Food to replace warfarin?

If I were you/him, I would get additional medical advice. Maybe ask a second doctor. Any advice on here is likely to be inexpert, or even dangerous, although I see you have asked for posters to indicate their experience to allow you to evaluate the response.

If you haven't already done so, his diet could probably be changed to reduce the risks, but I would be concerned to rely on that alone. Again, I would suggest you speak to an expert to find out what dietary changes should be made.

An important question is what you are taking Warfarin (exact same thing as coumadin) for. Check with your doctor to see it Warfarin is indicated for the rest of your life; in some medical conditions, people go on Warfarin for a short period of time and then they stop. If you are taking it for more serious conditions - those being atrial fibrillation, history of clots in your lung, mechanical heart valves, not taking coumadin can be deadly. To date, there is no oral substitution for warfarin; some people use a once-a-day injection in their skin called Lovenox. The problem is that this is very expensive and the levels are hard to follow. In the future, we anticipate an oral for of lovenox, but this is still pending. Again, talk to your doctor about the need to be on Coumadin indefinitely. Your need may or may not have expired, unbeknownst to you. If coumadin is necessary for you, you should take it faithfully, even though monitoring its level is annoying, because it can save your life.

I am an ex warfarin user having had a deep vein thrombosis. I was told not to eat grapefruit whilst taking this medicine as this had got natural "blood thinning" properties.

The myth you have about not being able to stop bleeding whilst on warfarin is just that, a myth. Whilst the blood would take longer to clot if you have an INR of about 2.5 to 3 it would clot. If your husband did have this type of accident you should tell the emergency services who know how to deal with patients on warfarin.

Aspirin is something else you could try as this is known for its "blood thinning" properties.

Now I turn to the dangers of not having medication to help your husband not to form clots. The dangers are very real. Death being one of them! If a clot should form in a deep vein in the leg the risk of it breaking up and travelling to the heart are very high! You wouldn't know it had happened until it had!

What other dangers? Stroke. I have had 4 minor strokes already! I am 47 (soon 48) and I have been told that a major stroke is on its way but the doctor doesn't know when! Why? because blood can clot that quickly! You have to ask yourself is it worth these real risks? At such a young age could you bear to lose your husband to a blood clot?

Why am I an ex warfarin user? I am actually undergoing tests to see what risks there are of other clots forming. I am currently on aspirin whilst these tests are carried out.

Further reading: Warfarin the facts, Thrombosis help centre, British Stroke Foundation.

I am sorry if my advice is leaning towards medication but having been there and experienced the results of not taking it, I cannot see any alternatives.

Edit: Since posting my answer I realised I missed out broccoli as the other food with "blood thinning" properties.

There is really no other choice.

Is this due to heart disease? TIA/Stroke? or leg thrombosis?

While lowering LDL/total cholesterol, and increasing HDL may prevent certain clots, it appears that he is predisposed to clots.

In that case, warfarin, or other anti-coagulents, would be the only option. I tell you this not only as a doctor, but from someone who has seen first hand what this leads to..

one of my patients in 1st year of residency decided on their own to stop taking anti-coagulents. Five months later, they had a massive heart attack and died.

I implore you to not stop treatment

Edit: The Parathesia (pins and needles) can be dealt with as a side issue. (and can normally be fixed without medication) If that is the only problem associated with it, I really don't think you should stop treatment.

True, as someone below me has said, aspirin has a blood thinning effect. For what you said he has, aspirin would not be sufficient to stop those blood clots on a regular basis.

Feel free to message me with any questions.

warfarin is a blood thinning drug, as far as i know there is no food that has this effect.

Although I strongly STONGLY encourage your partner to stay with the Coumadin therapy while trying something to reduce the minor side effects as the MAJOR side effects of coming off the medicine could include, but not be limited to: heart attack, stroke, loss of limb (secondary to clot), hypoxia (secondary to PE), TIA, sudden DEATH... especially considering his family history... all of that aside...

you could look in to herbal therapy with St John's wart and things of that nature. That is one herbal we always look out for as it increases the bleeding time.

I know I am not the one whose hands are tingling and I am not the one who has to take this medicine forever... but I can say that I am a Critical Care nurse, and almost 90% of my patients are on blood thinners for one reason or another. Those who come off of these meds 90% of the time end up coming back to us in shambles... massive heart attacks that nearly kill them, or strokes that leave them unable to speak and move, but looking in to their eyes, I know the hear me and understand and are just trapped in that broken shell of a body for the rest of their lives while their loved ones care for them, also broken hearted.

Again, if he refuses the meds and is just fed up, I give you the previous plee along with the information so that, at least, he would be using something... avoid foods high in Vit. K- as that will undo all of the blood thinning any med or herbal/food remedy will be attempting.

Best of Luck...

he should stay away from foods that are rich in vitamin k ( broccoli, spinach ect..) because it is the antidote to warfarin.