Wine? Salicylates?

[Marty]

I have been drinking red wine almost every evening lately, cabernet sauvignon mostly. Last night went to a party for my daughter's 30th anniversary. Lots of champagne and wine. My daughter who is a nurse said the wine could effect my INR because of high salicylate content. She said it is as bad as aspirin. Her surgeons take people off wine for two weeks before elective surgery! I never heard of this. Any body else know about it? Oh, my INR which usually runs between 3.0 and 3.5 was 4.4 just now! Yikes!
I looked up the salicylate content for cabernet 0.86/100 mgms and champagne 1.02/100 mgms.

 

[catwoman]

Marty:

Did you google warfarin and salicylates?

Better avoid any licorice Halloween candy -- licorice has salicylates, too...... So do cranberries. (Oh, no! I feel that that ol' cranberry-juice-isn't-good-if-you're-on-Coumadin rearing its ugly head again! )

Seriously, I wouldn't worry. If you continue drinking a good cabernet, you're going to end up adjusting your Coumadin dosage, I wouldn't think it'd really make much difference.

 

[Freddie]

Gee, my surgeon told me to have one glass of red wine every night - don't have a clue about wine so I don't know if it comes in Cabernet or otherwise.

 

[Blanche]

I agree with Freddie. Both Al's neurologist and cardiologist recommended one to two glasses of red wine daily. During office visits, they both ask him if he's still taking one or two glasses of red wine daily. They both seem to believe that is beneficial. Al has a mechanical mitral valve.

Marty, you will know much more about this than I do. Recently Al had to stop red wine, cranberry juice, and all anti
oxidents before, during, and after radiation therapy. The NP said it could cause the benefits of radiation to diminish.

Blanche

 

[Marty]

Now that's another recommendation I never heard of!

 

[Jkm7]

While I was only on warfarin for just under 3 months, my surgeon, cardiologist and coumadin manager were all fine with my having a glass of wine if I wanted. All approved as did the PA at Mass General with whom I had a general ACT conversation.


Lots of people here have posted they enjoy wine on a regular basis but perhaps each person reacts differently and should be careful about over indulging until they know how it effects them.

 

[Philip B]

Wine

Wine

The only negative response I had from my surgeon and cardiologist when asking them about wine was their denial of the wine IV I requested immediately after surgery. The hospital didn't seem to have any of those stoppers that allow a wine bottle to be hung from an IV rack. The nursing staff did offer to take care of any wine I couldn't use (they all got a bottle on my one year anniversery).

Who knows; your INR could be elevated for reasons other than drinking a glass or two of wine.

-Philip

 

[catwoman]

The only negative response I had from my surgeon and cardiologist when asking them about wine was their denial of the wine IV I requested immediately after surgery. The hospital didn't seem to have any of those stoppers that allow a wine bottle to be hung from an IV rack. The nursing staff did offer to take care of any wine I couldn't use (they all got a bottle on my one year anniversery).

Who knows; your INR could be elevated for reasons other than drinking a glass or two of wine.

-Philip

Philip:

I have a solution:
I have a cat in kidney failure and am giving him fluids (Ringer's lactate) sub-q twice a week. When the bag is empty, I could fill it with a good wine, via a lot of 3cc syringes.

 

[AgilityDog]

Seriously, I'd think the INR was elevated more from dehydration after the party than a glass of wine. Alcohol is an anticoagulant, for which your coumadin dosage can be adjusted if need be, if you consistently drink a glass or two per day. If you drink more than that daily, you may have other problems unrelated to coumadin!

Yes, not drinking prior to surgery is a good idea, but I don't know that 3 weeks abstinence is required.

Alcohol also causes dehydration, which can raise your INR. So drink some water in between glasses of wine when you have parties.

 

[Philip B]

Offer

Offer

Thanks for the offer Cat, but I'm long past needing IV's for heart stuff. My wife tells me I had an IV after someone hit me with his/her car in June, but I don't remember it or most of what occurred in July.

Nowadays, I prefer my wine from a glass. Tubes and needles just don't have much appeal. I do appreciate the offer though.

-Philip

 

[TXGal]

My prior cardiologist suggested 1-2 glasses max of wine per day if I drank. I was 20 when I started coumadin...

 

[catwoman]

Thanks for the offer Cat, but I'm long past needing IV's for heart stuff. My wife tells me I had an IV after someone hit me with his/her car in June, but I don't remember it or most of what occurred in July.

Nowadays, I prefer my wine from a glass. Tubes and needles just don't have much appeal. I do appreciate the offer though.

-Philip

Philip:

I have a friend who drinks coffee nonstop. He's often joked that he needs an IV hookup for his coffee -- wouldn't have to continually lift a mug to his lips or refill it as often. Of course, he'd miss the great taste, too. (Although after the first couple of sips or tastes of anything, your sense of taste becomes jaded for that food item.)

 

[Marty]

Thinking about this...salicylates shouldn't effect the INR.. They just make the platelets less sticky. My 4.4 was undoubtedly caused by something else, as suggested by some of our astute contributors.Well, I decreased my weekly dose 10% and will test again this weekend. I'll let you all know how it comes out.

 

[Marty]

Whoops, in above post I spoke too soon. Surfing around I found WIKITOX with a post stating "SALICYLATES COMPETETIVELY INHIBIT VITAMIN K DEPENDENT SYNTHESIS OF FACTORS 2,7,9, and 10 WITH A RESULTING INCREASE IN INR" Even topical rubbing methyl salicylate ointment for joint pain reported to raise INR. So I guess my daughter was right when she said wine could raise my INR. I'm still going to have a glass with dinner tonite. I will dose the wine not wine the dose!

 

[catwoman]

Marty:

Aren't there different salicylates?

Seriously, I don't think ONE glass of wine will do much to your INR. Unless that glass is a Texas-sized one.

Like this one that's supposed to hold a full bottle:

 

[Marty]

Where can I get one of those? Then I would just have one and one only with dinner.As to how much salicylate and what type causes changes the INR I have no info. I"m gonna keep looking. I wonder if ultimate guru Ross has any pearls to drop on this compelling question?

 

[MarkU]

In have a couple of glasses of red wine almost every evening with dinner.

Used to drink Merlot, but have switched to Australian Shiraz in the past year.


Mark

 

[Philip B]

Texas Sized?

Texas Sized?

Marty,

Just use a straw.

-Philip

 

[terodac]

My doctor wants me to drink a little wine, he said as much as 4oz a day. I have not started, I use to love a martini every now and then before this mountain I have climbed! I guess my life is worth it! But I am going to start me a little red wine very soon. I love red wine!

 

[duncanjo]

Well, my advise is from my own personal experience and research. Been on 4 mg warfarin since april 2008 after getting my mech valve. Tested out the waters since then with alcohol, use to luv my rum and cokes, but turned into a wine drinker since my surgery and beer drinker. Now from my own personal experience i've drank up two bottles of wine within one night didn't really affect my INR, usually at 2.4 but sometimes it goes up to 2.7 after a night of drinking providing a have a some salad before or after i drink. Even drank 2-3 days in a row not all day, but have 1 bottle of wine and some beer one night the next night have 6 beers and 4 glass's of red wine the next and checked my INR the second day, didn't change that much now if I planned to drink the third day i would usually take a half a dose of my warfarin. The highest my INR has been was 3.7, no real problems except for the hang overs lol.