Coumadin and alcohol

Hi, few weeks ago, because of my job and the danger of blood clot formation my doctor has prescribed me Coumadin. He told me that I should stop drinking alcohol because it can have serious influence on the effect of Coumadin. I was wondering if really a glass of wine after dinner could seriously endanger my health, as my doctor says.

Hi, your doctor has told you the truth about the effects of alcohol on patients that take Coumadin. Coumadin is a drug used to treat people that are in serious danger of blood clot formation. Basically, this drug thins the blood. The main point where the Coumadin takes action is the liver. There, through complex mechanism of action, Coumadin interferes with the process of certain blood thickeners formation. Because liver is the organ that is also very much involved in the process of alcohol metabolism, the consumption of alcohol while on Coumadin therapy can have serious consequences. This only applies on heavy drinkers. For people who take moderate quantities of alcohol there isnt any real danger. But, now there is a question of what moderate quantities of alcohol means. This can be a very individual problem. Having a glass of vine after dinner every now and then shouldnt be a problem for you. However, you should definitely talk to your doctor about this. I am sure he had a very good reason to tell you not to drink alcohol at all. Maybe there is some other liver problem he should talk to you about.

Well.. I have been trying to help my grandma out who has a blood clot in her leg and she refuses to stay off her feet and even worse she is a terrible alcoholc. She drinks a pint and a 1/2 of vodka a day before noon she is also on warfarin (generic for coumadin) she asked me to look up on ilne if it really is bad to mix the drug and alcohol together. I told her as wll as her kids and her doctor but she still needs another opinion. Please someone help! She is going to kill herself if she continues on this path of destruction and denial.

Tell Grandma that if she keeps up that combo she'll wipe out her liver in no time.

had shoulder surgery for labrum and rotator cuff , have factor 5 blood clotting issue,but don`t regularly take warfarin.Only perscribed 4mg a day, will it be a big deal if i had a couple beers while taking coumadin

I do understand that it's very frustrating to not be able to drink while you are on this drug, but you should bear in mind that drinking alcohol can have an adverse reaction with the medication. Beyond that, alcohol can retard your recovery time from an injury so it's best for you to lay off alcohol until you have recovered fully from the injury before you go back to drinking. I hope that this helps.