Doctor warns warfarin users common food could affect medication
A doctor has warned that certain common foods could affect how anticoagulants work and people taking blood thinners should speak to their GP about their diet
People prescribed blood thinners, also referred to as anticoagulants, may inadvertently compromise their medication's effectiveness through consuming a popular nutritious vegetable, warns a medical expert. Anticoagulants are commonly prescribed to ward off blood clots and are often given to those facing elevated risks of such complications.
This includes people who might also face heightened dangers of heart attacks or strokes. The medication, which encompasses rivaroxaban, apixaban, and warfarin, works to prevent blood clots by disrupting their formation process and proves particularly valuable in averting serious ailments, including strokes, heart attacks, pulmonary embolism, and deep vein thrombosis.
Whilst anticoagulants prove beneficial in managing these conditions, patients are being cautioned that an everyday garden vegetable could interfere with their therapeutic effectiveness. This warning comes from Dr Chris Steele, who featured on ITV This Morning to alert viewers about how numerous foods might interact adversely with various medications.
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Amongst his cautionary advice, he emphasised: "Leafy greens are high in vitamin K, which helps blood to clot. Warfarin is designed to prevent the production of vitamin K - so if you suddenly eat more greens, this will interfere with the medicine."
He continued: "Other foods high in vitamin K include green vegetables, egg yolks, chickpeas and lentils. They shouldn't be cut out of the diet entirely, but it's important to eat a steady and consistent amount of vitamin K-rich foods.
"Also avoid large amounts of cranberry juice or cranberry products while using anticoagulants, because they can change the effects of warfarin, and limit garlic and ginger because they can increase the chance of bleeding."
Other foods that can interact with drugs
Dr Chris also emphasised that numerous other medications can produce unexpected reactions when combined with specific foods and beverages. He pointed out, for instance, that certain antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin can react adversely with milk.
He explained: "Calcium can interfere with the effects of some antibiotics, so you shouldn't take these at the same time as eating foods high in calcium, like milk, yoghurt or cheese. Supplements containing calcium should also be avoided for a few hours before and after taking these antibiotics.
"Don't drink it when you take some antibiotics including tetracycline, ciprofloxacin (quinolone antibiotics), and certain osteoporosis medication, such as alendronate (Fosamax)."
He also advised steering clear of the following when taking particular medications
- Grapefruit if you take statins for high blood pressure
- Black liquorice if you take certain heart medicines such as digoxin
- Bananas if you take certain ACE inhibitors for high blood pressure
- Coffee if you take bronchodilators for asthma
- Smoked salmon and salami if you take antidepressants
- Limies if you take cough medicine
Dr Chris emphasised: "You should always ask your doctor about precautions you should take while being prescribed any new medication. Avoiding certain foods, altering your lifestyle habits, or taking other precautions might be necessary to avoid undesirable side effects."
