Having had a surprising spike in my INR, which I now think was the result of eating a mango, I'm looking for an easy-to-follow but comprehensive guide to foods that alter the effect of warfarin on INR levels. The lists I have found though google are either unhelpfully short or very complex and full of US terms and brand names. Something UK specific would be great. So far I've not found anything particularly useful on either the NHS or BHF websites.
Can anyone suggest a user-friendly gu... - British Heart Fou...
Can anyone suggest a user-friendly guide to how different foods affect warfarin?
Hi, have a look at the AF Association website. They have some very useful factsheets about food and drug interactions with Warfarin. Here’s the link
heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...
All the b3st. X
Hello and welcome to the forum!
With Warfarin there are basically two ways to stabilise INR::
i) Keep to a fairly stable diet which includes foods with Vitamin K.
ii) Avoid all foods with Vitamin K.
Personally I would opt for the first option as many foods containing Vitamin K like liver, spinach, broccoli, etc. are also good sources of iorn. Once you find a list of foods to be careful with you can plan accordingly. Good luck!
Will second what MichaelJH says you need your Vit K
They key here is consistency, same amount of Vit K each and every week. For instance I always have broccoli with my Sunday roast, don’t do liver buts that’s cos I don’t like it!
I’m not advocating alcohol but the odd glass is not in my opinion going to hurt. When we finally get to watch a live footy match in a stadium I will be having a pie and a pint! It’s tradition.
I’ve been on warfarin for over 20 years and have learnt that no matter what you do sometimes your INR is going to be having a laugh at you. Tho I did find out recently that things like ginger and pontefract cakes will effect your INR tho me thinks you’d have to eat a lot
Be careful, be consistent you will get there
J
Been on warfarin for past 9 years and advice given by my INR nurses and others is to carry on as normal. If you have always eaten broccoli, cabbage etc, continue to do so, your body is used to it. If you have never eaten them and suddenly start that's when problems occur. Cran berries are a no-no but never heard about Mangos.
Thanks to everyone who has replied and shared their experience. Just to clarify, I am largely sticking to a consistent diet and keeping an eye on my vitamin K intake. I'm pleased to say that my INR is remarkably stable. However, when presented with something unusual that I do not normally eat, such as that mango, I would like a quick and easy way to find out if it is likely to affect INR and in which direction. Perhaps there's a gap in the market for a handy phone app, like the ones that tell you about fat/salt/sugar in different foods.
Thanks for your reply. I didn't realise that non-food changes can affect INR so dramatically. I'll watch out for that in future.