Summary: An increasing number of patients are being prescribed Coumadin, yet far too many are unclear about what the drug does, how it works, and why it's critically important that dosing be properly monitored. For example, warfarin and Coumadin are equivalent. There are many potential ways that your dose of Coumadin may varyu, depending upon other medicines we take and the foods we ingest. Vitamin K is in many foods to different degrees but not everyone absorbs all the Vitamin we eat. In this episode of Smarter Medical Care, Hematologist/Oncologist Dr. Robert Rodvien, founder of the Coumadin Clinic at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, explains how Coumadin works, how blood tests can help you avoid episodes of bleeding or clotting and what else to anticipate when taking this medication.
