Comparing Warfarin vs Heparin

View side-by-side comparisons of medication uses, ratings, cost, side effects and interactions.
Warfarin	Heparin	Enter another drug to compare

Warfarin

Heparin

Prescription only

Warfarin tablets are effective at "thinning" the blood; however, several factors affect warfarin blood levels including diet (particularly the intake of vitamin K), ethnicity, other medications or... View more

Prescription only

Heparin reduces the ability of the blood to clot and is used to treat or prevent blood clots. Heparin is given by injection and excessive bleeding is its main side effect. Laboratory monitoring... View more

More about Warfarin

More about Heparin

Ratings & Reviews

Warfarin has an average rating of 7.9 out of 10 from a total of 58 ratings on Drugs.com. 67% of reviewers reported a positive effect, while 10% reported a negative effect.

Heparin has an average rating of 1.0 out of 10 from a total of 2 ratings on Drugs.com. 0% of reviewers reported a positive effect, while 100% reported a negative effect.

View all 58 reviews

View all 2 reviews

Side Effects Experienced by Users Side effects are reported in Drugs.com user reviews and not clinically verified.

Bruising (6.9%)
Headaches (6.9%)
Pain (5.2%)

View all Warfarin side effects

View all Heparin side effects

Drug Class

Coumarins and indandiones

Heparins

Generic Availability

Lower cost generic

Pricing and Coupons * Prices are without insurance

Quantity	100 each
Strength	5 mg
Per unit^*	$0.33
Cost^*	$32.93

View all Warfarin prices

Quantity	50 mL
Strength	1000 units/mL
Per unit^*	$1.38 - $2.21
Cost^*	$69.07 - $110.29

View all Heparin prices

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Dosage Forms

Oral tablet

Injectable solution
Intravenous solution

Half Life Drug half-life is the time required for plasma concentration to reduce to half its original value.

72 hours

3 hours

CSA Schedule ¹ View glossary of CSA terms

Not a controlled drug

Is not subject to the Controlled Substances Act.

Not a controlled drug

Is not subject to the Controlled Substances Act.

Pregnancy Category

Category D Positive evidence of risk

For Women With Mechanical Heart Valves

Category X Not for use in pregnancy

For Other Pregnant Populations

See the full pregnancy warnings document.

Category C Risk cannot be ruled out

See the full pregnancy warnings document.

Drug Interactions

A total of 680 drugs are known to interact with Warfarin:

179 major drug interactions (988 brand and generic names)
431 moderate drug interactions (3540 brand and generic names)
70 minor drug interactions (244 brand and generic names)

A total of 232 drugs are known to interact with Heparin:

65 major drug interactions (156 brand and generic names)
144 moderate drug interactions (667 brand and generic names)
23 minor drug interactions (51 brand and generic names)

Alcohol/Food/Lifestyle Interactions

Nutrition and diet can affect your treatment with warfarin. Therefore, it is important to keep... View more
Using warfarin together with alcohol can cause you to bleed more easily. If you take warfarin you... View more

No known alcohol/food interactions. This does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Always consult your healthcare provider.

Disease Interactions

First Approval Date

June 08, 1954

N/A

WADA Class View classifications

N/A

More Information

Patient Resources

Warfarin uses

Heparin uses

Professional Resources

Prescribing information

¹ The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) schedule information displayed applies to substances regulated under federal law. There may be variations in CSA schedules between individual states.

Further information

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Medical Disclaimer

Comparing Warfarin vs Heparin

See also:

Coumadin

Ecotrin

Ozempic

Jantoven

Heparin Sodium

Vazalore

Bayer Aspirin

Easprin

Arthritis Pain

Heparin

Further information

Comparing Warfarin vs Heparin

See also:

Further information

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