Identification

• Warfarin is a blood thinning medication that keeps blood clots from forming by blocking the formation of clotting factors in the body. It is used to prevent heart attacks, blood clots in arteries and veins and strokes.
  
  

Effects

• There are some side effects associated with the use of warfarin. These may include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, hair loss, gas and bloating.
  
  

Considerations

• Warfarin may cause knee pain, due to a condition called hemarthrosis. This condition most commonly occurs with patients who have blood disorders and take medications such as warfarin to thin the blood. Hemarthrosis is bleeding inside the knee joint.
  
  

Symptoms

• Patients that have blood disorders such as hemophilia may have symptoms of prolonged bleeding, bleeding inside joints, bleeding gums, knee pain, nose bleeding and excessive bruising. Patients that suffer from hemarthrosis may have pain and swelling of the knee joint.
  
  

Treatment

• Patients that must take warfarin and develop hemarthrosis may need to have diagnostic aspirations of the knee. This will help to reduce the pain and swelling in the knee joint.