Blood thinners are medications taken orally or intravenously (through a vein) to prevent a blood clot. Blood clots stop the flow of blood to the heart, lungs, or brain resulting in heart attacks or strokes. (Health line) Blood thinners are protective and preventive for those who have a high risk of stroke or heart attacks.

Blood thinners fall into 2 categories:

Antiplatelet drugs (Aspirin and Clopidogrel) prevent blood cells from sticking together

Anticoagulants (Warfarin) prevents blood proteins from clot formation. These are affected by an individual's diet as food and beverages can play a role in the blood-thinning properties of these drugs.

Clotting of blood is an essential process to prevent excess bleeding when the body is injured. The platelets and plasma proteins stop bleeding by forming a clot over the injured area. While clotting of blood is an essential process, for those at risk these clots can lead to strokes, heart attacks, deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolisms.

Dietary interactions

Diet also plays an important role if a person uses blood thinners with special focus on Vitamin K. The liver needs Vitamin K to produce blood clotting proteins, when one is on a blood thinner medication, the intake of Vitamin K needs to be kept constant with no sudden increases or decrease in dietary consumption. A high amount of Vitamin K can result in the medication being less effective raising the risk of clots.

Foods- Vitamin K is found in green leafy vegetables (spinach, mustard greens, lettuce, and parsley), broccoli and liver (beef and chicken). In smaller amounts Vitamin K is also present in soybean oil, cabbage and asparagus. Keeping Vitamin K intake consistent is the focus rather than avoiding these foods.

Beverages- Green tea (high in vitamin K), cranberry juice and alcohol can cause an increase in anticoagulant effect of warfarin and may lead to bleeding problems.
Any major changes in diet should be reported to the doctor. If you are planning to take a multivitamin or herbal supplement, this too needs to be reported. Omega 3 supplements (fish oil capsules), fish, flaxseeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, soybean and canola oil are heart healthy as they reduce inflammation. Omega 3 supplements could increase the effect of blood thinning medications, if required for any reason these should be taken only after consulting your doctor. (University of Maryland Medical Center- Supplement Interaction)

Blood thinners and lifestyle

Medical Identification: Those taking blood thinners on a long term basis should have medical identification or an alert on them at all times. In case of a medical emergency, this can help health care providers provide timely and appropriate medical attention.

Pain medication: Over the counter pain relievers like Ibuprofen and Naproxen increase bleeding as they enhance the blood thinners anticoagulant effects.

Dosage: Never double a dose if you have missed the previous one. Always buy the dose prescribed (this may change depending on your INR- International Normalized Ratio status).

Monitor: Your doctor will need you to come for regular check-ups to monitor your INR status, the blood thinning medication is suggested accordingly. These checks are very important and should not be missed.

Injuries or sickness: If you are injured or fall ill, it is important to report this and not self-medicate. Symptoms like headaches, weakness, vomiting, coughing up blood, bleeding, blood in stools and head injuries are serious and need immediate medical care.

At home: Use a toothbrush with soft bristles, handle sharp objects very carefully, for shaving use an electric razor rather than a blade, wear well protected shoes to prevent foot injuries, avoid rough or contact sports.

Important Points

Warfarin dosage does not always stay constant; this is regularly monitored to keep clotting time in a target range. It is important you understand the following terms and what they mean -

PT- Prothrombin Test Time or Protime: A blood test used to measure the time taken for a clot to form

INR - International Normalized Ratio: A standardized way of expressing the PT to ensure comparability between testing labs. Blood thinners dosage is adjusted according to this value and is subject to change over time.

Blood thinners have different colours corresponding to the strength of the pills.

For any questions or if you experience symptoms, it is best to consult your doctor immediately. No two person's conditions are the same; your doctor is most familiar with your history and mode of treatment.