Coumadin and Alcohol
Coumadin® (warfarin sodium) is a prescription anticoagulant medication. One of the downsides of this medication is that it interacts with many different foods and beverages. While there is no specific diet for people taking Coumadin, there are general guidelines that should be followed to help improve the safety of the medication.
There is a known interaction between Coumadin and alcohol. Alcohol intake can affect the medication in various ways. A consistent, moderate intake (such as one drink per day) is usually okay for most people. However, binge drinking or even "saving up" your daily drinks for the weekend can increase the risk of bleeding -- including dangerous internal bleeding. Chronic, significant alcohol use, such as with alcoholism, can have the opposite effect, making Coumadin less effective by increasing the risk of blood clots, while at the same time increasing the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. Be sure to talk with your healthcare provider about an alcohol intake that is safe and acceptable to you.
(Click Coumadin Diet to learn more about the correlation between alcohol and Coumadin, to find out what other foods and beverages may interact with the medication, and for information on how such interactions can affect you.)