Cinnamon and apixaban

[Camelia23]

I have recently been reading about cinnamon and ginger as a dangerous combination with anticoagulants. I'm on Apixaban and occasionally have cinnamon on toast instead of marmalade. Comments please or is it everything in moderation?

[jennydog]

I decided that it would be wise to avoid cinnamon.

[Camelia23 in reply to jennydog]

Thanks for replying

[BobD Volunteer]

In my opinion occasional flavour use is not a problem. The issue is when people take it in quantity thinking it is good for them. There was a casea few months ago of a man who bled to death from using these herbs but he had been boiling then and producing a "tea" which has drank copius quantities of before having a gastric bleed which doctors were unable to stop, I doubt many of us would follow his example.

[Camelia23 in reply to BobD]

I read about that case. Thanks. Will just have occasionally

[Bagrat]

I'm on apixaban and occasionally have cinnamon toast also always get given a jar of stem ginger at Christmas which I consume over 10 days and live to tell the tale. Use ginger root in cooking sometimes i think as BobD has said it's "therapeutic " doses that can cause issues.

[Camelia23 in reply to Bagrat]

Thanks. I love stem ginger too but don't eat much as a bit too sweet. Although I was diagnosed with AF in September February will be the first chance I have of speaking to a cardiologist. For the past four months this site has been very useful.

[absolutepatsy]

I take cinnamon on a daily basis with banana on toast (quite a lot actually) and was blissfully unaware of the dangers of taking cinnamon while taking Riveroxiban as an anticoagulant. Thank you for bringing this spice and the others to my attention. Sadly, yet another pleasure I have to give up on my AF journey.

[Camelia23 in reply to absolutepatsy]

Could you take it occasionally?

[secondtry]

Thank you for posting. I am on the other side of the fence not taking ACs yet but wanting to take all non-meds to help avoid risk; not doing therapeutic only culinary doses of cinnamon but each action (regular daily exercise in the day, more water than satisfying thirst and krill oil) helps a bit....I presume!

[Camelia23 in reply to secondtry]

Sounds good. Let me know how you get on

[Aprilbday in reply to secondtry]

Krill oil can thin the blood so much! I imagine if you were on AC’s with it -would be a disaster

[Camelia23 in reply to Aprilbday]

Will research that, thanks

[Dickydon]

I sometimes wonder about these spices/herb cocktails. My partner of 25yrs passed away a year ago through stage 4 Ovarian cancer and being of Afro/Asia background lived daily from a child growing up to shortly before her passing with all these herbs n spices added to the cooking daily and she was a fantastic cook too, that I dearly miss.

However, all the herbs and spices she had used in her cooking all these years and the ones you hear about almost daily in the media and health news programmes, that supposedly help and often claims of cure of cancer, diabetes, and so many more dependant health issues, but it didn’t prevent her from having cancer twice. As nice as these well know herbs/spices make our food taste delicious, that I believe, is where it stops.

I have ongoing heart issues I’m also a type 1 diabetic for over 44yrs and somehow having had all these so called naturally added spices/herbs etc to my food hasn’t cured me of my issues either. And I never had the supplement form but the natural form you buy from the Asian food shops, the proper raw natural spices/herbs etc etc...

So I’m not convinced that taking any of these things supposedly help in anyway other than adding delicious flavour to our food and you may be best seeking advice, certainly if your using the supplement variety.

[Camelia23 in reply to Dickydon]

Thank you for your reply. I can relate to it in two ways. My sister died of ovarian cancer four years ago at age 65 and my partner is diabetic type 1. He has had this for 47 years and sometimes I feel I know more about it than him. He says I'm not a medic so what do I know!!! Generally he manages it reasonably well but makes mistakes sometimes. I try to put myself in his shoes to understand what it must be like but don't always succeed. My sister ate well and used spices and herbs in cooking but not to excess. She had a hysterectomy in her 30s and the surgeon suggested she have ovaries removed. She said no. I'm sorry for your loss. I will occasionally take the cinnamon and ginger.

[Dickydon in reply to Camelia23]

Thank you and sorry about your sister too. Sounds like you’re on the ball there Camelia23. Yes, I find keeping within the diabetic guidelines not an easy thing to do as my control has been up and down for years, however, I chose not for the diabetes to control my life rather than me control it, or not get too worried about it; I suppose that’s why I’m relatively okay with not too many problems associated to long term poorly managed diabetes.

Good luck with the cinnamon & ginger big fan of those.

[CDreamer]

I take both daily and no problems. You would need to take something like 8g of Cinnamon before there was any chance of taking enough for an affect. Same with ginger - I take about half inch of raw ginger daily as anti-inflammatory and have talked to my Herbalist who is very confident that spices like this taken as foods (not supplements in capsules) is safe with anticoagulant. Both spices are adaptagens.

As in Bob’s example = take enough of anything and it will kill you, even water! Everything in moderation.

I get a bit cross with all this hype on many websites which advise without presenting absolutely no evidence or studies.

[Camelia23 in reply to CDreamer]

Thanks for this. I feel quite reassured. It's interesting what you say about food supplements rather than capsules.

[Camelia23 in reply to CDreamer]

I meant foods as opposed to supplements! Need to smell more rosemary to raise my alertness

[Dickydon in reply to Camelia23]

Agree, where I live in west London, there’s an abundance of Asian/Arabic grocery type places that sell all this stuff fresh just as though you’ve just picked it from your garden. My mum has a very large rosemary bush/tree and boy the smell and used in the cooking well need I say anymore. 👍🏻

[Dickydon in reply to CDreamer]

Agree, good answer.

[CDreamer]

Cinnamon jam on toast is delicious! Never seen it in the UK though

[Dickydon in reply to CDreamer]

Not sure of your location, it’s available in the UK, I’ve seen it in the Asian/Arabic food shops in Hounslow & Southall west London

[Camelia23 in reply to Dickydon]

Thank you. I live in the Midlands and sometimes visit two of my daughters who live in London

[CDreamer in reply to Dickydon]

Not available here in Devon - not too many African/Asian shops here. I used to bring it home from W Indies but we don't go there anymore unfortunately.

[Dickydon in reply to CDreamer]

And with Devon being the abundant clotted cream and scone land, a bit of cinnamon jam would be so scrumptious.

[CDreamer in reply to Dickydon]

Mmmmm.....lovely idea!

But I think I would need to restrict myself to a once a year treat!

[Dickydon in reply to CDreamer]

😜

[EricW]

On the subject of herbal supplements, there is also a warning about turmeric and anticoagulants.

[CALady95747]

Hmm, I've been on Warfarin since 2009 and sprinkle cinnamon on my toast every morning. So far all has been well when my blood is checked on a monthly basis.

[brit1 in reply to CALady95747]

I use a 1/2tsp ceylon cinnamon daily in my oatmeal (don't use "regular" cinnamon - its actually cassia and large amount long term can harm the liver) and also juice daily and add a couple inches of fresh ginger. So far no harm combined with Eliquis

[plopper in reply to brit1]

Cassia also has more of an anticoagulant effect than Ceylon cinnamon.

[Camelia23 in reply to plopper]

Thanks. That's interesting

[Camelia23 in reply to brit1]

Thank you, that's relevant to me

[Camelia23 in reply to CALady95747]

Thanks