Can I Drink Green Tea While Taking Eliquis

Drink Tea With Caution

Many individuals use the chamomile to diminish the symptoms of anxiety, insomnia and gastrointestinal distress, although scientific research does not validate the use of chamomile tea to treat health conditions. Additionally, chamomile tea is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration meaning it is not intended to treat, prevent or cure disease.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine emphasizes the importance of sharing any alternative products you plan to use, such as chamomile tea with your health care providers. Your doctor can address the risks presented by drug interactions, allergic reactions and the vulnerability of special populations.

St John’s Wort: Risky Combined With Heart Meds

You may have heard that the St. Johns Wort herb can help treat symptoms of depression, but be wary of drinking this tea if you have a heart condition. My biggest concern is that its not good with cardiac medications, says Steinbaum. She says the ingredient is “epically dangerous” if youre taking blood thinners or cardiac medications for heart failure, like digoxin, or if you require a stent or have atrial fibrillation.

If you’re considering drinking St. Johns Wort tea for depression, talk to your doctor instead, Steinbaum says. Theres such a close association between depression and heart disease. Its the kind of thing I wouldnt want anyone to treat on their own.

Choose Your Teas Carefully

As part of a heart-healthy eating plan, your doctor or nutritionist may suggest drinking more tea and with good reason. Soothing, aromatic tea has certainly earned a spot on the list of approved foods and drinks for its myriad of mind and body benefits. Significantly lower in caffeine than coffee, the caffeine youll get in a cup of tea varies depending on the type of tea, the brand, how it was processed, and how long it steeps. A chemical analysis of caffeine content in teas steeped for five minutes found Exotica China White tea has 34 milligrams , Stash Premium Green tea has 39 mg, and Stash Earl Grey Black tea has 51 mg of caffeine in an 8 ounce cup.

When it comes to health benefits, the type of tea you drink matters, as do any medications you might be taking. You also have to consider your individual caffeine sensitivity. In general, the best types of tea are those made from the Camellia sinenses shrub: black, white, green, and Oolong, according to Janet Bond Brill, PhD, RD, a cardiovascular nutritionist and author of Blood Pressure Down: The 10-Step Plan to Lower Your Blood Pressure in 4 Weeks Without Prescription Drugs.

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Things You Can Do To Help Yourself

• Cuts press on the cut for 10 minutes with a clean cloth.
• Nosebleeds sit or stand upright , pinch your nose just above your nostrils for 10 to 15 minutes, lean forward and breathe through your mouth, and place an icepack at the top of your nose
• Bleeding gums if your gums are bleeding, try using a soft toothbrush and waxed dental floss to clean your teeth.
• Bruises these are harmless, but can be unsightly. It might help to make them fade more quickly if you put an ice pack wrapped in a towel over the bruise for 10 minutes at a time several times a day.

Other Medications Can Change The Way Your Blood Thinner Works

Your blood thinners impact the way your body works and so do other medications. Sometimes medications can conflict with one another, making them less effective or even dangerous.

Your physician should know all of the medications youre taking, including any you were taking before your blood thinners. This includes:

• Other prescription medications
• Over-the-counter medications, such as aspirin, other pain relievers, and cold medications
• Vitamins and other supplements, such as garlic
• Herbal products, such as green tea or ginkgo biloba

The benefits of blood thinners can be life-changing. They can also be strengthened or weakened by other medications, which can lead to serious complications. Keep an up-to-date list of your medications, and make sure you let your physician know if it ever changes.

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What Is An Herbal Supplement

The use of herbal supplements has a long history – dating back thousands of years. Examples of important medicines extracted from botanicals include reserpine, morphine, penicillin, and vinca alkaloid anti-cancer drugs.

Today, herbal supplements and nutraceuticals can be purchased over-the-counter and may be labeled “all-natural”. Herbal supplements are sold in many different forms – dried leaves for teas, powdered, as capsules or tablets, or in solution.

But does “all-natural” mean they are always safe?

No. While these products are intended to boost health, and may make claims to that effect, robust clinical studies may be lacking. It’s important to discuss supplement use with your doctor. Drug interactions with herbs can be especially risky.

How To Take Your Blood Thinner

Always take your blood thinner as directed. For example, some blood thinners need to be taken at the same time of day, every day.

Never skip a dose, and never take a double dose.

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If you dont remember until the next day, call your doctor for instructions. If this happens when your doctor is not available, skip the missed dose and start again the next day. Mark the missed dose in a diary or on a calendar.

A pillbox with a slot for each day may help you keep track of your medicines.

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Are There Any Other Precautions Or Warnings For This Medication

Before you begin using a medication, be sure to inform your doctor of any medical conditions or allergies you may have, any medications you are taking, whether you are pregnant or breast-feeding, and any other significant facts about your health. These factors may affect how you should use this medication.

