Coumadin verses Warfarin?

[grammy4him]

We have had a nurse tell us she used to be on warfarin and switched over to name brand Coumadin and has much better results keeping a stable INR. Have any of you experienced this? Not finding much with a search of the forums. Thanks.

[rach1081985]

Aren't they same just different names

[KellyInTexas Administrator in reply to rach1081985]

Yes, in theory.

The excipients ( fillers) May be slightly different.

[DannyBoy1 in reply to rach1081985]

no.

[prj789]

I have definitely experienced the same in my case!

[KellyInTexas Administrator]

Yes, I use brand Coumadin only because a nurse told me he ran helped run a trial comparing the two and brand was more stable in normal patients needing it.

Also, the different colors help me with my poor eyesight to ensure I get dose correct.

I’m very unstable anyway- so can only tell you what the nurse told me who ran the Coumadin clinic.

[rach1081985]

Aaaw that's interesting...

[grammy4him]

Thanks all. I guess the only way we will know for him is to try it and see if he remains more stable. We try to keep diet pretty consistent as he also has stage 3b chronic kidney disease.

[Holley in reply to grammy4him]

I have Stage 3a CKD as well as APS. I was taking warfarin when I first started on blood thinners back in 2006 but was difficult to stabilize. Switched to name brand Coumadin and had more success. Ostensibly, they are the same formulation. As Kelly mentioned, sometimes the fillers are different. I took Coumadin up until February 4th of this year when I had my hemorraghic stroke. My kidneys took a hit when I was given a strong diuretic and contrast dye to "treat" the bleed. I was stage 2 CKD for years.

[Tofino5]

I did better (but was still very unstable) on brand Jantoven. Changing the binders and fillers makes a difference with some people. I am one of them. The difference in a “brand” is that the binders and fillers are stable - the same, unchanging. If you’re having trouble staying stable, it’s worth a try. But like I said, even that didn’t make my INR stable. Do you watch diet closely? I aimed for the same mcg of vitamin K foods daily, rotating to get varied nutrients.

[GinaD]

Name brands have to adhere to very specific ingredient levels in order to earn regulatory approval. Generics do not have such strict guidelines. When taking many drugs, such as antibiotics, the active ingredient variation evens out over time. But when taking a drug that changes metabolism or hormones, such as the active ingredient in warfarin, it is more important to take the more rigidly formulated pill. When I was first diagnosed APS back in 2001, my hematologist explained this to me and urged me to stay on Coumadin, which I did for many years. But for the past five years I have taken generic warfarin and my INR has remained stable.