Alcohol, Warfarin & Severe Headaches

[aomori]

I was traveling abroad and was diagnosed in a foreign country with a blood clot.  I was put on Warfarin (Coumadin) but was not given any warning about alcohol and at least on 2 occasions drank quite heavily (about 5 or 6 glasses of wine in one evening).  I have had a series of bodily changes including increased veins on my nose face and on the palms of my hand.  Upon returning to the States, I consulted with a doctor who suggested that I get off coumadin given that my clots were in superficial veins.  However, two days following my getting off coumadin, (1.5 weeks ago) I had a severe headache the likes of which I have never felt.  I went to the ER who performed a CT scan, spinal tap and then an iodine (ink) CT (the concern was intracranial hemorraging).  The scans were negative but there were trace amounts of blood in the spinal fluid, which the doctor didn't dismiss completely but related that it was likely due to some blood that got in during the process..  The headache disappeared the following day.  However, two weeks later (the day before yesterday), I have had a never-ending headache that is much less painful than the prior one but nonetheless painful.   I was wondering if there is any data that perhaps my alcohol consumption while being on Coumadin may have caused some permanent damage and will lead to additional, dangerous bleeding in the future.  Additionally, has anyone on coumadin experienced a rapid increase in veins on their face or hands.  Thank you for any help.

[dixter]

being on coumadin you shouldn't drink any alcohol and the most I would say is no more than 2 glasses of wine.
I take 1 tablespoon of Carlson lemon flavor fish oil in the AM, 1 teaspoon in the afternoon and  1 tablespoon in the evening.
Coumadin is one of the all-time worst "hangovers" from the "heyday" of patent medications: No matter how many alternatives there are for it, it just won't go away. It certainly thins the blood, but it does so by "poisoning and killing off" the vitamin K in your body. Over enough time, the near-total lack of vitamin K will (not "could" -- WILL) cause osteoporosis, arterial calcification, cognitive malfunction, and many, many other problems.

Unfortunately, clinical studies are expensive ventures, and unless there's a patented substance that has enormous profit potential on the other end of all that pricey research, no one is willing to fork over the money to conduct one. And since vitamins, minerals, and nutrients can't be patented, there just aren't any double-blind, placebo-controlled studies to "prove" how well they can work to replace patent medications (like Coumadin) -- without all the negative side effects associated with those patented substances.

But even without the clinical studies to "back it up," there is a very good alternative to Coumadin  it just so happens to be the same supplement used with such great success for RA in the study mentioned in the article above: Cod liver oil.

Cod liver and other fish oils work by making platelets (the very small element in your blood essential to the clotting process) so slippery that they can't stick together easily to form a clot.

There is a test (called the "platelet aggregation test") that can measure how well your blood is responding to all the natural anti-clotting measures you're already taking, and help you and your doctor determine exactly how much cod liver (or other fish) oil to take. But, unfortunately, it's hard to find and expensive--usually $200-$400 each time. That's why no one taking aspirin as a blood thinner is ever tested to see if the aspirin is actually doing its job. However, over the years, I've run many of these tests and have found that 2 to 3 tablespoonfuls of cod liver oil daily were always enough -- and not too much -- to do the job.

Remember: Whenever you take supplemental oils or essential fatty acids, always take extra vitamin E, as mixed tocopherols, to prevent the oils from oxidizing too rapidly in your body. Take 800-1,000 IU of vitamin E with 2 to 3 tablespoons of cod liver oil each day. And to minimize any gastrointestinal upset, split the cod liver oil into two or three doses. It's not very tasty stuff, so if necessary, you can blend it with rice or almond milk.

Of course, for those readers who may already be taking Coumadin, it's never wise to switch from Coumadin to cod liver oil without the advice of a physician skilled and knowledgeable in nutritional and natural medicine; to find one contact the American College for Advancement in Medicine at [phone] or visit their website, www.acam.org.