NOACs and supplements

[Polski]

This article contains a very useful table re the effect of different supplements on levels or warfarin

pharmacymag.co.uk/ezine...

Does anyone know of a similar table re the effect of different supplements on NOAC use?

Some supplements do increase the ease with which blood clots eg FishOils, Glucosamine, Vit E etc. Can they be used safely with an NOAC? Should they be taken at a different time of day, or should the amount of NOAC be varied etc.

[Beancounter Volunteer]

Hi Polski

The link you posted does not work.

Re Interactions, always always always check with a pharmacist or a medical professional before taking ANY supplements on whatever prescription drugs you are on, ideally take a photo or a print out of the ingredients, although I am aware that some supplements dont even provide this (accurately)

The prescription will tell you the time of day to take NOACs usually once a day but for one of them twice a day I understand, and they do not come in different strengths, (except one of them, and that's for different reasons) as they do not work like warfarin, and therefore you cannot increase/decrease the dosage.

Be well

Ian

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Beancounter]

Well said Ian. The other point is that Warfarin is a Vitamin K antagonist which can be effected by diet. NOACs work in a completely different way and are not normally diet sensitive. but as is said always check compatibility.

[rosyG]

can you cut and paste please- the link won't work for me?

[cyrilbarnes]

Try this link pharmacymag.co.uk/emodules.cfm, then scroll down the page. Sixth from the bottom is the module about warfarin. Click on ‘download the pdf’ and you should find lots of info about warfarin/interactions etc. Haven’t read it all yet, but looks interesting.

Cyril.

[Beancounter Volunteer in reply to cyrilbarnes]

Thanks Cyril

At least we know what MUR means now, which was a question asked I think by someone a ahort while ago (Medicines Use Review) which is what the pharmacist does when they look at your yellow book and discuss how you are.

Be well

Ian

[Polski]

Try

pharmacymag.co.uk/ezines/wa...

Is there some reason why one can't cut an NOAC in half, as one can do with Bisoprolol?

Of course one should ask a professional, but professional medics usually know very little about supplements, so their reply is not necessarily based on fact. Perhaps NOACs are so new that no-one has the facts? A pharmacist does sound possible, as they sell both they might understand the different ways in which they work.

I think I am trying to find an answer to this question: when I have a blood test, and it bleeds much longer than normal, is this just the NOAC at work, or is the Fish Oil, for example, making the bleeding seriously worse? Perhaps it depends on how the Fish Oil slows the clotting process, compared to the NOAC?

The affect of the NOACs wears off quite quickly, so I thought that if I took the Fish Oil 12 hours after the one tablet of NOAC perhaps the effect would be lessened. Since we are all concerned about the consequences of a serious bleed when using NOACs this seems to me to be a relevant issue.