Warfarub

[paulina1]

I would like to keep my Warfarin at 9 and 6 mg but things I eat make the amount of Warfarin go up. I don't like to take more and more. So Where do I find a [;ace where ittells you what will make the Warfarin therapy increase? Thanks.

Paulina

[Beancounter Volunteer]

Paulina

Change warfarin to your diet NOT your diet to warfarin, the dosage is irrelevant and simply reflects how your body absorbs warfarin, and how much you are peeing out to be honest, it does not build up in the body, and if you take 2mg or 12mg all that matters is the INR reading.

Be well

Ian

[Rellim296]

I felt the same but I feel slightly less bad about it now. Some people don't need to take much and some take a lot. If you need to take a lot of it, it is because your metabolism deals too efficiently with the warfarin you take and so you should not worry about how much you are taking because it is quickly used. The important thing is how steady your INR is. Some people find it easy to stay in range and some don't. And some things you eat make your INR go up and some make it go down.... it's a bit of a tightrope and very difficult sometimes. There are lots of web sites with details of how much Vitamin K foods contain.

[paulina1 in reply to Rellim296]

Thank, I'll research it some more.

[paulina1 in reply to Rellim296]

I am reluctant now to eat greens even though the greens, lettuce, brocolli, spinach, etc for fear of my INR will not be in the range and the doctor changes to higher warfarin. Am I wrong in doing this? Where do I research ow much vitamin K is in foods????

Thanks.

Paulina

[Rellim296 in reply to paulina1]

Yes, don't alter your diet. It's best not to worry too much, unless you have to keep your INR stable for some procedure in which case it might be worth eating in a more controlled way. I am told - and am just about convinced - that it does not matter if you take a lot of warfarin. I'm on 66mgs a week - 9 or 10mgs a day.

The idea is to eat something green every day and eat as you usually do, but do not be wild and have a big helping of spinach one day and none the next. Vitamin K is in all sorts of things in different amounts. The inner leaves of a lettuce have less than the outer, greener ones! Raw things are not the same as cooked ones. I don't know what I've done to my INR as I have been away this week eating things I don't usually have and (worryingly) have an INR test on Monday.

[paulina1 in reply to Rellim296]

Thanks. I even fight with the doctors when they keep upping my mg. of warfarin. The dotors get frustrated with this as well. I just changed cardiologists because the old one was so nasty to me probably frustrated but heaven forbid they would take the time to explain it. I have to go on a site like this and hear it from a patient. If you know of a web site i can go on to see what Vit K food I should know about.

Paulina

[Rellim296 in reply to paulina1]

Have a look at

coumadin.com/pdf/Foods_With...

Also google Dr Gourmet

I have an app which gives details of Vitamin K content.

The thing is, it is so difficult to work out how much Vit K you are eating. The differences between one food and another are huge. One dollop of spinach is much more than two bits of broccoli. A few sprigs of parsley are very high indeed I've found most guides use American terminology. It was ages before I discovered collard greens are spring cabbage - very high.

So, basically if you want to avoid really high vit K foods, don't eat kale, spinach, spring cabbage or parsley. Don't drink green tea.

Eat sprouts and broccoli instead as it is good for you to eat greens, as we all know, and these are still vitamin K laden but not as high as the ones above. Eat something green every day.

I know it feels bad to take a lot of warfarin but, if you need it, this is because your body disposes of the warfarin very efficiently, so you are only absorbing a portion of what you take.

Hope this is helpful Paulina! I think everyone knows I struggle with warfarin, but have found it to be slightly less bad than I had originally thought it was.

[paulina1 in reply to Rellim296]

very helpful, thanks.

paulina