Is there a best time of day to take warfarin? Is it best to take on an empty stomach or not?

Great question!
There thing with warfarin is that it is very tricky. Many things can throw your INR levels off and this could be dangerous. So your question is a very important one indeed.

The BEST advice is consistency. Take it at the same time every day. The same way. If you are taking it with food, keep taking it with food. If you take it with a glass of orange juice, keep it the same.

This is because your INR is constantly being monitored.

Let's say hypothetically that you exercise on a daily basis. This actually makes warfarin a little less effective. When you get your INR checked, this will show. The pharmacist or physician can then give you a slightly higher dose to compensate.

So again the BEST thing is to keep it the same every day, doing so will make sure your INR stays in range.

I spent a rotation working in coumadin clinics occasionally and have counciled many patients on it.

Brian PharmD Candidate