There are a few numbers associated with taking warfarin and it's important not to get them confused.
The first number that it is important to know is the dose of warfarin that you need to take. Your doctor may tell you your dose in milligrams (mg) of warfarin or they may tell you the number of tablets to take. It's important that you know what it is they are telling you and how to take this dose. For example, if you are told to take 4mg of warfarin you could make this up from a combination of tablets. If you take the Marevan® brand you could take one 1mg (brown) tablet and one 3mg (blue) tablet. If you take Coumadin® brand you could take two 2mg (lavender) tablets. This is an example, your healthcare professional will tell you what dose is right for you and which tablets you can take to make up the dose.
Remember that your dose is likely to change often, particularly in the early stages of treatment as the best dose for you is found.
The second number associated with taking warfarin is the INR (International Normalised Ratio). The INR is a blood test used to measure how well the warfarin is working. Do not get these two numbers confused!
It is a really good idea to use a record book to keep track of your INR results and the dose of warfarin that your doctor has said for you to take.