Is it safe to combine warfarin and glucosamine?

Warfarin and glucosamine substances are used for two very different health conditions, but when they are taken together, they can cause potentially dangerous effects. A person who has been prescribed Warfarin must be informed about his doctor when considering a glucosamine supplement. This can be extremely important because warfarin and glucosamine can interact to increase the effects of warfarin, increasing the risk of dangerous bleeding levels. Glucosamine commercial preparations are usually derived from sea crustaceans. It is considered to be a dietary supplement and is most often used as treatment of arthritis. This is due to the fact that it is a biological precursor for glycosaminoglycan, the type of molecule, located in the articular cartilage. Glucosamine was in some, but not all countries approved for medical use. This food supplement no known side effects and few -known interactions with drugs and supplements.

While existedThere is little information about how glucosamine interacts with drugs, one interaction that came out to light is one that occurs between warfarin and glucosamine. Warfarin is a drug that is used in the treatment of blood clots and is also prescribed for people who are endangered by blood clots, stroke or heart attack. This drug works by inhibiting the production of blood proteins that promote clotting. People taking warfarin are threatened by increased bleeding, especially if they have cancer, high blood pressure or blood disorder.

One of the first medical studies to interact between warfarin and glucosamine was published in 2008 by Dr. James Knudsen and Dr. Gerald Sokol. This study noted that patients who took both substances had international normalized ratio (INR). INR is a standardized measurement of the patient's protrombin time, which represents how long the blood clot lasts. Those who take glucosamine except warfarin tend to have fromHeight inr, which means that their blood lasts longer and may have an increased risk of extending or serious bleeding.

Both of these drugs are used more often by seniors, and therefore seniors are more at risk of affected by interactions of warfarin and glucosamine drugs. In the above study, the authors suggest that those who use warfarin take care of the use of glucosamine supplements and food and drinks supplemented with glucosamine. Anyone who wants to continue using glucosamine should be carefully monitored by his doctor for changes in INR.