Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Eat Red Licorice While On Coumadin

Licorice should be avoided when taking Coumadin or only taken with your physician's permission.


Coumadin is a blood thinner. This drug is taken by people who tend to clot easily. There are certain herbs and supplements that are contraindicated and should not be eaten while taken this medication.


Instructions


1. Avoid some dietary supplements and herbal medications, such as licorice, which are known to alter the internal normalized ratio--or INR--and Prothrombin time--or PT--which are lab-test values that are obtained by measuring the amount of time it takes a person's blood to clot.


2. Get your physician's permission before using licorice. Those patients who tend to become potassium deficient are especially advised not to use licorice.


3. Understand that licorice must be used carefully. Some herbs, such as licorice, contain components that can prompt side effects that can interact negatively with the medicine you are taking, explains the University of Maryland Medical Center.


4. Reversing the effects of medicine, such as Coumadin and blood-pressure medications, is a risk you take if you use licorice. It can interfere with platelet action.

Tags: your physician permission, physician permission, such licorice, your physician