Question about vitamins

[halleyg]

I have taken a multi-vitamin everyday since my second OHS. I have no concerns about that, but I am looking into other multi's intended for women, and I am wondering about things like evening primrose oil, soy isolflavens and/or black cohosh (just to name a few, reading this off the GNC website) having and effect on my INR. I already eat a lot of soy and vit. K but have a steady diet and have been very stable.

And another question while I'm here.. since an increase in K can lower your INR, and alcohol can increase it, if you have a big meal of sushi w/seaweed salad and wash it down with sake, do they cancel each other out, or is one more influental than the other, or like most things it just depends on you?

 

[Bina]

I really like your thinking of washing down high K foods with alcohol, but I think it would
need to be alot of booze to have the desired INR effect....not worth it?
Regarding the herbals, I know alot of them interact with warfarin, maybe they are on the www.warfarinfo.com site?
Nice to see you.

 

[Karlynn]

Black cohash is used to treat menopausal symptoms. So unless you're in that age bracket, I don't know why you'd want it in a multi-vitamin. What does evening primrose do?

Here is what Al Lodwick has to say about both. Black cohash doesn't seem to effect INR, EP might.

http://warfarinfo.com/blackcohosh.htm
http://warfarinfo.com/evening-primrose.htm

I would just suggest testing weekly for about a month if you're starting a new vitamin. This will let you know what the effects are.

Not so sure about the seaweed/sake cancellation - but I like the way you think!

 

[Eva]

I am not sure of the effect of those vitamins on INR, but I personally did not benefit from them when I took them, many years ago. I was so much into vitamins...but now, maybe agewise, I take the simple multi vitamin (without vit. K) a day and calcium!

It would be nice to wash away the see weeds with Saki. But, probably, as Bina said, it might take lots of Saki and it is not worth.

 

[halleyg]

Thanks, ladies, I apprecite the feedback and will check out those links... then I'll be out eating sushi and drinking sake! It's never made a difference w/my INR before (pausing to knock-wood), and I have always wondered if that is why..?

 

[Ross]

I don't think the Sake is going to do a thing, but the Seaweed is a known INR killer. Careful with that unless you do it all the time as part of your normal diet.

 

[Donna]

I take a lots of vit and mineral and eat healthy and this is why I choose tissue valve when I learn it will effect the INR and I will need to not take many of the supplement that kept my healthy for a long time. You could have a bleeding and best is to check with your doctor. There are also some food that effect the INR as well.
Donna

 

[Ross]

I take a lots of vit and mineral and eat healthy and this is why I choose tissue valve when I learn it will effect the INR and I will need to not take many of the supplement that kept my healthy for a long time. You could have a bleeding and best is to check with your doctor. There are also some food that effect the INR as well.
Donna

Contrary to popular belief, diet plays a very small role in INR management. Everything can be adjusted for. One only needs to eat their normal diet and stay with their particular supplements and it can be dosed for that situation.

 

[Karlynn]

I take a lots of vit and mineral and eat healthy and this is why I choose tissue valve when I learn it will effect the INR and I will need to not take many of the supplement that kept my healthy for a long time. You could have a bleeding and best is to check with your doctor. There are also some food that effect the INR as well.
Donna

Someone gave you wrong information on diet, supplements and vitamins with Coumadin use. (Wow - no surprise here - we're always having to dispel bad information.)

If you've been taking vitamins, minerals and supplements for years, your Coumadin dose would have been made accordingly.

Anyone who wishes to start a new routine of vitamins and supplements, they just need to monitor their INR for a few weeks. If it changes, then the dose of Coumadin changes. There is no such thing as too high of a dose of Coumadin, if it's the dose that keeps you in range.

The problem with people starting to take supplements it that they must be consistent if they are ones that change your INR and require a dose adjustment.

As far as eating healthy being a reason people don't do well with Coumadin - I'm sure you didn't mean to say that.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

Actually, I use Coumadin as an excuse NOT to eat healthy! I bypass all the veggies and go straight for the chocolate cake. When my butt can't fit through the doorway, I blame it on the drugs! NOT! I eat lots of veggies. Today for lunch I had a sandwich with hummus, avocado, tomato, alfalfa sprouts and shredded carrots. It was delicious!

