The Warfarin drug’s most popular brand or trade name is Coumadin. Warfarin is an anticoagulant, and Coumadin is prescribed for people where blood clots can be fatal and smooth blood circulation is important at all times. This drug has saved countless lives of those who have experienced strokes, heart attacks, embolism, and deep vein thrombosis, and are important for those living after heart surgery with a mechanical heart valve or two. Because of its potency, Coumadin also has high potential for giving those who take it side effects, and it has plenty of interactions with food products, other medications, and alcohol.
In fact, Coumadin is not prescribed for alcoholics, for even taking an occasional alcoholic beverage can react with the drug and cause all sorts of effects in the body. There are some physicians who believe it’s safe to take one or two alcoholic drinks a week or sometimes even daily, as long as your consumption is regular and not sporadic, like binge drinking during the weekends. But to be safe, alcoholic drinks should be avoided as much as possible when taking Coumadin and other Warfarin drugs. Alcohol goes through the liver, and prolonged abuse of alcoholic beverages can permanently damage the liver’s metabolism. Coumadin works by acting on the liver to decrease the production of enzymes that regulate fast blood clotting. Taking alcohol, even once a week or so, while on Coumadin can prevent the drug from fully working its anticoagulant properties.
Coumadin often takes up to two days for its effects on the blood to show, for the liver needs time to reduce the production of proteins that can make blood clot quickly. However, drinking alcohol can increase liver blood flow, so at times alcohol can actually increase Coumadin’s anticoagulant qualities to an extremely unhealthy extent. When the blood “thins” out too much, severe bleeding can result. Internal hemorrhaging can be fatal, and even a minor scrape on the skin can result in severe blood loss because the blood’s clotting properties will be disabled.
The effects of taking alcohol while on Coumadin therapy vary from person to person, just like the side effects of Coumadin differ all the time. Reactions like headaches and nausea can be considered normal, especially when compared to potentially lethal side effects like coughing up blood, bloody excretions in the urine and stool, osteoporosis, and skin necrosis, where the tissues of the body start dying. Coumadin reactions can be more serious than other side effects of medicines, but when combined with alcohol, the probability of adverse effects increases.
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