How to use Coumadin. Read the Medication Guide provided by your pharmacist before you start taking warfarin and each time you get a refill. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Coumadin. This drug is used for the treatment of blood clots or to prevent new clots from forming. It is helpful during conditions such as pulmonary embolus or Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). Coumadin is an anticoagulant (blood thinner). Warfarin reduces the formation of blood clots. Coumadin is used to treat or prevent blood clots in veins or arteries, which can reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack, or other serious conditions. Coumadin (warfarin) is the main medication used specifically to increase a person’s INR. However, there are other medications that can falsely increase your INR, such as many of the new novel oral anticoagulants like Xarelto. I have never seen anything other than warfarin in the US for the type of blood thinning that it does. I know it's a pain with all the blood draws to make sure that the INR level is stable. However, once on the drug for a while, the frequency of blood draws decreases. Coumadin or warfarin is a drug that is consumed by patients who have the tendency to develop blood clots or who have cardiac histories. It is the anti-coagulant feature of the Coumadin that helps the patient in thinning of the blood or preventing the accumulation of platelets in their blood. Warfarin is an anticoagulant medication. This means it helps prevent clots from forming in the blood. Blood thinners treat some types of heart disease. There has to be some other medication developed by now to replace this horrible drug. Dr. Shahzad MD : There are a few alternatives to coumadin (warfarin) nowadays and these are new drugs that have recently been in the market and these include the following options: Coumadin Images. What does Coumadin look like? Note: Multiple pictures are displayed for those medicines available in different strengths, marketed under different brand names and for medicines manufactured by different pharmaceutical companies. Three new Warfarin and Coumadin alternatives have been approved by the FDA. They require less monitoring but have other limitations and may be more costly. They require less monitoring but have other limitations and may be more costly.