warfarin and alcohol

[bednobs]

what does alcohol do to the INR? i know you can drink on them, as long as you have a regular amount so that the clinic can compensate, but what does alcohol actually do - make the inr increase or decrease?

[PringlesQueen]

Alcohol increases the INR, particularly if consumed in large quantities

[J9PUR]

Alcohol raises the INR

[slaney]

It's a complex picture - it does both.
Regular and chronic alcohol consumption increases the rate of metabolism of Warfarin, leading to a lowering of the INR (underanticoagulation).
Binge drinking overwhelms the liver enzymes capacity to cope with the metabolism of Warfarin, and leads to sometimes very marked elevation of the INR (overanticoagulation).

[slaney]

..and obviously if and when the stage of alcoholic liver disease is reached, the INR can be raised as part of the disease process.

[bednobs]

thanks. My INR is having a bit of trouble staying at the rate it needs to be at. I went away for the weekend last week and drank champagne, beer and gin everyday for three days, and don't usually drink at all and i wondered if that was why but clearly not

[carlton23]

I have been on Warfarin since 1973 and used to sup a few, until I got fed-up with going for BT`s every week, so now I just have a quick Jamesons a day after my last one, and enjoy it more.