Licorice and INR

[Jackie]

I tested my INR this morning and the results were 4.2 and 4.7. I have pigged out on Licorice since Sunday. would this have any effect on my INR? This is the only thing I can think of that would be differant from my normal diet.

 

[Bina]

I don't know about the INR effect, but licorice would mess up my heart rate, for sure.

 

[Jackie]

I haven't noticed anything difference in my heart rate, may I ask why it would effect heart rate?

 

[Jackie]

Thank you, I will do that. Just thought I would try, I hate to call in my results because the anticoagulation pharmacist has a tizzy attach every time my INR is high.

 

[Jackie]

Thank you Oaktree, I will look these up and least have something to tell the anticoagulation clinic.

 

[njean]

Back before I had my own home monitor & was checking my INR at the Coumadin Clinic, the doctor told me NOT to eat licorice (the black kind) because it did interfere w/INR.

 

[Jackie]

Thank you Norma, guess I have to learn the hard way. Nobody had ever mentioned that, and I love Black Licorice , since it was there I just had to eat it.

 

[Ross]

Well now I feel stupid. Of all the interactions listed, I never saw Licorice as one of them, but by golly google it and whammo. I think I'll go crawl back into my hole in the wall and pout.

 

[catwoman]

I tested my INR this morning and the results were 4.2 and 4.7. I have pigged out on Licorice since Sunday. would this have any effect on my INR? This is the only thing I can think of that would be differant from my normal diet.

According to the prescribing leaflet for Coumadin, licorice contains coumarins, which would DECREASE your INR instead of increasing it.

So, no, I don't think the increase is related to your pigging out on licorice. (I love licorice, too!)

You might want to consider tweaking your dosage by 5-10% if you test in the 4.0-4.5 range again.

 

[Susan BAV]

I just found this...

I just found this...

Table 6 - Adverse Drug Effects/Drug Interactions of Selected Herbal or Food Products

Warfarin

Dashen - Increased anticoagulant activity or increased INR
Ginkgo biloba, garlic, feverfew, and cayenne - Platelet aggregation inhibitor effects and increased risk of bleeding/bruising
Ginseng (Siberian) - Decreased anticoagulant activity or decreased INR
Licorice - Increased anticoagulant activity or increased INR
Alfalfa - Decreased anticoagulant activity or decreased INR
Vitamin E (doses of 200 IU/day) - Increased anticoagulant activity and increased platelet aggregation inhibition, increased risk of bleeding
Ginger - Increased anticoagulant activity, increased INR, prolonged bleeding
Quinine - Increased anticoagulant activity or increased INR


http://www.uspharmacist.com/oldformat.asp?url=newlook/files/feat/mar00druginteractions.htm

 

[njean]

Table 6 - Adverse Drug Effects/Drug Interactions of Selected Herbal or Food Products

Warfarin

Dashen - Increased anticoagulant activity or increased INR
Ginkgo biloba, garlic, feverfew, and cayenne - Platelet aggregation inhibitor effects and increased risk of bleeding/bruising
Ginseng (Siberian) - Decreased anticoagulant activity or decreased INR
Licorice - Increased anticoagulant activity or increased INR
Alfalfa - Decreased anticoagulant activity or decreased INR
Vitamin E (doses of 200 IU/day) - Increased anticoagulant activity and increased platelet aggregation inhibition, increased risk of bleeding
Ginger - Increased anticoagulant activity, increased INR, prolonged bleeding
Quinine - Increased anticoagulant activity or increased INR


http://www.uspharmacist.com/oldformat.asp?url=newlook/files/feat/mar00druginteractions.htm

Great site Susan! Thank you for providing the link to everyone!

 

[Jackie]

This is from the Mayo Clinic, now I am confused

Search results
You searched for: interaction with licorice and warfarin
Results 1 - 1 of 1 are displayed
1.Warfarin side effects: Watch for dangerous interactions
Warfarin side effects are dangerous and put you at risk of heavy bleeding.

 

[Jackie]

Thank you all for your contributions, helping me find information on Licorice and Warfarin. Now I know I should not pig out on the black licorice that I love.

 

[Jkm7]

If you love licorice (as do I), eat it regularly and it can be accounted for in your dosage. Why eliminate something you really enjoy if you can have moderate amounts of it and dose accordingly?

 

[catwoman]

I don't have the prescribing leaflet. But with all due respect, coumarins are compounds that increase INR. Coumarins are chemically related to warfarin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coumarin

I stand corrected. I was almost dead tired when I typed that. I worked 7 days straight in the last week and haven't caught up on my beauty (and brain) rest.
Yes, it would have INCREASED the INR.

Seems like you'd really have to pig out on licorice to raise it that much, though.

 

[Guest]

Ross,
Crawl back out of your hole. I had forgotten about licorice, too.

 

[catwoman]

Jackie:

Don't worry about trying to adjust your dosage to account for the increase in your INR.

UNLESS (drumroll here!) ... you plan to pig out on licorice daily from now on.

I love licorice jelly beans, gum drops, anything licorice! If it weren't for the residual black teeth , I'd eat it every day.
My bestest and closest friends are people who discard licorice anything.

 

[perrypiratesdad]

Dang it, I love Licorice (the black kind). Guess I have to have a spinach chaser with it now. O screw it, I'm not changing my eating habits now.

 

[catwoman]

Dang it, I love Licorice (the black kind). Guess I have to have a spinach chaser with it now. O screw it, I'm not changing my eating habits now.

Should google for a recipe for a spinach & licorice quiche (yech!!!!!) ... That would balance everything out.

 

[Jackie]

Thank you everyone, I will not stop eating Licorice, I will now what may have caused my INR to raise. I did go in for a lab test(because Kaiser makes me go if over 4.0) today and it came out just the same as my friend INRatio 4.2, so ha ha ha to the anticoagulation clinic, it was the same. They always tell me that my friend is not accurate. Thanks again dear people.