What is Coumadin therapy?
Coumadin is the brand name of a medication used to prevent and treat [thrombophlebitis] and other problems caused by blood clots. You take the medication orally. The medicine in Coumadin is called warfarin sodium. It is known as an anticoagulant, or blood thinner, because it reduces the bloods ability to form clots. How does it work? Coumadin and other blood thinners prevent new bloods clots from forming and stop existing clots from growing. They do not dissolve existing blood clots. Is it safe? At the correct dosage, Coumadin is perfectly safe. If the dosage is too high, there may be bleeding. You should watch for unusual bruises, blood in the urine or in the stool, bleeding gums, excessive menstrual flow, nosebleed, or other unusual bleeding that does not stop. Call your doctor or take yourself to an emergency room immediately if you have bleeding that does not stop when you apply pressure. For some people, during the first few days of treatment with Coumadin, a blue or purple skin r