But I guess that's OT! I don't take supplements except Calcium (Osteoporosis runs in my family) because I eat a healthy diet, but my suggestion is that if you feel you need them, make sure you test more often for a little while so you can adjust if necessary.

 

[halleyg]

I take a lots of vit and mineral and eat healthy and this is why I choose tissue valve when I learn it will effect the INR and I will need to not take many of the supplement that kept my healthy for a long time. You could have a bleeding and best is to check with your doctor. There are also some food that effect the INR as well.
Donna

As I said in my original post, I take a vitamin everyday, and I eat healthy everday as well. Besides the fish, I have a vegetarian diet high in K and soy. Anyone can benefit from supplements to keep their heart healthy... especially if you are expecting more OHS down the road. Why would I have a bleeding?? I don't get your post. My question about seaweed and sake was more along the lines of, "if a tree falls in the woods and no one is around, does it make a sound?" Because I eat this way often and my INR has not suffered because of it. The reason I am looking towards the new supplements I mentioned have nothing to do with my heart. And ditto everything Ross and Karlynn said. The end.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Actually, I use Coumadin as an excuse NOT to eat healthy! I bypass all the veggies and go straight for the chocolate cake. When my butt can't fit through the doorway, I blame it on the drugs! NOT! I eat lots of veggies. Today for lunch I had a sandwich with hummus, avocado, tomato, alfalfa sprouts and shredded carrots. It was delicious!

But I guess that's OT! I don't take supplements except Calcium (Osteoporosis runs in my family) because I eat a healthy diet, but my suggestion is that if you feel you need them, make sure you test more often for a little while so you can adjust if necessary.

Lisa -

When I tried a Calcium supplement I found it lead to mild constipation. Personal Question - did you notice a similar effect? If so, what did / do you do to compensate for that?

 

[Lisa in Katy]

No, I don't have that problem. I get my Calcium from Tums so maybe that's the difference? My Gyn recommended Viactiv or Tums and I found that Viactiv has added Vitamin K, something I avoid as I get enough with my diet.

 

[azpam]

Tums and viactiv are both calcium carbonate. It is the least digestable,least absorbable calcium you can buy.same with oyster shell calcium . Also has added fillers,etc..... Check the ingredients on the label. Buy a natural calcium with a mix of 2-3 different kinds of calcium in it along with magnesium (usually a 2:1 ratio),vit d3,boron and phosphorus. When getting a multivitamin, choose a natural whole food one! Well worth the money. Top scientist in the world that knows free radicals(the bad guys) at univ. Of iowa did a study recently on synthetic vitamins (centrum,one a day,gnc,usana,etc) and found them less than 10% bioavailable to the body. Also found that when they try to break down in the small intestines, they actually dump more free radicals on them and make them useless to you.proving that they can be detrimental to your health. Don't waste your money on them. Buy quality... Not cheap quanity. Do yourself a favor!

 

[Lisa in Katy]

Azpam,

Thanks for the info, but I'll stick with what I know.

Here is what I found in a quick search on the internet.

This from the University of Washington website:

"Calcium supplements are not considered medications by the FDA so they are not regulated. Many statements about calcium are really advertisements."

This from Dr. Ott at University of Washington:

"There are hundreds of calcium preparations available on the market. Many of them are not well absorbed, and it is impossible to keep track of which brands actually work. Therefore I recommend only brands that I know can get absorbed: TUMS, chewable calcium carbonate, OsCal, Caltrate, Citrical, Viactive."

This from the University of Iowa website:

"It is best to take calcium carbonate supplements. Taking a calcium supplement with each meal is advised for best absorption."

I could list more, but the only place that I found anything saying that Tums are bad are on the websites selling other sources, and as the first comment says, I believe they are marketing ploys. I choose my doctors because I trust their advice, but in this case, I've researched it and heard the same from other doctors as well.

 

[timmyup7]

Thank you

Tim