monthly INR's. I also been diagnosed with the Leiden V Factor - a missing gene. Getting off these goodies (warfarin- Coumadin) is playing russian roullete. Frank

[Carol]

Michelle wrote:

Now that i am refusing this medication i am in the danger zone. Keep me in your prayers only God can help me now.
<quoted text>

Michelle

Switching from coumadin to warfarin can have effects. Every body metabolizes these drugs differently. I can not take any generic drugs. I have adverse reactions to them. The active ingredients are the same but the rest is not and the binders can cause the medication to absorb faster or slower. And who knows if your body is sensitive to these binders. I pray all goes well for you.
Carol

[Evie]

I was on Coumadin for 28 years befor switching to Warfarin because it was covered by my insurance. I have a steel mitral valve and I am pacer dependent and I'm also in A-fib.
The 28 years I've been on Coumadin I stayed very regular with my PT's and INR. Since I've switched to Warfarin my PT's are all over the board! There must be a difference for some people. My mother was sensitive to generic med's.
Anyway, I'm thinking of going back to Coumadin for safety sake.
Take care, and God bless....

[tom]

I've been on coumadin for 25 years and have always been cautioned not to switch to warafin. these drugs are hard to regulate and once you get it regulated switching will do nothing but cause trouble. good luck.

Evie wrote:

I was on Coumadin for 28 years befor switching to Warfarin because it was covered by my insurance. I have a steel mitral valve and I am pacer dependent and I'm also in A-fib.
The 28 years I've been on Coumadin I stayed very regular with my PT's and INR. Since I've switched to Warfarin my PT's are all over the board! There must be a difference for some people. My mother was sensitive to generic med's.
Anyway, I'm thinking of going back to Coumadin for safety sake.
Take care, and God bless....

[Carol]

Tom & Evie
I've been on blood thinners for 5 1/2 yrs. I started out with warfarin and then the pharmacy switched to another generic brand. My INR was bouncing all over. I called my cardiologist and he prescribed coumadin only. Since then it has been better. I still have problems during seasonal changes. I am dependent on it because of 2 artifical valves, one annuloplasty ring, and a pacemaker. I have had some problems with A-fib but none since the pacemaker was put in.

[Lynda S]

MICHELLE wrote:

I FOUND THAT THE SWITCH FROM COUMADIN TO WARAFIN HAS CAUSED ME SEVERE STOMACHE PROBLEMS I AM BEING TREATED NOW FOR THE GASTRO PROBLEMS THAT THE WARAFIN HAS CAUSED. AS FAR AS MY INR IT HAS NEVER BEEN BETWEEN 2.0-3.0 IN YEARS.
WHO KNOWS IF THIS MEDICINE IS HELPING ME AT ALL. I THINK THAT MY BODY REJECTS IT. HIGHEST DOSAGE TAKEN 40MG TWICE DAILY. NOW I AM AT 30MG TWICE DAILY

Michelle, I am an RN at a anticoguant Clinic. I know of no one taking this much coumadin or warfarin. If indeed you are saying that you have been prescribed 60 mg day of warfarin??? Please tell me you have had a hematologist study your blood to determine why you are resistant to warfarin. There are some immunological reasons for this. If this has not been thorough researched for you please seek a second opinion.

[MICHELLE SD CA]

Currenly on 30mg step down from 40mg........INR reading Friday 1.2 not high enough... Who know's anymore. I am scared..........

Lynda S wrote:

<quoted text>
Michelle, I am an RN at a anticoguant Clinic. I know of no one taking this much coumadin or warfarin. If indeed you are saying that you have been prescribed 60 mg day of warfarin??? Please tell me you have had a hematologist study your blood to determine why you are resistant to warfarin. There are some immunological reasons for this. If this has not been thorough researched for you please seek a second opinion.

[Frank kordewiner]

Michelle wrote:

Now that i am refusing this medication i am in the danger zone. Keep me in your prayers only God can help me now.
<quoted text>

Wondering Michelle ? Are you off or still on Coumadin (Warfarin)? Why are you refusing this medication ??
As you know I have been on Coumadin for 4 years now and have no desire or inclination to discontinue. Check what you are eating - all High Vit.K products incl. Cereal and Salad greens work against you,,,, unless you eat the same amount EVERY DAY. Keep close tap with your INR and work with your doctor. Good Luck and GOD BLESS. FRANK K.

