A blood thinner is a medication that helps keep the blood thin to prevent clots.  Why are you on a blood thinner?

There are several reasons that you may have been placed on a blood thinner, but the most common reasons are due to a stroke or heart attack.

Both strokes and heart attacks can be due to a blood clot that has been traveling throughout the body and got stuck in a small vessel somewhere in your heart or head.  This cuts off the blood supply to that area, and will cause that area to be deprived of vital nutrients that the blood supplies to that area to keep it alive.

A blood thinner will prevent you system from clotting the blood internally.  This will also mean, that it will take longer for you to stop bleeding if you cut yourself.  Make sure that not only do you take precautions to prevent internal bleeding, but you are extremely careful to prevent cuts due to knives and razor blades.  You may be recommended to avoid all sharp utensils and may have to use an electric razor for shaving.

You will also be instructed on staying away from foods that are high in Vitamin K.  The reason for this is that Vitamin K is essential for helping control the flow of blood out of the body...it promotes blood clotting.  When taking a blood thinner, the idea is to keep the blood thin, and by eating foods high in Vitamin K, this will counter act the process of the blood thinner.

Does this mean you can never eat your favorite Vitamin K foods?  No.  What this means is that you will need to maintain a balance everyday of the amount that you eat. 

When you were put on the blood thinner, your blood was monitored to make sure that you were receiving the proper dosages of you medication taking into account your dietary habits.  If you normally eat foods that contain Vitamin K, your medication will be adjusted to get to the correct levels.  What you will want to avoid is eating a lot of Vitamin K containing foods in one day.

Foods typically high in Vitamin K are:  green leafy vegetables, green tea, broccoli, brussel sprouts and liver.  If you typically eat these foods on a daily basis, do not decrease or increase the amounts that you eat once your medication is at the proper dosage for you, which your physician will tell you.

Your physician will ask you to either talk with a dietitian or pharmacist to go over the dietary modifications of your diet and medication.  This is extremely important to do, as it could be a very serious matter.

Please make sure that if you have ANY questions, you get in contact with your physician so that proper management and treatment of all your medications fit your life style.