Please don't hate me...LOL!

[Mama2Rylan]

I have been going through alot of the threads to find the answers to the following questions, but somehow I keep getting thrown "off-track"...maybe my brain is just a little slow after surgery But I do have a couple questions for you all and I hope when I ask them it doesn't spark any hard feelings...

Now I know that people have asked about alcohol plenty of times..but I seem to be getting conflicting information. I know that I shouldn't be drinking (or it should be the last thing that I worry about) but I am still very young and do enjoy going out with my friends... Now I did notice on one of the threads that the big concern wasn't so much the INR level but GI bleeding...how do you know when this becomes a problem? Now I used to be a very big drinker (a couple years ago before I had my son) but now I am more interested in going out only once a month (or once every couple months) so what is it going to be like if I have more then the "2 drink" limit?

Also, I know that eating salads and "green stuff" like broccoli will effect my INR levels...but how much will it take to effect this? I am not a person who eats salads or broccoli everyday (nor do I want to start now) but I do occasionally like the side salad or a little bit of broccoli so what should I do? And this might be just one of the dumbest questions I have every asked, but does lettuce count as something "green & leafy"? I was always told that lettuce is made up of mostly water so it doesn't really hold a lot of nutritional value...

Thanks for listening...you guys are great! Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated

 

[hensylee]

we have the alcohol question from time to time. The last one is a LONG thread, but I bet you will find what you need somewhere in that thread. Here it is:

http://www.valvereplacement.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10677&highlight=barry

I can't answer re the lettuce - I don't take coumadin. My brother takes it and he just won't eat ANY green stuff, but he could. I understand that if you eat green things, then you should keep the consumption level the same all the time. The others can give you lots of info about the green things.

Jump right in, anybody.

 

[MarkU]

As with diet, with alcohol consumption, consistency is the key.

Not to advocate drinking, but I (with my cardiologist's blessing) have a couple of glasses of red wine four or five nights a week with dinner.

Sometimes I have more when at parties or having dinner with friends.

My INR has been rock-steady for the last several years.

I do avoid the binge drinking I did during my early twenties...


Mark

 

[bvdr]

When my surgeon was visiting me one night a few days after surgery he stressed that it is better to drink a little every day than really over-do it on occasion. It goes to that "consistant" life style that is recommended but in reality never really achieved. What you are describing is not ideal but the danger is probably also with an associated fall that sometimes is know to happen when one is very tipsy. It will take a while for you to get comfortable with what you can and cannot do. One thing you CANNOT do is be anything but totally diligent in taking your coumadin every single day. Remember this drug is there to help you live.

Lettuce counts. Iceberg only a little. The darker green the more vit. K. Don't give up your vegetables for the sake of coumadin. Try to be somewhat consistant in how many times a week you eat your greens and then settle on your coumadin dose around how you normally eat. I love dark green stuff and have my dosage adjusted to accomadate lots of it.

This is going to take a little time for you to find your way but before long it will be second nature. You have already learned a lot.

 

[geebee]

I drink alcohol once or twice a week. I usually have a couple of glasses of wine (3 once in awhile). I also try to eat "green stuff" of some type each day. This can be in the form of a salad, some broccoli, spinach or the like. Since coumadin doses are calculated over a week, all of my consumptions are factored into my dose.

I am not fanatical over this schedule and I sometimes alter it but, since I test weekly, I can adjust if needed. However, my INR has been very consistent over the last 25 years.

 

[Ross]

I hope your not talking binging. If your talking over indulging now and then, it's not likely to do much if anything, but if you plan on hittin it hard a couple times a month, well I'd say danger Will Robinson. Ever had an ulcer? Stomach pains? If so, heavy drinking is not what you wanna do.

As for the greens, diet plays a very small roll in your overall management. Eat what you like, as others have said, try to be consistent and adjust your dose for your diet, don't diet the dose your on.

