Some people take blood thinners to prevent the formation of blood clots. These are typically prescribed by doctors for patients who have certain medical conditions, such as heart disease.
If you're taking blood thinners, you should know that alcohol can affect how well the medication works. This can be a dangerous combination.
Moderate drinking is defined as up to two alcoholic drinks for men and one drink for women per day. A moderate amount of alcohol has several benefits, including protection against heart disease, some cancers, and certain health conditions.
Research has shown that moderate drinking is possible for people who are not alcoholics. However, moderate drinking is not a good choice for people who are struggling with severe drinking problems.
Many problem drinkers find moderation hard to maintain and do much better with abstinence.
In the same way that heavy drinking raises blood pressure, moderate drinking can thin the blood. This can help prevent blood clots from forming in the arteries that supply oxygen to the brain and heart.
Heavy drinking - defined as five or more drinks for men and four or more drinks for women on any day, or more than eight drinks for anyone over age 65 - can increase your risk of serious health problems. These include problems with your heart, digestive system, liver and throat.
Alcohol also can damage your brain's communication pathways, which can make it harder to think and speak clearly and remember things. It can also depress your brain's ability to communicate with other parts of your body, which can cause long-term health issues like dementia.
Blood thinning is one of the reasons people take prescription blood thinners to lower their risk of stroke, atrial fibrillation and a number of other conditions. But drinking while taking these medications can increase your risk of bleeding-type strokes or hemorrhagic strokes, which occur when weak blood vessels burst and spill blood into the surrounding tissues.
Heavier drinking can also lead to problems with your liver, such as hepatic steatosis and inflammation (alcoholic hepatitis). Binge drinkers - women who have four or more drinks in an outing and men who have five or more drinks in a single occasion - are at risk for cirrhosis, which is permanent scarring of the liver.
Taking blood thinners may reduce your risk of having a heart attack, stroke or other type of blood clot. Some are short-term treatments that you can stop after a few months, while others are used to prevent clots in the long term.
Your doctor will decide which blood thinners work best for you. They will consider your health, age, weight and kidney and liver function before making a decision.
These medications are often taken daily and must be taken at the same time each day to ensure they are working correctly. You will also need to take a prothrombin time (PT) test to make sure your international normalized ratio (INR) stays within the right range.
People on blood thinners should be very careful to avoid contact sports and other activities that could cause an injury. Even minor bumps or cuts can lead to a lot of bleeding, especially if you are taking warfarin or other anticoagulants.
If you have a problem with alcohol, you may want to avoid it altogether. This is especially important if you use it to numb emotions or relieve tension in difficult situations.
Drinking alcohol can thin your blood by interfering with the production and function of blood platelets (the cells that create blood clots to help protect your body’s arteries). This can lead to increased risk of bleeding and strokes.
It’s also important to avoid drinking while taking blood thinners like warfarin. This is because alcohol can interact with blood-thinning medications and cause excessive bruising and bleeding.
One of the best ways to avoid drinking is to set boundaries around the amount you drink. Be clear about your limits and let people know you’re trying to stop or cut back. It can also mean distanceing yourself from certain people who have a strong alcohol habit.
