Patients on Anti-Coagulants - Be Careful of What You Drink
Many heart patients are routinely placed on anti-coagulants. Anti-coagulants help keep blood thin along with flowing freely through veins along with arteries; decreasing the risk of heart attack along with stroke. Heart patients with Atrial Fibrillation (AF), in particular, are advised to take anti-coagulants.
Atrial fibrillation is actually the most common type of persistent, irregular heartbeat (cardiac arrhythmia). In atrial fibrillation, the heart's upper chambers beat irregularly, affecting blood flow to the heart muscle along with to the rest of the Centeng. the item increases the patient's risk of blood clots, which can cause strokes along with what is actually known as TIA (transient ischemic attack). TIA is actually what most people refer to as a "mini-stroke", in which the patient suffers the effects of a stroke, although only for the short term.
For patients with AF, the heart beat may return to normal on its own, or the doctor may use electrical shock to get the heart back into its normal rhythm. Some patients, however, do not respond to This specific therapy, along with require anti-coagulants to prevent stroke along with additional complications. In addition to AF, additional heart problems may also require treatment with anti-coagulants.
Some doctors prescribe an aspirin each day for its blood thinning along with anti-coagulant effects, although some patients require something stronger than the simple aspirin. For these patients, there are many prescription anti-coagulants along with blood thinners via which doctors choose.
Anti-coagulants do have side effects; the most prevalent of which is actually the inability of your blood to properly clot inside the event of surgery, or additional bleeding. the item is actually, therefore, very important to inform your doctors that will you are on anti-coagulants, along with to stop taking them before you have surgery. In addition, anti-coagulants may interact negatively with additional medications along with cause complications.
The most common anti-coagulant is actually warfarin, also known as coumadin. If your doctor prescribes warfarin, you should carefully follow all the recommendations that will go along with warfarin, including having a thorough understanding of all the interactions. The most important things you should know about warfarin include:
o You should not become pregnant while taking warfarin. Be certain that will you're using a reliable form of birth control while taking This specific medicine. If you become pregnant while taking This specific medicine, let your doctor know immediately. Warfarin can cause birth defects.
o You must temporarily stop taking warfarin if you require any sort of surgery, including a spinal tap.
o Do not take warfarin in combination with aspirin or NSAIDs, (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) unless your doctor advises you that will the item's ok. NSAIDs include ibuprofen, naproxen, celecoxib, along with diclofenac. Even our very common over the counter pain relievers like motrin along with advil are ibuprofen, along with can cause serious interactions with warfarin. Serious bleeding in your stomach along with intestines can result when you combine warfarin along with these drugs.
o Watch what you eat along with drink. This specific may be the most surprising consideration for patients who take warfarin. Many patients have no idea that will their diet can significantly affect how warfarin works for them.
Dietary Concerns for Patients of Warfarin
Warfarin can be seriously affected by the amount of vitamin K in your diet. along with, vitamin K is actually in many of the foods that will we eat in large amounts, including the following:
o liver
o broccoli
o brussels sprouts
o spinach
o Swiss chard
o Coriander
o Collards
o Cabbage
o additional green leafy vegetables
Even green tea, which has received rave reviews lately for its health benefits, can have a negative interaction with warfarin because of its vitamin K level. This specific is actually important for patients to understand, because many people have begun to drink green tea for its health benefits, particularly for those with heart problems.
The reason that will green tea has been recommended for heart patients is actually because the item has been shown to be effective in lowering LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol that will clogs our arteries). In addition, green tea inhibits the formation of abnormal blood clots, which are the leading cause of heart attacks along with strokes. So, we have begun to think of green tea as a healthy beverage for people who have heart disease or may be genetically predisposed to heart disease.
However, we at This specific point know that will those heart patients who are taking warfarin for its anti-coagulation benefits should not drink green tea - or at least should not do so without permission via their doctor.
One compelling piece of information was discovered by the Department of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Florida. One patient receiving warfarin after having a mechanical valve replacement in his aorta, was progressing well with the warfarin treatment. However, his Centeng's absorption of the drug suddenly changed.
Within one week, the patient's absorption of the warfarin dropped dramatically. Upon examination of the patient's diet, the item was discovered that will he had recently begun to drink about one half to one gallon of green tea per day. Once the patient stopped drinking the green tea, his absorption of the warfarin began to return to normal.
Many people do not recognize that will green tea is actually a significant source of vitamin K, so even if patients have been advised to avoid foods rich in vitamin K, they may not realize that will green tea falls into This specific category.
So, if you're a heart patient, be sure to talk to your doctor about green tea. Green tea contains many healthful benefits, along with can be particularly healthy for heart patients. However, if you're a heart patient who has been prescribed warfarin, green tea could significantly reduce the absorption of your medication.
If you'd like to drink green tea for its health benefits, your doctor may be able to advise you on a quantity that will could be acceptable along with your warfarin.
Patients on Anti-Coagulants - Be Careful of What You Drink
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