After seeing the nurse re warfarin dosages I asked which foods to avoid or be careful with. .

[skary]

She said green leafy veg , cauliflower , broccoli were ok in small amounts but that cranberry juice was NEVER was to be taken. When I asked her why she said it reacted with the warfarin & must be avoided. I asked her to be more explicit but couldn't get her to give me any more info. If the cranberry juice affects the warfarin to make blood twice as thin ....why can't they say?... does anyone know why it comes with skull & crossbones ???

[TheStand]

Skary,

Although It has not been medically proven yet, It was reported that cranberries interfere with an enzyme which helps to break down and rid the body of certain chemicals in the blood. This would allow the warfarin to remain in the bloodstream much longer than normal. Which in turn would increase the thinning effect of the drug by increasing the amount of warfarin remaining in the bloodstream.

There are differing opinions on this and recent studies are saying that it is not as bad as once reported. I stay away from them, even though I love cranberry juice. I would hate to be the case that shows that they were right to begin with.

Avoiding Cranberries has been a standard with warfarin for many, many years and most are not sure exactly why but do not want to take a chance.

As far as the other veggies. Many will tell you to stay away from green veggies, specially the dark green ones, But that is wrong. The only requirement is that you have a constant intake. If you eat 4 helpings of green veggies a week, then you need to eat the same all of the time. As long as your diet of them remains about the same, the warfarin can be adjusted to give you the right INR level, By changing your intake of green veggies each week, the warfarin would have to be adjusted continually to compensate.

Tim

[TheStand in reply to TheStand]

Here is a site that I used when I started taking warfarin. It has recipes and a list of foods with their vitamin K content.

drgourmet.com/warfarin/eat....

[skary]

Thanks Tim. It seems that to be on warfarin is more than just taking the pills; it alters so much but the reality is so important that you just have to get your head around it. I have been told that other anti co-ags are available that have less side effects than warfarin but are more expensive to prescribe; seems so wrong that we can't have them purely on monetary reasons....bad enough to have the beast ! I shall now go and look up website you gave me.

thanks

Nikki

[Beancounter Volunteer in reply to skary]

Hi Skary

it's not just monetary reasons, the other anti coags are fairly new and are not easily reversible, so if you do have an internal bleed and need emergency treatment then basically it's wait with the others, with warfarin there is a reversal drug available.

However money does come into it of course

[skary]

Yes , like most things nothing is ever completely straightforward.... guess I'm just getting my head around this . Never thought the day would come when I'd be on warfarin but anything is better than a stroke. Makes you wonder why it's taken so long for a new safer drug ...was surprised to find that warfarin has been in use since 50's..... 63 years is a long time .

Money is always in there somewhere !

[Warriors]

You have a right of choice of drug no matter what the expense! Speak to your GP and stand up for your right! It works I can assure u from my own experience with Pradaxa! It's all about the money!

[skary]

Had a feeling it might have a little to do with money ! never heard of pradaxa.... does it have an antidote?

[mumknowsbest Volunteer in reply to skary]

As far as I know at the moment there are no antidotes to the newer drugs, but I am sure they are working on it

[Terjo]

Having an internal bleed is no fun either, but mine was reversed just in time by vit k and three weeks in hospital. When I had to go onto warfarin again before having a cadioversion

We managed to get a home inr kit to measure it every day to keep it within the right limits. Worth every penny for the peace of mind. Hope you manage to get sorted. T

[skary]

makes you very uncertain as to which way to jump.... if you don't mind me asking Tejo what caused your internal bleed?

[Terjo in reply to skary]

Sorry to be so long answering but I'm quite new here and still working out the way the site works! Over dose of warfarin I didn't need the amount that the dr gave me. I'm not on warfarin now.

My bleed was in the lining of my liver from a vein that goes into the liver. It started very sneakily. And felt like a bad flu. Food just didn't tempt me and the idea of getting out of bed was only possible to go to the bathroom which ,on the second night, I did in the dark and fainted. By the morning, after my husband and son had helped back into bed, I lay flat and I felt more comfortable. Late afternoon I was not too good and they called the ambulance. The crew were very caring and gave me morphine.

It was midnight when I was taken to a ward. It being Saturday night they had to wait for a technician to be rounded up to take a scan this showed exactly where it was and I was seen by a visiting specialist professor in the morning and put on a load of meds with vitamin K . They knocked me out and I only have a hazy memory of the next few days but afterwards I gradually got better. They kept taking scans to see how it was progressing. I was able to visit the loo with help( they wouldn't let me go by myself) before I came home. They see this kind of injury in bike riders when they hit the handlebars in a crash. My poor husband felt everyone was looking at him! I'm fine now though and after stopping beta blokers (bisoperol) feel better than I have for years. Thank you for asking. Terry

[skary]

It must have been a rough time for you and your family; am pleased you are now ok. I take it that the cardio=version has worked and you're now back in sinus .... great news.

Nik

[Terjo]

I've been in snr for over two years now with three AFs caused, I presume, by trying out new drugs to try and treat high BP. I managed to treat these at home with more Flecanide and beta blockers. Being quiet and resting during an attack seems to work for me. We're all so different.....one of the problems of treating it. I was in persistent AF for a year before having the cardioversion .Terry

[Honeywine]

As far as I'm concerned we are all different I have had AF for just over a year now. I can eat all vegetables and fruit but in moderation I don't drink cranberry juice as advised by coag clinic, and I'm still a chocoholic but since this all started Ive gone off alcohol.