aspirin vs warfarin

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Side-by-side comparison of aspirin and warfarin. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

moderate Known Drug Interaction

Table 3: Drugs that Can Increase the Risk of Bleeding Drug Class Specific Drugs Anticoagulants argatroban, dabigatran, bivalirudin, desirudin, heparin, lepirudin Antiplatelet Agents aspirin, cilostazol, clopidogrel, dipyridamole, prasugrel, ticlopidine Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Agents celecoxib, diclofenac, diflunisal, fenoprofen, ibuprofen, indomethacin, ketoprofen, ketorolac, mefenamic acid, naproxen, oxaprozin, piroxicam, sulindac Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors citalopram, desvenlafaxine, duloxetine, escitalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, milnacipran, paroxetine, sertraline,...

Drug Class
aspirin Antiplatelet / NSAID
warfarin Vitamin K Antagonist (Anticoagulant)
Type
aspirin Over-the-Counter
warfarin Prescription
Summary
aspirin

Aspirin is a common medicine used to relieve minor pain. It can also be prescribed by your doctor for other uses.

warfarin

Warfarin is a medicine that helps prevent blood clots. It is used to treat and prevent dangerous clots from forming in your body.

What It Treats
aspirin

Aspirin is used to temporarily relieve minor aches and pains. However, it works slowly. It will not quickly relieve headaches or other symptoms that need immediate relief. Ask your doctor about other uses for this medicine.

warfarin

Warfarin is used to prevent and treat blood clots in your veins and lungs. It can also prevent clots if you have atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) or a replacement heart valve. After a heart attack, it can lower the risk of death, another heart attack, or a stroke.

How It Works
aspirin

Aspirin belongs to a class of drugs called NSAIDs and antiplatelets. It works by reducing substances in the body that cause pain and inflammation. It also helps to prevent blood clots.

warfarin

Warfarin works by blocking your body's use of vitamin K. Vitamin K is needed to make blood clotting factors. By blocking vitamin K, warfarin makes your blood less likely to clot.

Common Side Effects
aspirin
  • Upset stomach
  • Heartburn
warfarin
  • Bleeding from any tissue or organ
FAERS Reports
aspirin
  • Fatigue 31,963
  • Dyspnoea 27,179
  • Nausea 26,579
  • Diarrhoea 26,452
  • Dizziness 22,390
warfarin
  • International Normalised Ratio Increased 10,276
  • Dyspnoea 8,408
  • Drug Interaction 6,288
  • Fatigue 6,143
  • Nausea 5,921
Serious Warnings
aspirin

No specific warnings noted.

warfarin

Warfarin can cause major or fatal bleeding. You must have your blood tested regularly (INR) while taking warfarin. Many things, like other medicines and diet changes, can affect your INR. Tell your doctor about any bleeding and follow their instructions to prevent bleeding.

Pregnancy
aspirin

Ask your doctor for advice if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

warfarin

Warfarin can harm your unborn baby, especially during the first three months of pregnancy. Do not take warfarin if you are pregnant, unless you have a mechanical heart valve and your doctor says the benefits outweigh the risks. Talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding, and watch your baby for bruising or bleeding.

How to Read This aspirin vs warfarin Comparison

aspirin is classified in the Antiplatelet / NSAID drug class, while warfarin sits within the Vitamin K Antagonist (Anticoagulant) class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are split between OTC and prescription status, which affects access and supervision.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, aspirin has 134,563 submissions while warfarin has 37,036. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known moderate interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to aspirin is an antiplatelet drug that adds to the blood-thinning effect of warfarin. taking both together significantly increases your chance of having a serious bleeding event.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for aspirin or warfarin.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.