Can the Beverages You Drink Interact With Your Blood Thinner?

Warfarin and its partners are commonly used as prescription drugs today. Warfarin is blood thinner, and is used primarily to prevent blood clots in patients with cardiovascular disease, or higher than the average risk of stroke or heart attack.

Warfarin prevents clotting from forming or growing larger by stopping the formation of material that causes freezing. Because warfarin drains your blood, it's important to stop taking it before the surgical procedure. Check with your doctor for recommendations before your surgery.

Side effects of Warfarin included

o headache

or abdominal pain

or diarrhea

or fever

o skin rash

Recently, there has been talk that some beverages can block warfarin's blood thinning properties. Drinks included include cranberry juice, grape juice and tea. The theory is that the beverage inhibits the human enzyme where warfarin works to prevent the formation of clots. This leads patients to wonder if it is safe to take these drinks while taking warfarin and similar medicines. Similar concerns have been raised for patients who may take anti-fungal drugs such as flukonazol; medicines that are commonly treated to treat yeast infections.

A study was conducted to measure the effects of all three drinks on the effectiveness of warfarin. To conduct the study, researchers conducted experiments in both in vitro and human participants, using flurbiprofen, a common anti-inflammatory drug. Flurbiprofen mimics the action of warfarin in the body, so it is considered a safer alternative for participants.

Human participants were given grape juice, cranberry juice, boiled tea, or placebo juice to control. Patients were also given either flurbiprofen to determine any interactions. In addition, the patient was given flukonazol in combination with flubiprofen to study possible interactions.

The study employed 14 healthy volunteers and studied them weekly for a period of 5 weeks. At each visit, volunteers will receive different combinations, so that each combination can be compared to each participant.

In addition to using human participants, researchers are also studying the reactions of various combinations in this laboratory. Under these conditions, scientists can better monitor how these materials affect one another.

Studies have concluded that the drink in question does not hinder the effectiveness of warfarin in terms of its ability to shed blood in human studies. However, in vitro experiments showed little inhibition when flurbiprofen was combined with tea or grape juice - but these findings were not replicated in human studies.

However, the study done by Fluconazole seems to hinder the effectiveness of warfarin in both human and in vitro tests.

Therefore, this study concludes that those who drink juice and tea need not worry that their drink will interfere with their ability to do their job. You should talk to your doctor, however, if you are prescribed fluconazole when taking warfarin, as the interaction may cause warfarin to be less effective.

However, you can safely drink your regular drinks without the fear that you will have an interaction. And, in fact, if your preferred beverage is green tea, you can actually work your way up the warfarin in the future.

Strong antioxidants of green tea have been shown to help increase blood pressure and lower cholesterol. Increased blood pressure and cholesterol can mean a significant increase in any cardiovascular disease you may have.

Excessive high blood pressure puts pressure on the artery walls, often causing them to have small nicks. Blood clots are formed as your body tries to repair these small nicks. However, if blood clots grow too large or ruptured, they can block the artery to the heart, causing a heart attack. Or, if they block the artery that supplies the brain, they can cause a stroke.

Warfarin is prescribed to help prevent this clot, but if blood pressure and cholesterol are lowered naturally, the need for blood thinning can sometimes be eliminated. Of course, you can't stop any medication without consulting your doctor, but can't you manage your blood pressure naturally?

In general, adding green tea to your diet is a healthy idea. It has been shown in study after study to help prevent premature aging and various diseases, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and some types of cancer. It can also help you keep your weight under control, which in turn helps keep you healthy and strong.

Try adding two to three cups of green tea a day to your diet to see healthy benefits. You will find green tea available in a variety of flavors, both in loose and tea bags. You can drink it hot or ice - and add milk if you like. Whatever you drink, you are sure to do something healthy - and that will not interfere with the medications you are taking.

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