The Anonymous Widower

Diet and Warfarin

With the scare from Denmark about Marmite, I thought I’d check that my diet was OK? Especially, as I’m on a gluten free diet and take Warfarin.

It can’t be too bad, as I’ve been on the same level of Warfarin for about seven or eight months now and the last test was in the correct range.

I found this informative page in the Grown Up Congenital Heart Patients Association web site.

I liked the section about alcohol.

The interaction between alcohol and warfarin is complex. Alcohol acts as a mild anticoagulant. It also can affect the metabolism of the liver, which s important tor metabolising warfarin. As a rule of rhumb, two to three drinks per day – glasses of wine. beer etc -(typical cardiologist input) are unlikely to affect your warfarin levels. Intermittent binge drinking (typical medical student input) leads to an increase in INR (international ratio, the measurement used to check warfarin levels in the blood) due to warfarin being metabolised more slowly. Chronic heavy alcohol intake (Harley Street cardiologist input just joking!) results in a lower warfarin level because the alcohol increases the metabolism of warfarin.

It’s good to see a bit of humour in sites like this.

But then it says it’s a site for grown ups, by which they mean young people and adults.

May 25, 2011 - Posted by AnonW | Food | Alcohol, Coeliac/Gluten-Free, Warfarin