Increased bleeding risk: If you have any medical conditions that may cause an increased risk of bleeding, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed. These conditions include uncontrolled very high blood pressure a problem with the blood vessels in the back of the eye called retinopathy current or past ulcer of the stomach or intestines recent stroke or recent surgery of the brain, spinal column, or eye.

If you are taking medications to prevent blood clots or other medications that reduce blood clotting such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories or acetylsalicylic acid, discuss with your doctor whether any special monitoring is needed.

Heart valves: The safety and effectiveness of apixaban have not been established for people with prosthetic heart valves or severe rheumatic heart disease. Apixaban is not recommended for use by people with these conditions.

Seniors: People over the age of 75 are at an increased risk of bleeding. Report any unusual bruising or bleeding to your doctor immediately.

What Side Effects Are Possible With This Medication

Many medications can cause side effects. A side effect is an unwanted response to a medication when it is taken in normal doses. Side effects can be mild or severe, temporary or permanent.

The side effects listed below are not experienced by everyone who takes this medication. If you are concerned about side effects, discuss the risks and benefits of this medication with your doctor.

The following side effects have been reported by at least 1% of people taking this medication. Many of these side effects can be managed, and some may go away on their own over time.

Contact your doctor if you experience these side effects and they are severe or bothersome. Your pharmacist may be able to advise you on managing side effects.

• bleeding
• bruising or swelling
• nausea

Although most of the side effects listed below don’t happen very often, they could lead to serious problems if you do not seek medical attention.

Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:

• bleeding or oozing from the surgical wound
• blood in urine
• signs of bleeding
• symptoms of anemia
• symptoms of liver problems
• symptoms of unidentified bleeding
• symptoms of low blood pressure

Stop taking the medication and seek immediate medical attention if any of the following occur:

• allergic reaction
• signs of bleeding in the stomach

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How And When To Take Apixaban

It’s very important to take apixaban as your doctor has told you.

It’s usual to take it twice a day. Try to take it at the same time every day.

Swallow the tablet with a drink of water. Apixaban can be taken with or without food.

If you have trouble swallowing pills, speak to your doctor or pharmacist.

You can crush apixaban tablets and mix them with water, apple juice or apple purée. Swallow this mixture straight away.

Ginseng Tea: Natural Blood Thinner

Though ginseng has not been formally evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, drinking it may potentially give a boost to your heart. Studies do support that ginseng may lower blood pressure by relaxing the arteries, says Day. It thins the blood by blocking platelet adhesion, and it may improve cholesterol profiles. Palinski-Wade says to consider ginseng tea a tasty replacement for a more sugary beverage, which also has heart-boosting benefits. Replace that sugar-loaded sweet tea with a glass of brewed ginseng tea instead. Not only will this provide you with a slimming benefit, but it will also reduce your intake of excess sugar, which can damage your heart, she says.

As with most teas, talk to your doctor if youre taking blood thinners like Coumadin or anti-platelet drugs such as Plavix .

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Videostaying Active And Healthy With Blood Thinners

People often worry about how routine medicines like blood thinner pills will affect their lifestyles. With a few simple steps, taking a blood thinner can be safe and easy. In fact, more than 2 million people take blood thinners every day to keep them from developing dangerous blood clots. Staying Active and Healthy with Blood Thinners is a 10-minute video that shows how small changes in daily routines can help people take blood thinners safely.

What is a blood thinner? What does it do? Why it is helpful? These questions are answered in this video, which features easy-to-understand explanations of how blood thinners work and why it’s important to take them correctly. It also introduces BEST, an easy way to remember how to fit blood thinner medication into daily life.

Be Careful

No Good Source Of Herbal Supplement And Drug Interactions

• DR. KEITH ROACHFor the Herald & Review

• Save

Dear Dr. Roach: I am taking Eliquis and need to know what are some safe herbs and herbal teas. I have problems with anxiety. I was looking on the internet and found a site that says chamomile tea, garlic and ginger are not safe to take with Eliquis. Do you have a list of or can you tell me where to find information about what herbal products and teas are safe to take with Eliquis?

D.C.

A: I wish I could give you an easy answer, but I can’t give you a way of reliably getting information about drug-drug, drug-food and drug-supplement interactions that is both accurate and easily understandable. It took me close to an hour of searching and reading sites available to the public as well as those available to a physician with the resources of a major research institution to feel like I could begin to answer your question on apixaban .

For example, chamomile contains compounds that have anticoagulant properties, and a case report in 2006 from Montreal showed that a person using chamomile lotion and drinking chamomile tea while taking warfarin had a life-threatening case of internal bleeding due to the interaction. This is why you were cautioned against chamomile with Eliquis. Similarly, many supplements, including turmeric, garlic, ginger and green tea, have antiplatelet effects, which can act synergistically with the effect of Eliquis on clotting factors to increase bleeding risk. It is hard to estimate the magnitude of this risk.

