Coumadin and cranberry juice

[Blanche]

I came across this interesting information in the QAS Newsletter today.

Cranberry Juice Poses Risks for Warfarin Users
Drug experts warned recently about the health risks posed by cranberry juice consumption among patients who take the drug warfarin. Those who use the anti blood-clotting drug should limit cranberry juice consumption because the juice appears to... Read More
http://www.hometestmed.com/anticoagulation_warfarin_cranberry.asp

Thought it might be of importance to some of us here.

Blanche

 

[Guest]

I wish they had not included that in their newsletter. I think that it will scare more people than it will do any good for. This is another case of the hundreds of things that can affect warfarin and somebody chose one that takes all of the blame. Granted it got published in a prestigious medical journal but so have a lot of other things that have faulty conclusions. To me it looks like they needed something to fill space in the newsletter and used this nice scary article. Not up to the usual quality that you expect from QAS.

For my take on this please look at http://warfarinfo.com/cranberry.htm

 

[catwoman]

Rachel:

A big increase in vitamin C will also increase your INR. Try drinking a lot of OJ, eating some oranges & grapefruit. Been there, done that.

Seems like one report about the cranberry juice was someone who drank an awful lot in a very short time. Can't remember the amount.

Goes to show you -- be fairly consistent: no booze or cranberry binges.

(I'd be more afraid about the acidity of cranberry juice than a high INR.)

 

[Barry]

Hmmm. Given that consist diet is a significant key to a consistant INR, I guess I'll have to start having cranberry juice and vodka for breakfast every day....

The article seems rather contradictory: Speaks of how cranberry juice can reduce the effect of Warfarin (i.e. it would decrease one's INR), yet carries with it increased risk of hemmorhage (i.e. it would incrase one's INR).

Myself, I've come to think that just about everything interacts with Warfarin/Coumadin one way or another, and just exercise moderation in all things - e.g. I don't avoid eating spinach occasionally, but when I eat it I don't eat gigantic spinach salads (as much as I like them!).

I hope I'm not crossing a line I've crossed here before and am trying to abide by...
One population for which the cranberry juice warning would be very wise to heed would be those who try (usually unsuccessfully) to beat drug tests by drinking massive quantities of cranberry juice to acidify their blood and flush their bladder. That would probably be a very risky business if one were on Coumadin/Warfarin.

 

[LisaD0365]

I came across this interesting information in the QAS Newsletter today.

Cranberry Juice Poses Risks for Warfarin Users
Drug experts warned recently about the health risks posed by cranberry juice consumption among patients who take the drug warfarin. Those who use the anti blood-clotting drug should limit cranberry juice consumption because the juice appears to... Read More
http://www.hometestmed.com/anticoagulation_warfarin_cranberry.asp

Thought it might be of importance to some of us here.

Blanche

I read the same newsletter....I love cranberry juice...but I have to watch how much I drink...Is it the same way with dried cranberries....or whole cranberries?...I like to bake the dried ones in muffins....and like to make an orange/cranberry relish...just wondering.....

 

[terryj]

My husband drinks one of the small plastic containers if Cranberry juice everyday and has for about 20 years. He has been on coumadin for three and a half years and his INR has been pretty consistent since it got regulated after the first month of surgery

 

[Barry]

My husband drinks one of the small plastic containers if Cranberry juice everyday and has for about 20 years. He has been on coumadin for three and a half years and his INR has been pretty consistent since it got regulated after the first month of surgery

I should think that with cranberries - as with everything else - if one ingests it daily it won't really affect INR because one's Coumadin/Warfarin level will become adjusted to the routine. A rule of thumb - I think alodwick's - that I've read here a few times is that it makes more sense to adjust your Coumadin to fit your diet than to adjust your diet to fit your Coumadin dose.

 

[tobagotwo]

Cranberry juice is supposed to be good for the kidneys. One of the few foods that leaves an alkaline ash, rather than acidic one in its wake.

Best wishes,

 

[Ross]

I drink it. Not alot, but sometimes and I can't say as I've seen any effect to tell me differently. I think you'd have to chug gallons upon gallons to do some damage.

 

[Nan]

I thought that the article was unclear as to how it affected warfarin....it seemed to say it both caused bleeding and also clotting. Got to be one or the other, no?

 

[Emma]

Hi all,

I give Chloe cranberry juice quite regularly. I did know about its interaction with warfarin - can't remember where i read it now - but I chose to do as most of you say and adjust her dosage around her diet if necessary. I give it to Chloe as she used to suffer badly from UTI's and cranberry juice is supposed to be helpful for that. Also, Chloe doesn't seem to have the INR interactions that some things say do it anyway - perhaps it differs from person to person?? For example, anti-biotics (amoxycillan, sp?) which her doctor always worries about her being on, have no effect on her INR whatsoever?!

I think if I made Clo avoid everything that supposedly interacts with her drugs then the poor child would have a very bland and boring diet!
Just my opinion

Love Emma
xxx