Are you taking anticoagulants (aspirin)? Don’t take this vitamin……..
Anticoagulant is the medicine prescribed to
you by your physician to keep your blood
thin and flowing. They are popularly known by
one brand-aspirin. They are typically prescribed to
the patients above 60 years of age, who are
having the history of heart disease or stroke. Or, they
are prescribed just as a precautionary measure to
the patients who are having higher risk of
developing heart disease. And, if
you are taking anticoagulant (Aspirin), you are
also having difficulty in controlling your bleeding. I have
seen many patients in my practice who are
the age of 60 years and above and
who are taking many vitamin supplements on
their own without any expert advice for various reasons. One
of the vitamin supplements taken by elderly is Vitamin-E
Typically Vitamin-E is taken for:
- Dry hair
- To improve skin tone
- Dry & wrinkled skin
- Better immunity, etc.
And all this knowledge they get from google, but
always remember that google will give you
general information only. Only a qualified
dietitian or a doctor can tell you what is suitable for
you at your age, its advantage, disadvantage, etc.
Let us see the reason why?
What can be your health risk if you are taking both
anticoagulant & Vitamin E supplements on your own?
One of the very important function of Vitamin-E
in your body is, that it prevents your blood from
clotting-same as your anticoagulant. So,
if you are taking anticoagulants (aspirin) &
vitamin E supplements, you have to be
extra cautious. As you are at higher risk of
getting uncontrolled bleeding if injured. Even
your surgeon advises you to stop taking
your anticoagulant (Aspirin) 3 days prior to
your surgery to keep your bleeding under control. And
in the same way, you must stop taking your vitamin E
3 days prior to any surgery.
Don’t self-medicate yourself even with nutrients.
Always consult your doctor or a qualified dietitian
before taking any nutrients.
And if ever you want to take vitamin-E, you can
take it from natural vegetarian source like –
sunflower seeds, almonds, etc.
That’s all for today.
See you next Tuesday with another Tuesday tip.
Till then…… Take care….
Providing simple solutions for the complexities of life….
Dr. Bhumita Makwana
Your Dietitian & Cosmetic Clinician
