Can I Take Vitamin C With Eliquis

Can I Take Vitamin C With Eliquis

5 Things to Avoid If You're On Blood Thinners

While leafy greens, grapefruit and green tea are generally considered healthy diet staples, they may counteract the effects of some blood thinners.

"Patients on the blood thinners Coumadin or Warfarin need to avoid vitamin K-rich foods and supplements," said Dr. Samantha Crites, a cardiologist at Mon Health Heart and Vascular Center. "While blood thinners prevent and/or dissolve blood clots, Vitamin K can thicken your blood."

If a patient is prescribed Coumadin or Warfarin and consistently eats foods high in vitamin K, the vitamin K will work against the medication and make it harder to regulate the patient's blood, she added.

"New oral anticoagulants (Pradaxa, Eliquis, Xarelto) are not affected by vitamin K and do not have these dietary restrictions," said Dr. Crites.  "If foods high in vitamin K are a big part of your diet, discuss these options with your doctor."

Dr. Crites recommends patients who take Coumadin or Warfarin avoid or limit the following:

Leafy greens

Leafy greens like kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts and lettuce contain high amounts of vitamin K.

If a patient eats the same amount of these foods daily, their medication can be adjusted, Dr. Crites said. But adjusting medication doesn't work if the patient is eating these foods inconsistently.

Good replacements for these foods include tomatoes, potatoes and cucumbers.

Green tea

Like the leafy greens, green tea contains vitamin K and drinking it while on Warfarin or Coumadin can have the same effect on the blood's ability to clot.

Cranberry juice

If you're taking a blood thinner, even the new types, cranberry juice can increase the risk of bleeding.

Grapefruit

Similar to leafy greens, grapefruit and grapefruit juice contain compounds that can offset the work of blood thinners. Eating grapefruit or drinking the juice can also lead to bleeding.

Grapefruit mostly impacts blood-thinning medications such as Apixaban (Eliquis), Rivaroxaban (Xarelto), Clopidogrel (Plavix) and Ticagrelor (Brilinta).

If you're taking one of these medications and crave that citrus flavor, Dr. Crites suggests switching to orange juice.

Alcohol

Not only will alcohol impact the time it takes for your blood to clot, drinking too much could lead to other problems. Alcohol increases your risk of falling, and blood thinners make it more difficult to stop the bleeding if you're injured.

"You don't have to completely cut out alcohol," Dr. Crites said.  "Just drink in moderation."

Dr. Crites encourages you to speak with your cardiologist or physician for a full list of foods and drinks to avoid. Myfooddata.com is also a good source for checking the amount of vitamin K.

To schedule an appointment at Mon Health Heart and Vascular Center, call 304-278-6562.

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Can I Take Vitamin C With Eliquis

Source: https://vitalsigns.monhealth.com/2018/06/21/5-things-to-avoid-if-youre-on-blood-thinners/