So, What's for Dinner??

[athul]

Sorry to sound a bit petty on this forum, however, as I await an upcoming AVR surgery 12/5, I have already spent several sleepless nights contemplating my life and my situation so now I want to think about the future and how my proposed mechanical valve (& coumadin) will affect my diet.
I am a meat & potatoes guy (love my steaks, wine & seafood as well).
Does anyone have any thoughts on how this Coumadin stuff will change my diet??
I heard seafood is a no no.
Also, doc tells me to drink in "moderation".
Pre-surgery (w/related anxieties), I think my definition of "moderation" may be a bit different than most.
Can anyone define the word "moderation"???
thanks

 

[mntbiker]

can't help on the drink thing, never have never will. But as far as food, Ross always says dose the diet don't diet the dose. In other words, eat what you like and just adjust your coumadin levels as needed. Hope this helps.

I was concerned about coumadin at first as well but since I have done my research it really doesn't seem to tbe the monster it first appears to be.

There was a pole done a few months ago about "how has coumadin affected your life" search for it and read through it. It should help.

By the way, I am still pre fix so don't have personal experience to offer.

 

[OldManEmu]

I am not on the Warfarin so can only comment on what I was told when I made my valve choice and what I have read here. Moderation means 1 or 2 drinks. As Ross always says dose the diet don't diet the dose. Consistency is the message. I have never seen anybody mention not eating seafood. Excessive drinking presurgery may not be a good idea as it increases your blood pressure and the fluid load that your already stressed heart has to deal with. You need to get all the sleep you can before the surgery. I find trying to sleep in hospital worse than the lead up.

 

[Ross]

The key to Coumadin dosing is consistency. Eat your normal diet and do your normal things, but be consistent about it. Too many Doctors and Clinics are telling people they can't have greens, they can't have alcohol, they can't, they can't,........It's all bologna. Get your diet stable and dose that diet.

Coumadin gets a bad rap because the wonderful people that prescribe it don't seem to know how it works. Every new person that comes in here says the samething. We hear horror stories abound that are totally untrue. If you want to and you should, learn all you can about Coumadin, see Mr. Lodwicks site at www.warfarinfo.com . He is a member here as well as a certified anticoagulation expert and pharmacist. I'd encourage you to read all you can from his site, so that you know when your hearing BS or receiving substandard care.

Moderation=2 drinks or less. It's not so much because of INR, but because if you drink alot, you may start a stomach bleed that may not stop. We have a member here, Moo, who for his own reasons, drinks pretty heavily and he's said time and time again, that his INR is not affected. We are all different, so this may or may not be true for you.

 

[Georgia]

The only thing you really need to worry about eating are foods fortified with Vit K - they can really throw you off. These include most energy/fitness bars and Ensure. And some folks have trouble with V-8 juice. Otherwise you'll probably be like the rest of us - going along fine for months with some mysterious changes. Your level of activity and weight loss/gain seem to have more impact on inr levels than food.

 

[geebee]

I have not changed anything in my diet since I started taking coumdin 25 years ago (unless it was something I just didn't want to eat anymore or I found something new I liked). I don't drink much but I do like wine if I go out to dinner and I have a shot of Bailey's a couple of times a week.

Other than that, I eat what I want, test weekly with my INRatio monitor and have not made any major changes in my coumadin dose for many years.

 

[Granbonny]

Have you thought about home-testing for your Protime..many members here do it..including myself.. I normally test every 3 weeks but sometimes I think..maybe I had better test due to.. Not eating right..including no greens for a few days, stress, exercise, ect.. If you find your INR higher than you should be..you can use the greens ( coleslaw, V-8 juice, ect) to lower it..... As far as drinking..you don't want to have too much and fall down the steps, ect..and hit your head. .... Hubby is also a steak and potato man..so, I eat that too several times a week. Also, try to have fresh Salmon once a week...the biggest problem with coumadin..you have to take it once a day..Get yourself a pillbox..put it where you will not forget to take it.....Get some sleep..you want to be ready for your surgery..Don't think about taking coumadin..think about not having to have this surgery again by choosing a mech. Valve ...Bonnie