Coumadin and Aspirin a Bad Combination
Question: How I wish your article on Coumadin interactions had appeared in the Los Angeles Times a little earlier. My doctor prescribed this blood thinner without asking me what other medicines I was taking. Within five days, I was urinating blood and clots.
When I contacted the surgeon who operated on my prostate 18 months ago, he was puzzled. But when I mentioned Coumadin, he was aghast, because he had me taking aspirin daily.
I was put on vitamin K to counteract the effect of Coumadin, and within two hours the bleeding stopped. My surgeon told me I was “one lucky camper.” Had one of those blood clots reached my lungs, I would be looking down, wondering what happened.
I’m interested in taking ginkgo for memory, but should I stop taking the aspirin first? I don’t need another pharmaceutical error at this time in my life.
--B.S., West Hollywood
Answer: You dodged a bullet. Aspirin and Coumadin together can lead to serious bleeding complications. Coumadin can interact dangerously with many medications, so before anyone starts on this drug, all current medicines must be reviewed.
Ginkgo is an herb that may interact with Coumadin. Whether ginkgo is incompatible with aspirin has not been determined. Never stop taking prescribed aspirin without first consulting your physician.
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Q: My mother is in a lot of pain from arthritis. She read in your column about a home remedy of grape juice and pectin. Can you tell us how to put this mixture together? I am guessing that you drink it.
--A.B., Los Angeles
A: We were inundated with queries about home remedies for arthritis. We don’t know of any studies on the combination of purple grape juice and Certo, but many people tell us it helps relieve their pain.
Certo is a liquid fruit pectin sold in grocery stores for home canning. It gives jellies and jams the proper texture. There are a few different Certo regimens; the simplest calls for drinking one tablespoon of Certo mixed in 8 ounces of purple grape juice every day.
We are sending you our guide to home remedies, with details on Certo and grape juice, gin-soaked raisins, Sam Houston’s juice-and-vinegar concoction for arthritis and some scientific data on aspartame as a pain reliever. Anyone else who would like a copy, please send $2 in check or money order with a long (No.10) stamped, self-addressed envelope to Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. R-221, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.
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Q: I would like to help the person who wrote to you with trouble swallowing pills. I saw the following trick on TV, tried it and found it makes swallowing even large capsules a snap.
I put up to three pills in my mouth with a normal amount of water, bend my head to one side and swallow. No longer does any tablet get stuck part way down.
--R.P., Temple City
A: Many folks offered their own pill-swallowing tricks. E.K. in Los Angeles likes to put butter on them, a trick she learned when medicating her dogs. Check with a pharmacist to make sure butter won’t slow absorption of your medicine.
M.H. in Hemet says she was advised by a nurse to put the pill under her tongue and drink a glass of water. We find that drinking carbonated water from a narrow-necked bottle washes a pill down well.
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist. Teresa Graedon holds a doctorate in medical anthropology and is a nutrition expert. In this special People’s Pharmacy column, the Graedons answer letters from readers of the Los Angeles Times. This special column will run the third Monday of every month. Send questions to the Graedons at People’s Pharmacy, in care of King Features, 235 E. 45th St., New York, NY 10017, or e-mail them via their Web site at https://www.peoplespharmacy.com. Please include your address, which will not be published, and identify yourself as a reader of The Times.
