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Herbal Supplements and Vitamin Interaction with Blood Thinner
I know that the following herbal supplements and vitamins interact with blood thinners, but I understand that most of those herbs, which I have been taking for years and years help with blood flow. I just started taking Aggrenox (25 Mg aspirin and 200 MG Blood thinner) twice a day and I think I would be better off simply taking an enteric coated baby aspirin, rather than the Aggrenox. Although I had a stroke on February 01, 2006 and have had 3 TIAs since that time, I have low cholesterol, low blood pressure and I don't have arterial fibrillation, so I think the baby aspirin should be sufficient, along with my below listed herbal supplements and vitamins. I have not yet provided my doctors with a list of all of the herbs/vitamins that I take that interact with blood thinners, but I will do so, at my next visit with them.
I have read that all of the herbal supplements and vitamins that I take, with the exception of Coenzyme Q-10 act to increase blood flow. I have read that Coenzyme Q-10 acts to coagulate blood. Please let me know if this information is correct. Since I have taking all of the below for years, I think that taking Aggrenox, in addition, will cause my blood to be too thin. I definitely do not want a brain hemorrhage. This is why I believe that taking a baby aspirin on a daily basis, along with the below herbal supplements and vitamins, rather than taking two Aggrenox on a daily basis, would be better for my health. I also wonder whether I should continue taking the Coenzyme Q-10. I think that the other herbal supplements/vitamins more than effectively counter-act the 100 mg of Coenzyme Q-10, but I am really interested in your thinking about this. The herbal supplements and vitamins that I take are, as follows:
Bilberry (in Vision Essentials 4 per day is 1,280 mg)
Coenzyme Q-10 (1 per day is 100 mg)
Cranberry (2 per day is 2,600 mg)
Gamma E Tocopherol with Sesame Lignans (4 per day is 1076 IU of Vitamin E)
Ginger (in Arthro Pro - 4 per day is 120 mg)
Gingko Biloba (2 per day is 200 mg and in Vision Essentials 4 per day is 240 mg = total of 440 mg)
Glucosamine HCL (2 per day is 3,000 mg - and in the Arthro Pro 4 per day is 1,000 mg = total of 4,000 mg)
Green Tea Extract (2 per day is 340 mg)
Melatonin (1 per day is 3 mg)
Omega 3 Fish Oil 1200 mg (2 per day is 432 EPA and 288 DHA)
Vitamin E (in Multivitamin is 30 IU)
Please provide me with your opinion. Naturally this does NOT mean that I will not discuss this matter in detail with both my primary internal medical doctor and my stroke doctor.
Answer:
Herbal Supplements and Vitamin Interaction with Blood Thinner
Hi Dorothy,
I certianly am not qualitfied to give you advice on your choices of blood thinners and herbal agents. If you had a stroke in 2006 and your Dr. prescribed a med regime, I think is very important you follow his advice and he should know of anything eles you may be taking asap. Discuss these questions with him and good luck to you.
Purple98Lady