Do you need to avoid vitamin K food on fragmin?

[elt-las]

Hi All

After 2 years on warfarin, I asked to for my drugs to be reviewed as I had spent 5 months feeling very unwell (INR unstable). I am now on fragmin and feel almost like my old self! I spent 2 years being extremely careful with high vitamin k food (as it would seriously affect my inr) Do I have to be careful with vitamin k food on fragmin? I know warfarin and fragmin work very differently but I just wanted to check before I sit down to a spinach salad

Thanks

Emily

[Manofmendip]

Hi Emily

We are, of course, not Drs on here so we cannot give you medical advice. However, I, like you, have converted from Warfarin to Frgamin and, as you say, the two drugs work differently. I have been told, by my Dr, that Vit K does not affect Fragmin in the way that it does Warfarin. Vit K is, I believe, used by the liver to make clotting factors. I have certainly eaten spinach, liver and other Vit K rich foods, now I'm on Fragmin, without any ill effects. If I had done so on Warfarin it would have hit my INR down from say 4.0 to 3.0 just having liver for dinner.

Best wishes.

Dave x

[elt-las]

Hi Dave

thats how it affected me on warfarin and i felt ill straight away! Just wanted to see if anyone on fragmin felt ill after eating vitamin k. I appreciate you responding dave.

thanks

emily

[Tonkawoman69]

Hi ,

I'm on Warfrin and I eat all my green veggies. I met a great anticoagulant nurse who said I don't have to go without my green veg. She said she would adjust my warfrin to allow me to eat it. I've been fairly stable at mo,. Had few low INR but more stable than before. So not sure what others are doing. But defo feel better fort my veggies definitely helps other departments. Good luck. Xx

[elt-las]

Thanks APsnotfab! I completely changed my diet after my strokes.I never thought at 31 I would be so excited about eating veg, avocado and hummus!!!

[MaryF Administrator in reply to elt-las]

I bet you will really notice the extra variety on your new regime! MaryF

[tassie]

We shouldn't be totally avoiding vitamin k foods when on warfarin but it is very important to have the same amount each day so the warfarin dose can be adjusted appropriately.

But I agree so much easier on heparin as you don't have to watch the foods you eat and the amounts.

[SueLovett]

My Consultant told me Clexane works in different way to Warfarin and so no need to avoid vitamin K x

[Wittycjt]

Great!