My Father's Visit to the Cardiologist

[LiterateGriffin]

Originally Posted by halos

I may be wrong.....but I think there are dietary restrictions that go along with cumadin. Green leafy veggies are out. You might want to do a search and see if I'm remembering correctly.

"Green leafies" are a concern because they contain vitamin K, which promotes coagulation, and coumadin is being taken to avoid coagulation.

However, the most important dietary "issue" with Coumadin is NOT TO CHANGE your diet. If you're eating green leafies, keep eating them at the same levels. (Otherwise, you may start bleeding.) If you're not -- don't add them. (Otherwise, you may clot.)


(ETA: I was on Coumadin/Warfarin in 2002, AND my mother was a cardiac nurse. I got the full drill on anti-coagulents. {I've also taken heparin and Lovenox. Much easier to manage than Coumadin, but cost a bloody fortune. Plus, you know, injection-site bruises.})

[Key Tones]

It can be rough going starting Coumadin but a good INR nurse can get the dose right quickly. My husband was on it for 11 years. Even through illness and periods of not eating it rarely got into a danger zone. It is important to be consistent but do not be frightened. He just needs to be tested more often at first and when sick or something unusual is going on.

When changing meds or diet let the INR nurse know. They can quickly calculate a dose change and then schedule another blood draw.

There are some foods to avoid and labels to read. Experimenting with supplements is a no no. Always call the INR nurse first. It is not too difficult to adjust to.

[Sunny7]

Originally Posted by halos

I may be wrong.....but I think there are dietary restrictions that go along with cumadin. Green leafy veggies are out. You might want to do a search and see if I'm remembering correctly.

i think you are right, my BIL is on it and is not supposed eat greens, i think it has somehting to do with vit k which can thin the blood more

[clackley]

If the cardiologist is suggesting that dietary fat is a factor, I do think I would move on to a more current doctor. The connection between fat in a diet and heart disease has been thoroughly debunked as bad science. If a person's health improves as a change of diet it because they stopped eating the junky carbs.stop.end.of.story. There is a ton of great literature on the subject, not least of all Gary Taubes' excellent book 'Good Calories/Bad Calories' which goes into great depth on the subject. He is not the only one who debunks this science.

[LoriWants2Lose]

Ugh. I hate it when doctors are vague on diets and it is life or death. I would definitely encourage him to cut hydrogenated fats, etc. but just keep educating him about healthy fats, what sugar does to your body, etc.

Good luck. Sounds like they are confused and scared and unsure what to cook and what to eat. That is not a fun place to live.