Mechanical Valve / Blood Thinners interactions

[Guest]

can anyone speak to the difficulties when drinking alcohol or smoking weed on blood thinners? I live in Cali and have smoke for some years. Can you still drink alcohol on blood thinners?

 

[pellicle]

can anyone speak to the difficulties when drinking alcohol or smoking weed on blood thinners? I live in Cali and have smoke for some years. Can you still drink alcohol on blood thinners?

yes, there is TONS of discussion on this board about that. The consensus is drinking in moderation has such little influence you needn't worry. The primary problem is not the slighly elevated INR which may result, but the fact that if you fall down and smash your head being drunk you are more a little likely to have a brain bleed and die (well, if you're lucky, just be brain damaged and live is the worst scenario).

Smoking dope is in my view stupid anyway, however this example showed that at least this guy had INR management issues:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19531696

was it that THC (or one of the other compounds) caused a problem? I dunno ... could be just as simple as he was stoned and forgot to take his medication.

In medicine "compliance" means the patient taking the drugs correctly and in a timely manner. Compliance is the biggest problem in management of medication:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3068890/

" Although these medications are effective in combating disease, their full benefits are often not realized because approximately 50% of patients do not take their medications as prescribed."

so my advice is drink in moderation and flush the dope down the dunny where it belongs.

Look after your health, you don't get second chances with this ****.

 

[pellicle]

try this google search:
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=...oq=site:valvereplacement.org+warfarin+alcohol

 

[tom in MO]

Simple answer is you can keep drinking booze and smoking pot as long as you don't get so wasted as to fall down and bleed, throw up your warfarin, forget to take your warfarin or forget to test your INR If you do get that wasted, use your phone to remind you to take your warfarin and also to test, and carry a wallet card that says you are on warfarin.

 

[LondonAndy]

I wish there was a "like" button or similar on this board. I agree with both Pellicle and Tom, and this emoji seems appropriately inebriated ...

:Face-Smirk: Cheers!

 

[ATHENS1964]

Smoking will decrease the level or effect of Warfarin by affecting hepatic enzyme CYP1A2 metabolism.42
Nicotine itself does not interact with Coumadin, only the smoke caused from cigarette smoke impacts Warfarin. Nicorette, for example, will not impact Warfarin.42
You need to tell your doctor if you are trying to quit smoking because your reduction in use will very likely impact your INRs.
http://inrtracker.com/articles/diet/coumadin-diet