WARFARIN & YOU
by
V.B. Blake
SMASHWORDS EDITION
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PUBLISHED BY:
V.B. Blake on Smashwords
Warfarin & You
Copyright 2010, Taylor Day Publishing
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Disclaimer
The material in this publication was sourced from various internet websites. It is intended for information purposes only and should not be used in place of consultation with a health care professional. The author, publisher, participating retailers/ pharmacies, vendors, and/or agencies are not responsible for errors, omissions, or inconsistencies with respect to the information contained in this book and does not accept liability whatsoever for reliance by the reader on the information contained herein. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
WARFARIN & YOU
To my mother.
Chapter 1 - What is a blood clot?
Chapter 2 - What causes blood clots?
Chapter 3 - How do I know if I have blood clots?
Chapter 4 - How are blood clots diagnosed?
Chapter 5 - How are blood clots treated?
Chapter 8 - Is Warfarin a blood thinner?
Chapter 10 - Are there any side effects?
Chapter 11 - Are there any adverse reactions to other drugs?
Chapter 12 - Why do I need regular blood tests?
Chapter 13 - When should I contact my physician?
Chapter 14 - Isn't Warfarin used in pesticides?
Chapter 15 - Who shouldn't take Warfarin?
Chapter 16 - Should I take natural or herbal supplements?
Chapter 17 - What is 'Coleus Forskolin'?
Chapter 18 - What are other important safety considerations?
Chapter 19 - What is Vitamin K?
Chapter 20 - Should I change my diet?
Chapter 21 - What foods should I include in my diet?
Chapter 22 - Questions and Answers
Introduction
There is much valuable information available on a wide variety of internet websites that will educate you on every type of blood clot imaginable, what symptoms to look for, complications, and so on. It is not the intent of this small publication to educate you thoroughly on the medical terminology and aspects of blood clots, which is a subject best left to the professional and highly trained individuals. I hope this brief compilation of information will provide a general overview of blood clots with dietary suggestions that will guide anyone who is taking the life-changing drug Warfarin in making better nutritional choices.
Foreward
I am blessed with extremely good health and other than breaking a bone here and there during my fifty-nine years on this planet, I’ve had nothing to complain about. A couple of years ago, while spending a few months in the hospital for hip problems, my breathing became an issue and the doctors discovered an eight-inch blood clot in my lungs. Fortunately, they were able to break up the clot and save my life. Had I suffered a pulmonary embolism while at home I would have died. I understand I had a thirty-minute window before the embolism took my life and seeing as the nearest hospital is two hours away the chances of my survival would have been slim to none.
Before that event, I never gave blood clots a consideration other than thinking of them as small circular globs of blood that may have the misfortune of clogging veins. There wasn’t any pain or discomfort prior to or after the event and other than my shallow breathing I felt fine. I understand there are some people who have no warning that there might be a problem, who just close their eyes never to open them again. My entire perception of blood clots has changed since that time, as you can imagine.
My doctor told me I would be on Warfarin for the rest of my life. I was familiar with Warfarin having had to take it after previous hip surgeries to eliminate the possibility of clotting, but I never thought my blood would actually cause a life long problem. I don’t take any medication, as a rule, other than the odd dose of penicillin for mild infections and such, but now I faced a lifetime ingesting this drug daily.
When discharged from the hospital, I was given a couple of well-photocopied sheets of paper that briefly cautioned against consuming excessive amounts of Vitamin K while taking Warfarin. I didn’t even know there was such a vitamin. That’s when I knew I had to find as much information as I could about this drug that would be a part of my daily regime forever. After regaining my physical strength I brushed the dust off and fired up my computer to determine how I would live with the drug, Warfarin.
There was plenty of online information from a multitude of sources and after reading each website I had lots of academic knowledge but little practical knowledge. I thought about my mother who takes Warfarin and does not use a computer. She doesn’t have access to these online information sources and has to rely on other means for data. Our local pharmacy provides a monograph for every new drug prescribed which highlights various side effects, interaction cautions, and so on, which is an excellent information resource.
During my internet exploration exercises I became aware that food can have a negative interaction on Warfarin, for example, eating leafy green vegetables such as spinach and romaine lettuce was a repeated concern. I’m a huge fan of Caesar, tossed, and spinach salads and wondered if I had to give them up altogether and what else was I eating that could potentially cause a problem? It would be stupid of me to spend the time and money to take a daily dose of Warfarin for the rest of my days if I was putting my life in jeopardy by countering the healing effects by eating the wrong foods. I knew I had to discover just which foods would hinder or help my new lifestyle.
I continued to search and soon found myself tangled within a sea of information written in medical terminology that made me dizzy. I couldn’t find one little compact source written in layman’s English that would give me an overview of information, a jumping off place, if you will. I didn’t need to know all the medical words I just needed to understand what was going on in my body and what I could eat. Undaunted, I continued to compile information that helped me plan my new life living with Warfarin. When I had an understanding of my body functioning with Warfarin and an idea of what changes to make in my lifestyle and diet, I considered how this compilation might be able to help others in a similar situation.
I hope that you will find some benefit in this little guide and make choices that will make your journey with Warfarin a long and uneventful one.
News Flash
As this publication was heading to the printer, the New England Journal of Medicine published their newest research on a study for an effective and safer treatment for patients coping with deep-vein thrombosis (DVT).
Rivaroxaban (Xarelto) is a new anti-clotting pill that the study has found to be safe and effective, although it costs more than regular drugs. The current standard of care typically involves treatment with relatively well-known anti-coagulant medications, such as the oral medication Warfarin (Coumadin) and/or the injected medication Heparin. For some patients the drug can have adverse effects and interact negatively with other medications. When taking Warfarin the potential also exists for the possibility of severe and life-threatening bleeding which is the reason intense and continuous monitoring is necessary. Rivaroxiban therapy is much easier for both the patient and physician since it does not require blood testing to adjust the dose.
In March 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recommended the drug be approved, but agency review is ongoing pending further study.
SOURCES: American Society of Hematology, news release, Dec. 4, 2010; New England Journal of Medicine, Dec. 4, 2010, et. al.
Chapter 1: WHAT IS A BLOOD CLOT?
Our bodies create blood clots as a normal response to blood vessel damage. Blood clots are semi-solid masses of sticky blood cells that form to seal the leak and stop the bleeding. Clots that block the arteries (thrombi) and prevent flow of blood and oxygen to an organ can lead to areas of tissue damage, also called infarcts. When blood clots break away (embolism) from the area that they're meant to protect, they can endanger other organs.
Clots that block blood flow are the main culprits in most heart attacks and strokes. They can also damage other organs as follows:
When a blood clot (thrombus) forms in one or more arteries that supply blood to the heart, it blocks the blood flow to a part of the heart muscle, reducing or completely cutting off the oxygen supply to the cells in that area. As a result, the part of the heart muscle that is deprived of oxygen dies, and a heart attack may occur.
Clots that block the flow of oxygen to the brain are the primary cause of strokes.
Clots that form in the eye may cause sudden blindness.
Presence of an obstructing blood clot (thrombus) is referred to as thrombosis. Thrombosis in a vein is almost always associated with phlebitis (an inflammation of a vein).
Thrombophlebitis
Thrombophlebitis is an inflammation of a vein in the area where a blood clot has formed. Thrombophlebitis is classified as either superficial or deep. In other words, thrombosis can affect either superficial (surface) or deep (below the surface) veins causing thrombophlebitis.