Natural Alternatives to Pharmaceutical blood thinners?

Well, you can take aspirin, or what would be the natural equivalent is some sort of tree bark. From what I understand that is how we developed aspirin was the realization of this bark in nature lowers fever and reduces inflammation and pain. I am assuming the “natural aspirin” also has blood thinning qualities? Have you had a DVT? Is that why you are in Warfarin? You might try looking at Dr Weils website, maybe he has some info http://www.drweil.com/ I have never really looked it over, but his books are fantastic. He is very interested in natural healing, and firmly believes in the body’s ability to heal.

Wish I had more specific info, hopefully someone else will.

@JLeslie is correct but are you not taking a huge risk of death experimenting with alternatives. You know that the risks are lethal. Besides high dosages of ASA has huge risks as well.

Heperin can be used to avoid blood clots, but I think it does not help get rid of a blood clot once formed. And, heperin is an injectable with a very short half life. You probably know this already.

Aspirin, garlic and niacin are all “natural” blood thinners.

Oh, I think red wine is also. But some people get an increase in their blood pressure when they drink, so be careful.

@CaptainHarley Aspirin is synthesized.

Ginger, onions, fish oil (yuck), & turmeric (yummy).

@JLeslie It could be that it relaxes you. Stress can mess you up.

Sweet Woodruff, the herb that is used to flavor Maywine, contains coumarins, which are the natural version of Coumadin/Warfarin. However, as I am not a medical or health care practitioner, I wouldn’t begin to presume to tell you how to use it or even if it is safe.

Vitamin K helps the body with clotting. Some very good-for-you foods, such as kale, romaine lettuce, liver, green onions, and olive and canola oils, are high in vitamin K. When my husband was on Coumadin, we had to really watch how much of these foods he ate, because they affected the anti-coagulant effects of the Coumadin. Perhaps limiting the amount of Vitamin K you eat would be a step toward not needing as much of the anti-coagulant medication?

Ginger had to be limited too, because it made his Coumadin work too well. Now that he’s off the Coumadin, we try to include ginger, especially with meals that are high in Vitamin K-rich foods. (Sushi – with its high-K seaweed, is especially nice with the pickled ginger, for example.) Again, I am not a doctor and you will surely want to consult someone who knows more about these things than I do.

@Draconess25 What does being relaxed have to do with thinner blood? Well, I guess maybe being relaxed can have all sorts of positive effects, but I don’t really equate with blood running ‘time.

@JLeslie The fact that stress & blood clots can both cause heart attacks. I dunno. I like wine.

Hey everyone! Wow, I didn’t think I’d get such a quick response. I’m new to this. I have a blood condition, I’m anti-thrombin 3 deficient. I’m missing a protien. I have had two blood clots and have been through the gambut of high doeses of heparin, coumadin . . . even uerokainase (spelling is off but it turns your blood to water so they can get pictures. I know I will be on blood thinners for the rest of my life (this is way beyond aspirin here folks). I know the risks involved with foods with Vitamin K (counteracts the coumadin) and even garlic (thins it even more). I’m not going to do anything on my own so don’t think I’ve pushed the 911. I just would like to send it out there to the masses who must take this drug to give a little nudge to someone in the know who might be studying alternatives. I naturepath or Native American. It would seem to me with the right combination of BOTH of these foods, we could meet somewhere in the middle. Thanks to all of you!

@mauicheetah Welcome to fluther :). Good luck.

And one more thing . . . YES stress has an affect on the blood just like it has an affect on every part of your body.

For anyone taking vitamins or supplements, be sure and take Vitamin D3. Every cell in the body has a receptor for D3 and its all about absorption. Without the D3, none of the good stuff can get through. :)

@mauicheetah I am on prescription D and I am stunned at how hard it is for me to get my D levels up on such megadoses. I think I must have been dificient for many many years. I find it annoying that my doctors never tested me for it before, and more annoying that so many medical professionals still say things like oh, Americans don’t need to worry, with all of the enriched foods we have it is almost impossible to have a vitamin dificiency. So not true.

I have a clotting thingy, can’t remember the name of it, I am heterozygous for it. Anyway, there was some information on taking high doses of folate for it, and also to watch homosystene levels or something like that. I don’t do anything to treat it, except when I was taking a drug that can cause blood clots I took heperin at the same time. When I get older, I probably will address it more.

@laureth As a user of Warfarin myself, I decided several years ago to adjust my Warfarin dose to my diet rather than the other way round…I get my INR read every couple of weeks or so just to be sure everything is ok, sometimes up to 6 weeks, on the whole my INR is very stable.

@mauicheetah Welcome to fluther!

@Adagio – My sweetie had to have the INR testing like every week for a while, until they could get some baseline on how much K he typically ate and adjust the medicine accordingly. But then, we had to keep eating about the same amount of K all the time. There were nights when I would microwave five brussels sprouts to make sure he had a serving of “high” K. I’m glad those days are done! :)

Vitamin E (nuts, seeds, vegetable oils)