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How to Take Blood Thinners

Blood thinners encourage healthy blood flow and reduce the risk of blood clots, heart attack and stroke. Aspirin is an example, but doctors who prescribe aspirin as a blood thinner typically recommend a dose lower than baby aspirin for daily intake. Other anticoagulants include warfarin and heparin. All of these blood thinners have a powerful impact on the coagulation of your blood, which makes the correct timing and dosage extremely important when taking them.

  1. Heparin for Blood Clots

    • If your doctor has diagnosed you with a blood clot, you will most likely have a prescription of heparin for the first week. Heparin acts quickly to thin your blood. Because it's only available as an injection, you will have to give yourself a shot once or twice a day, depending on your prescription. Your doctor can show you how to do it correctly. Though the shot is only a light prick, the medicine may feel hot for several seconds as it enters your system. To reduce this unpleasant, warm sting, ice the area -- typically a fatty area on your stomach -- before and after the injection.

    Warfarin Treatment

    • Warfarin is available in pill form. Depending on your condition and prescription, you may take it along with heparin for a week and continue taking it after your heparin treatment is finished. It takes time to become effective. You can take warfarin with or without food, but it's important to take it at the same time every day, which makes mealtimes convenient for remembering. Your doctor may prescribe low-dose aspirin instead, which requires a similar dosage schedule.

    Missing a Dosage

    • If you miss a dosage of warfarin, take it as soon as you remember on the same day. If one day has gone by, you should call your doctor to discuss your options; taking a double dosage is very dangerous, as it may make your blood too thin, leading to problems such as internal bleeding.

    Refilling Your Prescription

    • Skipping a dose of warfarin, or another blood thinner, is extremely dangerous. For this reason, it's important to order a refill several days before your current bottle of medication runs out. When you pick up your refilled prescription, look at the pills to make sure they are the same shape, size and color as your last pills. If anything is different -- including the inscription, if the pills have one -- double-check the prescription with your pharmacist to ensure you have the correct medication.

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