Adjust Protime Values With Food
Anticoagulants are blood-thinning medications prescribed to prevent the problems that can arise from the development of blood clots. According to Dr. Carman Brooks on her website, CardioDoc, cardiac patients, those suffering from pulmonary hypertension, and patients who have undergone valve replacement are among those who receive anticoagulation therapy. Oregon State University, Linus Pauling Institute informs us that by hindering the action of clotting factors in vitamin K, anticoagulants block the formation of blood clots. Prothrombin time tests (also referred to as PT or protime) are conducted to enable your doctor to adjust and control the dose of your anticoagulants to safeguard against internal bleeding. Foods containing vitamin K can affect your protime levels.
Instructions
Food and Protime Levels
1. Make your doctor aware of any foods included in your diet that are high in vitamin K. Increasing your consumption of these foods will cause your blood to become too thin and increase the possibility of internal bleeding. Decreasing the amount normally eaten may cause your blood to thicken and lead to the development of blood clots. If your protime levels require adjustment, your doctor may suggest dietary changes in addition to altering the dose of your medication. Altering your diet or attempting to adjust your protime levels without consulting your doctor can have serious or fatal consequences.
2. Be consistent in your consumption of vegetables high in vitamin K. If these vegetables are eaten on a regular basis, continue eating the same amount at the same intervals-daily or several times a week. On their website, the Cleveland Clinic states green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, turnip greens and lettuce are high in vitamin K. Other types of vegetables containing high levels of vitamin K include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, asparagus, frozen peas and soybeans. Any changes in your eating pattern in consuming these vegetables will interfere with the effectiveness of your medication and have a negative affect upon your protime levels.
3. Eat foods such as liver and fish in the same amounts and with the same regularity as recommended for the vegetables because liver and fish are also high in vitamin K. According to Dr. Brooks, changes in dietary habits when eating these foods will alter protime levels.
4. Request information from on alcohol safety before drinking, because alcohol can enhance the effect of anticoagulants and cause your blood to become too thin. Alcohol increases your protime levels.
5. Avoid herbal products, such as teas and supplements, because they can increase or decrease protime levels. Teas include chamomile, melilot and green tea. Herbal supplements include alfalfa, echinacea, fenugreek, ginkgo biloba and St. John's wort. Garlic, ginger and parsley are also considered herbal supplements, but the Cleveland Clinic states they are safe if you use them in small amounts.
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