[MICHELLE SD CA]

I AM CURRENTLY NOT TAKING COUMADIN....DIAGN: IN 2003 WITH DVT'S IN THE ARMS.....MY LEFT ARM CONTINUES TO DEVELOP CLOTS BUT MY BODY IS FIGHTING AND DESOLVING THEM....HOPEFULLY MY BODY WILL CONTINUE TO WORK IN MY BEST INTEREST AND I WON'T HAVE TO USE THESE DRUGS LOVENOX AND COUMADIN ANYMORE.........

Frank kordewiner wrote:

<quoted text>
Wondering Michelle ? Are you off or still on Coumadin (Warfarin)? Why are you refusing this medication ??
As you know I have been on Coumadin for 4 years now and have no desire or inclination to discontinue. Check what you are eating - all High Vit.K products incl. Cereal and Salad greens work against you,,,, unless you eat the same amount EVERY DAY. Keep close tap with your INR and work with your doctor. Good Luck and GOD BLESS. FRANK K.

[Elizabeth]

I just switched 2 days ago from Warfarin to Coumadin and am noticing a big difference. More energy, and also fantastically happy dreams all night (!) weird. There are differences between generics and brand name drugs, in the binders. Also, was having heartburn every day on warfarin which also seems to have disappeared. Fingers crossed!

[mary columbus ohio]

my goodness I am takeing warafin because I thought generic did not matter. I feel awful. Lethargic etc. I take 10mg per day five days a week and 5mg 2. I am managed at a hospital anticoagulation clinic.I have a fib. Would switching to coumadin help me???

[richard]

I on warafin ten mil for 2 days and 12 mls for another 2days my blood is checked every three weeks and the level is usualy 2.5 and sometimes its 1 my symptons are
forgetfulness tired depressed left leg ache, memory loss urinate alot I can't seen to do much any more poor eyesight and headaches no libido I'm 50 years old.
I also have SlE lupus and beacuse of the lupus I have to take a blood thinner.
My life has changed so much I can't beleive it I also have seziures.

[Renae]

I have been on coumadin for 12 years after a heart attack while 20 weeks pregnant, I have antiphospholipid disease/ lupus anticougulant and other crap. I would never go off my coumadin. I take 10mg 4 times a week and 15mg the other days.

[Elizabeth]

I'm now counting down the days till I go off Coumadin, done with my treatment for DVT. Phew! The switch from Warfarin to Coumadin was like night and day, suddenly a whole bunch of energy on hand, no longer having heartburn all the time, PTINR stabilized for the first time in 2.5 months. If you're having side effects on warfarin I can't advocate trying coumadin. Its more expensive, but for me was totally worth it.

[Mel]

wow, after reading all your comments I am convinced that I should switch from warfarin to coumadin. i didn't realize that it would make such a big difference! when i was first prescribed warfarin (8 months ago due to a PE) i was getting the dizziness, nausea, tiredness etc. etc. but after a few months my body kind of adjusted to the meds...well, just recently i have been feeling like crap again. all those symptoms plus anxiety/paranoia. don't know what to think, i just blame it on the warfarin...

[Ira PharmD]

Michelle, what color is your Coumadin (warfarin) tablet and how many tablets do you take per day? I think you are mistaken on your dose. I have not seen a dose that high in several years of practice. Perhaps you mean that you take 40 mg per week which was reduced to 30 mg per week? It would be less than 1% of people who require a dose of higher than 15 mg per day (i.e. 105 mg per week).
As for the difference between warfarin and coumadin, there are different binders but the same amount of actual thinning in generic versus brand; moreover, the generic company has to submit evidence that there is very little variation between the brand and generic, or even batches of generic to itself.
A difference in release rates don't play in that much as it takes roughly 4 days at minimal and as much as 2 weeks to see an INR change following dose adjustments. There are far too many factors playing into INR changes (illness, alcohol, tylenol use, leafy greens or other dietary changes, herbal drugs, drug interactions, taking other meds one day and forgetting another day, age, or even exercise changes), and in one third of people it changes with no apparent reason.

[Carman]

I have been on coumadin/warfarin since 1979. I'm 67. First clot in leg in 1974. Other leg in 75. Then nothing till 79. At that time doc says "yer on it for life". I take 9mg a day. I don't believe that the switch between the two drugs makes a difference. Pay attention to the comments that coumadin just sounds better than Warfarin. Perhaps some differences in binders. Also the last comment on this page would seem to be from a doctor or pharmacist and I feel the same as him/her.