Hey!

I always thought warfarin and coumadin were the same thing!? but i think i'm just thick! :o)

Sorry to hear that you are having so many rubbish side effects...i do hope your haematologist gets it sorted for you! i have just recently started a new tablet (not PE related) and had some horrible side effects, so i know how awful it can make you feel!

Let us know how you get on :o) xxx

loveheart I think you're right. Coumadin is like the "brand-name" or "designer label" of warfarin. When they first prescribed me they told me to avoid switching "brands" as different people can have different reactions to each kind. I belong to an HMO, and I know they try to keep medical costs down as much as possible by prescribing generics as par for the course. But they put me on the brand name stuff, so I can't imagine that it would be too much more expensive than generic? It's worth posing the question, at least.

I am about 4 months post PE and all of those side effects have greatly diminished. I am really prone to UTIs, and have not had an issue yet - that is something I will NOT be happy about if it happens - I'm a total whimp when it comes to those!

On a side note about generics in general, a nurse practitioner once told me that even though generics are supposed to be exactly the same active ingredients they may use a different process or different "inactive" ingredients making it possible to react differently with a person's body chemistry. I was trying to get on Ortho-Tricyclen (bc pill) at the time since it did wonders for my skin (I was still prone to major break-outs all through my 20s). MY HMO stopped covering it and would only prescribe the generic (can't even remember what it was). It totally did not work!

Anyway, there's my two cents (and more)!

I as well always thought Coumadin was just a brand name of warfarin? There may be minor chemical differences though, but I always thought they were basically the same thing. I will be interested to hear the responses to this as well.

Good luck, I hope your symptoms subside...

Barbara

Generic name is Warfarin.
Brand name is Coumadin.
i.e they are the same drug. Hope this helps

All drugs have 3 names-:
1.a chemical name-what it is made up from.
2. a brand name- manufacturers give drugs brand names to identify that manufacturers version of the product.
3. a generic name- generic manufacturers do not have to duplicate cost of research for the drug, this makes them less expensive.
Hope this helps.

Hello ladies, I'd agree with Jeannettem between the WARFARIN is cheaper then coumadin. I have SPOKE to a Pharmacy. I also think why we gain weight it's says was WRITTEN ON MY PRESCRIPTION ON THE BOTTLE LABEL...
IC WARFARIN SODIUM 5MG. I THINK SODIUM IT IS A SALT MIX WITH OTHER INGREDIENTS. SO, I AM GUESSING THAT'S WHY WE ARE GAINING WEIGHT BECAUSE we RETAIN it OUR WATER IN OUR SYSTEM(BODY). I WILL HAVE TO ASK MY SECIALIST DOCTOR NEXT WEEK TO HAVE A CHECK UP AFTER SIX MONTH. i MIGHT BE WRONG I AM NOT TOO SURE IT IS. Luci

The other posters are right, warfarin is the generic and Coumadin is the brand name. While the two are theoretically the same, as others have pointed out, there can be differences. My doctor recommended that I stay on the Coumadin, rather than switch to the less expensive generic, because a lot of people have a harder time stabilizing their INRs on the generic. I've found various comments online that support that notion. If you weren't having any problems on warfarin, then I would say why bother switching to a more expensive alternative? But, given that it's making you miserable, it's certainly worth giving Coumadin a try!

Hi All, 1 year out -still doing the INR yo-yo most of the time. I've been on warfarin -the generic -even getting differnt brands from the pharmacy has messed up my INR. If it doesn't straighten out in the next month, I am going to ask for te brand name -coumadin -to see if that is the trick. There are lots of people, doctors who say there isn't a difference -there is. Blessings, Teri

As others have mentioned, they are the same product, however, some folks find it easier to maintain their INR on one but not the other.

Here is a little information from one of the top blood clot doctors here in the U.S., Dr. Stephan Moll of the University of Chapel Hill in North Carolina:

http://fvleiden.org/ask/29.html

For me, my INR was like a roller coaster on generic Warfarin. For others, they don't have INR problems on warfarin.

Regards,
Tom