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Green Tea: Lower Lipids Less Plaque

For your heart health, it pays to go green. With green tea, the leaves have been harvested and allowed to wither, and then steamed. There is no oxidation, says Brill. She recommends choosing green tea as often as possible if you’re a tea drinker. Just dont ruin it with sugar, says Brill. Clinical studies on drinking green tea have found that it helps lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides good news for your heart. And drinking green tea is also associated with a lower risk of heart disease and death from heart attack or stroke, according to a study of more than 90,000 Japanese participants published in the March 2015 Annals of Epidemiology.

An 8 ounce cup of green tea gives you from 24 to 45 mg caffeine depending on how long its brewed, notes the Mayo Clinic. Powerful antioxidants in green tea especially one called epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG can help prevent atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaque in the arteries. The EGCG can help boost metabolism, helping to make it easier to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. In addition, green tea helps improve the function of endothelial cells in blood vessels, says Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, who works with heart patients and is also the author of Belly Fat for Dummies.

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Alemdaroglu, N. C., Dietz, U., Wolffram, S., Spahn-Langguth, H., and Langguth, P. Influence of green and black tea on folic acid pharmacokinetics in healthy volunteers: potential risk of diminished folic acid bioavailability. Biopharm.Drug Dispos. 2008 29:335-348. View abstract.

Arts, I. C., Hollman, P. C., Feskens, E. J., Bueno de Mesquita, H. B., and Kromhout, D. Catechin intake might explain the inverse relation between tea consumption and ischemic heart disease: the Zutphen Elderly Study. Am.J.Clin Nutr. 2001 74:227-232. View abstract.

Arya, L. A., Myers, D. L., and Jackson, N. D. Dietary caffeine intake and the risk for detrusor instability: a case-control study. Obstet.Gynecol. 2000 96:85-89. View abstract.

Baron, J. A., Gerhardsson, de, V, and Ekbom, A. Coffee, tea, tobacco, and cancer of the large bowel. Cancer Epidemiol.Biomarkers Prev. 1994 3:565-570. View abstract.

Barr, H. M. and Streissguth, A. P. Caffeine use during pregnancy and child outcome: a 7-year prospective study. Neurotoxicol.Teratol. 1991 13:441-448. View abstract.

Blanc, P. D., Kuschner, W. G., Katz, P. P., Smith, S., and Yelin, E. H. Use of herbal products, coffee or black tea, and over-the-counter medications as self-treatments among adults with asthma. J Allergy Clin.Immunol. 1997 100:789-791. View abstract.

Blot, W. J., Chow, W. H., and McLaughlin, J. K. Tea and cancer: a review of the epidemiological evidence. Eur.J.Cancer Prev. 1996 5:425-438. View abstract.

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Possible Interactions With: Green Tea

If you are being treated with any of the following medications, you should not drink green tea or take green tea extract without first talking to your health care provider:

Adenosine — Green tea may inhibit the actions of adenosine, a medication given in the hospital for an irregular heart rhythm.

Antibiotics, Beta-lactam — Green tea may increase the effectiveness of beta-lactam antibiotics by reducing bacterial resistance to treatment.

Benzodiazepines — Caffeine has been shown to reduce the sedative effects of benzodiazepines .

Beta-blockers, Propranolol, and Metoprolol — Caffeine may increase blood pressure in people taking propranolol and metoprolol .

Blood Thinning Medications — People who take warfarin, a blood thinning medication, should not drink green tea. Since green tea contains vitamin K, it can make warfarin ineffective. Meanwhile, you should not mix green tea and aspirin because they both prevent platelets from clotting. Using the two together may increase your risk of bleeding.

Clozapine — The anti-psychotic effects of the medication clozapine may be reduced if taken fewer than 40 minutes after drinking green tea.

Ephedrine — When taken together with ephedrine, green tea may cause agitation, tremors, insomnia, and weight loss.

Lithium — Green tea has been shown to reduce blood levels of lithium .

Oral Contraceptives — Oral contraceptives can prolong the amount of time caffeine stays in the body and may increase its stimulating effects.

About Your Blood Thinner

Your doctor has prescribed a medicine called a blood thinner to prevent blood clots. Blood clots can put you at risk for heart attack, stroke, and other serious medical problems. A blood thinner is a kind of drug called an anticoagulant . “Anti” means against and “coagulant” means to thicken into a gel or solid.

Blood thinner drugs work well when they are used correctly. To help you learn about your medicine, your doctor has given you this booklet to read.

Depending on where you receive care, you may be seen by a doctor, nurse, physicians assistant, nurse practitioner, pharmacist, or other health care professional. The term “doctor” is used in this booklet to refer to the person who helps you manage your blood thinner medicine.

You and your doctor will work together as a team to make sure that taking your blood thinner does not stop you from living well and safely. The information in this booklet will help you understand why you are taking a blood thinner and how to keep yourself healthy. Please take time to read all of the information in this booklet.

There are different types of blood thinners. The most common blood thinner that doctors prescribe is warfarin . Your doctor may also discuss using one of the newer blood thinners depending on your individual situation.

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