Drug metabolism may be perturbed by genetically determined differences in the metabolic activity of cytochrome P450 enzymes. The authors encountered extensive bleeding in a patient receiving warfarin for anticoagulation after the introduction of celecoxib, an anti-inflammatory drug. As the CYP2C9 enzyme metabolises these drugs, it was determined whether variant alleles were responsible for altering warfarin handling. Genetic analysis established that the patient was a compound heterozygote with CYP2C9*2 and *3 variant alleles, which exhibit lower drug metabolising capacity and enhance susceptibility to drug toxicity.