I was told by my pharmacist that I should not take K2 while on blood thinners (low dose aspirin) because K2 is a coagulant.
Seems K2 is an important one to have for any number of reasons... is anyone here on blood thinners taking it?
And just reading 1/2 cup of brussel sprouts provides daily K requirements... I guess I will just stick to food,
I know a friend of mine was told not to eat Bsprouts when on warfarin. I think the problem is more with the heavy hitting anticoagulants rather than aspirin, as it can throw your INR results out and consequently affect dosing. I think the plan there is to maintain intake of K at steady levels. Depends why you’re on aspirin maybe. But I do tend to listen to pharmacists.
[I’ll now share with you the wonderful predictive text blooper that came up: a friend of mine was told not to eat Baptists when on warfarin. ]
😂😂😂 great one.
Those too!!!
I know my dad could not have certain foods high in k2 when on warfarin. Is it a baby aspirin you are on? I was on it for years....16yrs I think and ate sprouts when I could get them, as well as other leafy greens, without a problem. I presume it's the gca aspirin? The protocol for diabetes when I was dx was 75mg aspirin. Apparently no longer the case. I would ask the gp if you need it as to me it seems k2 might be as important as aspirin for Cardio Vascular health/strokes. Obviously no expert but worth checking with Dr.
Someone linked to this a few months ago...
nutritionadvance.com/vitami...
Thanks! (Yes.. low dose aspirin)
There is a big difference between Vitamin K1 and Vitamin K2. The former works on blood coagulation. The second more on the proper use of calcium by the bones. You maybe should be very careful with adding extra K1 to your diet, but I think a small amount of K2 should be safe. Double check, though.
Note that many medical people do not understand the difference between the two forms of Vitamin K. You will not get K2 from your vegetables although you may convert a small amount to the K2 form - it won't be enough, though.
healthline.com/nutrition/vi...
I don’t think it’s as clear cut as that Heron. K2 is definitely the one required to prevent vascular calcification and enhance bone building. However both K1 & K2 are involved in coagulation.
Just found this discussion which is nicely pragmatic.... take your daily K via diet and then add anticoagulant on top of that.
articles.mercola.com/sites/...
You can get Vitamin K2 in sufficient amount if you eat natto.
And you're right, it is more complicated:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...
From your link:
“Vitamin K2 in the form of MK-7 is rapidly becoming popular as a supplement and is available OTC usually with a dose of 100–120 μgm. It is important as physicians to be aware that MK-7 can interfere with anticoagulation therapy when used above 50 μgm/day [48]. On the other hand, the supplementation of some vitamin K at a steady level during anticoagulation therapy may result in a more stable INR that requires fewer adjustments. ”
Yep, doesn't say you can't have Vitamin K2.
K1 and K2 are different things, like all the B vits do different things but that doesn't appear to be part of their education ... It also depends WHAT blood thinners. Aspirin isn't a vit K mediated effect - it works on the platelets, stopping them sticking together. And even on the vit K mediated things it doesn't matter provided you eat your greens etc regularly - every day-ish, not feast and famine and get the INR balanced on that regular diet.
Like Soraya I do usually listen to pharmacists but I've had a few WT... moments with them in my time too!!
Dunno about Baptists when on warfarin - like children, couldn't eat a whole one ...
Yes, even pharmacists bark up the wrong tree sometimes.....like the one who told me Nystan Oral was ok for p.v.thrush 🤸🏼♂️🤷🏻♀️
You are kidding???????????????????????
Nope. Still makes me giggle.
As a retired Pharmacist thank you for your confidence in the profession! But we were never taught about vitamins, complementary or herbal medicines. My understanding is that K2 doesn't affect clotting in the way K1 does. Also having read the book "vitamin k and the calcium paradox" I don't think k2 is related to k1 if I remember correctly? As with everything these days our knowledge has increased hugely and it's not unusual to find interactions and contraindications which exist in theory but which don't have significance in practice. Our bodies are remarkable and will tolerate quite a lot before they complain!!
Ah yes - but your post shows you "get it"!
I have both PMR and GCA and take “baby” aspirin, 10mg daily. I also have Prolia injections bi-annually for osteoporosis. Because of this I also take K2 and D3(amongst other supplements). I also take Prednisone, although tapering down and almost off it now. I have blood tests 3 monthly and no levels are elevated. No one has ever suggested I stop taking any of these, and that includes my rheumatologist, my ophthalmologist, (just had cataract surgery), the specialist that just removed a BCC, or the hospital where I had these surgeries. I had to list all medication and supplements and no one raised an eyebrow at my list.
I am on 75mg aspirin daily after a heart problem in Nov 2018. I have been taking K2 for 3 yrs now and was not told to stop in hospital. I started taking it as my Calcium levels were slightly high due to a parathyroid problem, and it is supposed to help your bones absorb Calcium.
Marci x
I'm a fit 69, despite PMR, and have chronic, asymptomatic, atrial fibrillation but not a hint of metabolic syndrome. For years I have been taking low dose aspirin alone (no anticoagulants) but I now believe aspirin does nothing positive. I may discontinue it soon.
I have bought vitamin K2 (100 mcg MK-4) but am yet to take it. I get a huge daily dose of vitamin K1 from green leafy vegetables.
My local pharmacist (now ex) told me that K2 was only available on prescription but was rarely prescribed as its easy to get more than enough from a normal diet. 😱🤬
Seriously? Another person who should know the difference between K1 and K2 and apparently doesn't. It's the modern Western diet which has made many if not most of us deficient in Vitamin K2. I agree there's no lack of K1 in our diet, especially if we eat our greens, but our gut is not particularly efficient at converting it to enough K2. That's why in the old days our grassfed animals were important because they made the conversion for us. But grain fed animals don't do that.
That’s my reason for being so picky about the meat I buy, well that’s my excuse the real reason is that it tastes good. 😁
I'd rather have a small portion of something really good than a massive plateful of something mediocre!
I am feeling a bit more educated. Thanks for replies!
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