 

[Mama2Rylan]

I was under the impression that drinking alcohol on a regular basis was better then going out once in awhile...but when I first got on coumidin I asked the nurse and she told me that was not a good idea AT ALL...so I am confused Since I have a small child I don't really drink throughout the week (I am also not one that can drink while eating dinner...don't know why) so I guess my question would be what do you consider binge drinking? Now that I am older I don't go out and get plastered to the point where I wake up not remembering the night before (although sometimes I wish that were the case ) but I do like to get a nice "buzz" on...I think it's easier to manage all the drunk people that way...lol

Also, I was reading one of the threads started back in April, Al said something about drinking alot can cause problems with the lining of the stomach so wouldn't someone who drinks on a "regular" basis be more likely to have that problem then a person who goes out once in awhile? I guess my main thing is I have never had problems with bleeding...I have never had ulcers or stomach pains (unless you consider the stomach pains that goes with being a woman ) so I would like to know what would likely happen if I did go out on occasion and have four or five beers?

 

[gijanet]

Hey, I like this philosophy......

Hey, I like this philosophy......

When my surgeon was visiting me one night a few days after surgery he stressed that it is better to drink a little every day .

I'm not even on coumadin, but I like that philosophy. I think I will start drinking a little every day. A little at breakfast........a little at lunch.......a little at supper............ Sorry, it's been a rough three months. Hugs. Janet

 

[Valve-Viking]

I think it is hard to give any advice re drinking as the effect of the INR
seems to be so different from person to person. So if someone says
he/she can have 4-5 beers without any problem, someonelse might
get a spiked INR of the same. But as everyone says, consistency is the
key, you do not get any "advantages" INR-wise from not drinking regulary,
quite on the contrary.

If you self-test, you can see and follow how you respond to more then
a few drinks. But then please note drinking on one day does not elevate
your INR to the next, normally it shows a few days later.

Personally, sometimes I allow myself to drink a little bit more, but then again
I can never quite relax as before as you always make sure you are in 100%
control. That feeling is hard to delete and if I were to loose it, I´d definetely
had too much!

Good Luck and hope your come to terms with living with coumadine in all
aspects.

/
Martin

 

[Cris N]

My comment really is related to your other thread about testing frequency. I would tell the nurse that you are adjusting your diet, exercise & general lifestyle and must be tested once a week for at least the next month. The best thing you could do for yourself is to try to get some consistency going with drinking, eating, & exercising - so that you can find out how those things affect YOUR inr. As you become more active you metabolize the warfarin more quickly - meaning your dosage will probably need to be adjusted.

A few drinks, fine; binging, not so fine. (For anyone - warfarin or not!)

Have fun!

Cris

 

[Georgia]

I specifically asked about drinking post-op; I drank very seldom (MAYBE one drink a month). The doc said that he recommends one glass (4 oz) of wine daily for all heart patients. He said that if I wanted to drink at all he'd prefer that I had the glass of wine daily so the alcohol use would be reflected in the coumadin dosage.

So that's what I've done, and my inr has been (mostly) solid.

 

[Paul_N]

I personally have some history around booze. Because of how I used to drink, my cardiologist told me it's possible I brought my surgery on sooner than what maybe I would have if I drank like a normal person. Is there any truth to it? I don't know ... maybe it's his way of trying to help keep me from going back to a way of living that I used live ... which was ugly for me and eveyone else around me.

I wasn't a two or three drink type of guy ... more of a 2 or 3 in the morning kind of guy! In any event, I got sober over 17 years ago. I think it's great there are folks who can handle ... I just happen to be one who can't.

If I look only at what you wrote, it would appear you like to cut loose ... which is great. My only advice would be "all things in moderation". Have fun, but remember what you've been through and maybe remember what my cardio told me years ago.

Lastly, I'm not making any judgements here what so ever. Just trying to share what I've been through myself.

Paul

 

[Blanche]

I like Paul's post...no judgements. In years now long gone by, the week-end was binge time for me. I remember well straight tiquila nights, dancing with Jose Quervo, a love affair with Jim Beam, and boilermakers. I try to forget that I hurt myself more than several times. I am reminded everyday when I try to cover the scar over my left eye with make-up. The scar in my right eyebrow shows no matter what I do. If I had been on anticoagulants, I would have been in big trouble. The problem with binge drinking, to my mind, is that it just isn't safe.
kind regards,
Blanche