Vitamin E and Warfarin

[timmyup7]

Hello, I'm currently taking 7.5 mg warfarin. I personally like to have less drugs in my system and more natural.

If I increase my Vitamin E intake. On my next lab results will that cause my doctor to decrease my warfarin dosage?

 

[Freddie]

Taken from the DrugDigest.org

VITAMIN E (in Vitamin E Capsules) may interact with WARFARIN SODIUM (in Warfarin Tablets)

Blood clotting normally occurs in response to a cut or other types of injuries to protect the body from excessive bleeding. Many substances are involved in the clotting process including vitamin K, which is made by bacteria normally present in the intestinal tract and may also be supplied in the diet by eating green leafy vegetables, liver, and egg yolks. Warfarin is generally used to prevent your blood from "coagulating" or forming blood clots. Although vitamin E does not appear to directly interact with warfarin, it may interfere with vitamin K-dependent clotting factors and make your blood much less likely to clot. When vitamin E and warfarin are used at the same time, the anticoagulant effect of warfarin may be increased and this may increase the risk of excessive bleeding. If taken together, your doctor may want to monitor you closely for signs of bleeding (bruising, nose bleeds, etc). Blood tests can be used to make sure that you are getting the right amount of warfarin. If you are experiencing problems, it may be necessary to adjust the dose of warfarin.Ask your healthcare provider about these drugs and this potential interaction as soon as possible.

This interaction is considered major in severity.

 

[timmyup7]

Thanks however there is alot of "may" in that paragraph above . Still sounds like a good chance it may decrease my warafin dosage if I intake Vitamin E. I just might experiment with Vitamin E. Since Vitamin E is a natural blood thinner though, I wonder if its a good possibility of completely stop taking warafin and just take Vitamin E instead. That would be awesome, would love to just go natural and stop taking warafin.

 

[Protimenow]

I used to worry about Vitamin E. I even bought vitamins that had a Vitamin E capsule, so I could take all the other vitamins and omit the Vitamin E.

At this point, I don't really care much. The Vitamin E in most vitamins doesn't seem to be enough to make major changes in my INR. I haven't had any problems if I took Vitamin E.

Also - because its effect is different from that of Warfarin, it's not a good replacement. Plus, if you take enough Vitamin E to change your INR, you may wind up with the effects of TOO MUCH Vitamin E in your system.

What I do is test -- if I'm taking Vitamin E, I watch my INR and, if necessary, make slight adjustments to my warfarin dosage. So far, I haven't had to make any changes. Good testing is a great tool -- if you don't have your own meter, I suggest that you get one - if at all possible.

 

[pellicle]

Thanks however there is alot of "may" in that paragraph above

I agree

The vagueness to backup the iffy assertion is never my choice. Seems common in the dietary side of health. I believe it is used to mask a lack of data to support the personal assumptions of the initial researchers who were unable to substantiate their opinions with messy things like facts.

. Still sounds like a good chance it may decrease my warafin dosage if I intake Vitamin E. I just might experiment with Vitamin E.

Was that irony or just following suit?

Since Vitamin E is a natural blood thinner though, I wonder if its a good possibility of completely stop taking warafin and just take Vitamin E instead. That would be awesome, would love to just go natural and stop taking warafin.

Pardon me, but I wish to raise a point. Thinning is associated with viscosity. Water is thinner than oil. This is viscosity. The anticoagulation therapy does not alter viscosity of blood.

Blood viscosity is linked with a number of heart conditions, separate from platelet formation and clotting.

Simplifications are sometimes helpful, but when it results in information distortion it also results in people making wrong correlations. So dumbing it down is one thing, making it wrong is another.


On the subject of going natural Nattokinase has recently come to my attention as a possibility for those of us who have pyrolytic carbon valves which have inherently low thrombogenic properties. While it effects clotting it seems to not effect vitamin k metabolism and also has an effect on blood viscosity.



PS I am not hassling you over this issue, as it is quite common in the public domain to make this wrong association. I am just doing my tiny bit to try to stamp on it in places where people it effects read for information.

 

[timmyup7]

I probably should of waited till I notice any personal proof before talking. But its great to chat, get everyones opinions and knowledge in here =) Thanks guys =)

 

[pellicle]

I probably should of waited till I notice any personal proof before talking. )

Nah, conversation is always good. Thanks for bringing it up

Please don't be offended if people rebut your points. Its not personal, its about the data

 

[Ola Thoresen]

Re: Vitamin E and Warfarin

Also remember there are several new anti clotting medicine on the market. Even if they on the surface do the same as warfarin, they are not recommended for our use.
I know there has been several experiments testing them out. But it seems like clotting is not always clotting.

As long as my doctor recommend it, I will stick to what has been tested on millions of people for many decades.
But I do support your general opinion of keeping the amount of medicine as low as possible.