Anyone on Coumadin?

tracydr
tracydr Posts: 528 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I just started coumadin two weeks ago for a clotting and bone disease. There are so many delicious veggies that are high in vitamin K. So far, I've been limiting my greens to 2-3 times a week but I'd really like to increase that to daily. Also, I have grapefruit juice every once in awhile, wondering how bad that really is?
So far, my INR has been right where it should be, taking 5mg every other day and 2.5mg every other day.
Anyway, thought it would be nice to meet some other Coumadin dieters.

Replies

  • Bagelsan
    Bagelsan Posts: 49
    I'm not on coumadin, but I know a little about it. Really it would be best to ask your doctor/nurse about specific drug interactions, however in general the vitamin K makes the coumadin less effective, meaning that you'd need a higher dose of medication to reach the same therapeutic effect if you eat a lot of greens, while the grapefruit juice can alter how fast the coumadin is metabolized, meaning that you might end up with more active drug floating around in your system for longer when you drink grapefruit juice. So both the greens and the grapefruit juice basically change the amount of good that the drug will do for you, in kind of complicated unpredictable ways; that's why you're told to avoid those foods.

    Please *don't* take the advice of a random person on a website... But that said, if I were you I'd figure out a plan with my medical provider to slowly increase green veggies over a period of several weeks, giving your body time to adjust and allowing the medication levels to stabilize, and maybe swap out the grapefruit for orange juice (which doesn't have the same effect on your metabolism.)

    There's my 2 cents! Now go ask a real doctor! :D
  • tracydr
    tracydr Posts: 528 Member
    I'm actually a doctor and have followed a lot of patients on Coumadin. However, I don't think many of my patients were particularly great eaters and probably didn't eat as many veggies as I tend to. Also, I know that so many people actually dislike grapefruit juice. We get grapefruits fresh from a friend and make our own juice, so much better than store bought!
    My INR has been great for my first month on coumadin. 2.5-2.6. However, I just started my diet and increased veggies. I have a test tomorrow so we'll see. I can say that Coumadin is helping my joints and muscles much more than the lovenox was, so I'm thrilled with that.
    I have avascular necrosis in at least 4 joints and anticardiolipin ( lupus) antibodies. I'm being worked up for lupus and other rheumatology diseases next month.
    The anticardiolipin probably contributed to the bone disease which is the reason I've been on anticoagulants. I was also probably getting micro-DVts which was causing Charlie horses in my legs.
  • bigtummymommy
    bigtummymommy Posts: 19
    How did your INR go? I've been on Warfarin for about 2 weeks now, and it has settled pretty quickly - but I'm taking the approach of avoiding things with vitamin K as I'm only on it for 3 months, and don't want to have to keep changing doses. Not sure it if is a great plan, in fact it probably isn't, but I worry about the level being too high and figure this is a way to even it out.

    And I REALLY don't want any more tummy injections - my current photo attests to that!!!!! :smile:

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