Echinacea

[Karlynn]

My cardiologist swears by echinacea in shortening the length and symptoms of colds and other viruses. I've never bothered to ask her (because she wasn't speaking to me directly about using it) if there is an interaction with Coumadin. Has anyone hear heard or read anything?

 

[ericaj]

not sure, but..

not sure, but..

Karlynn -

I don't take Coumadin so can't really help you out there, but do you know when and how often Echinachea is supposed to be taken ir regards to a cold?
You are the second person who has mentioned it in just a week, maybe I am just more intuned since I am stiol sick??

Erica

 

[Karlynn]

I'm not really sure Erica. I do believe I've heard that you need to start taking it at the first sign of illness, or it won't work. I'll let you know more if I find out.

 

[Ross]

http://www.tarowarfarin.com/uploadFiles/warfarin herbal guide.pdf

According to Taro, stay away from it while on Warfarin, but let Al weigh in on this too.

 

[Guest]

The only well-done study published in a peer-reviewed medical journal showed some shortening of the length of cold symptoms when the echinaceae was given at the earliest time after the onset of the cold.

I can find no report of anyone being harmed by the combination of eacinaceae and warfarin. As "they" say absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence. So you could take it and make medical history if you have a bad outcome.

 

[Karlynn]

So you could take it and make medical history if you have a bad outcome.

I'm not looking to be published so I think I stear clear.

 

[Nan]

Well guys, for what it's worth, I have taken echinacea and am on warfarin and did not seem to have any problems at all with my INR fluctuating. Don't know how others would do with it, but was not a problem for me. This was with my pcp's OK (she monitors my warfarin).

Don't know how much the echinacea actually helped in shortening my cold....I also used Zicam which may have also had an impact in making me feel better.