suppliments, herbs & superfoods, what do you take and what have you heard is safe?

[sunonwaves]

suppliments, herbs & superfoods, what do you take and what have you heard is safe?

Hi all

Before my partner had his valve replacement we wre vegetarian, and ate mainly raw fruits and vegetables, dinner was always a HUGE salad, we would juice spinach and kale and cucumber each morning, and we ate plenty of superfoods and supplements.
Needless to say he looked and felt amazing from this, and since going on coumudin, we are so confused as to what he can and cant take.

At the moment hes taking a CoQ10, magnesium, probiotic and vitamin C.

I would love to know if he can take acai berry powder or liquid, and if he can take MSM powder or camu camu berry or acerola berry powder

Anyhow I would love to hear what your taking and if it interacts!

Thanks

 

[Protimenow]

The basic guidelines are to a) be consistent and b) dose the diet. If your partner returns to your previous diet; if he/she starts on Acai or other supplements, closely monitor the INR until you get it stable. This may take more warfarin than if s/he was not eating a lot of greens, etc., but you should be able to stabilize the INR using the dose that works to bring it in range.

It's been written by others that taking Vitamin K makes it easier to manage INR, so doing the healthy vegetarian lifestyle should be fully compatible with anticoagulation therapy. The main issue is consistency -- once that's handled, finding the correct dose and maintaining that dose (and regular testing) should be what's needed.

 

[epstns]

I'll agree with Protimenow. I have had 3 different professionals managing my warfarin dose. The first believed that it was really important not to eat much of the dark green leafy veggies, etc. She is no longer working with me. Bot of the subsequent managers feel that it is best to "Dose the diet." In other words, have the patient eat what they normally eat, then adjust warfarin/coumadin to achieve the target INR. Don't try to change your lifestyle or diet. It is far easier to remain consistent at what we normally do than to learn consistency at something new like a diet.

P.S. From all the malarky with the first clinic, it has taken almost 8 weeks for me to achieve a stable INR. It hasn't helped that I am taking amiodarone, as this drug can wiggle INR all over the place, even if all else is consistent.

 

[normofthenorth]

Sunonwaves, I don't think those "nutraceutical" supplements are subjected to tests for safety and complications anything like "real" drugs, so the short answer to your question may be that "we don't know". Theoretically, there could be other undesirable effects besides an effect on INR or bleeding/clotting (which can be compensated with ACT dose).

I've been planning to try taking some creatine, to help rebuild my atrophied calf muscle from a late-2009 Achilles tendon rupture. But I've decided to give it a pass, at least for a while, because post-BAVR I'm hoping that the over-developed muscle tissues of my LV will atrophy back to normal size and strength, and the creatine may work in the opposite direction. I didn't bother searching for any studies or expert opinion, because I doubt that there is any.

 

[sunonwaves]

Thanks for the info guys, really appreciate it!

 

[Herb M]

If there is some evisence that something will work, I would take it and adjust my coumadin dose if needed.

 

[Protimenow]

Herb:

This certainly suggests that you're fortunate enough to have your own meter and strips, so that you CAN test when you think it's necessary, instead of having to wait for UP TO ONE MONTH or more to confirm that you may need to change your warfarin dosage. I honestly believe that everyone taking warfarin should have access to frequent inexpensive testing (if needed frequently) or an affordable meter and strips.

For anyone taking a lot of Acetaminophen containing drugs, I still think it's a good idea to take NAC along with the drug in order to reduce the risk of damage to the liver. (I take it twice a day -- I'll report soon on any INR changes that may seem to result from taking this OTC material (n-Actyl-L-Cysteine))