Hi, how do I raise my coumadin level? (or what raises coumadin blood level?)?

A really great resource that I refer all my coumadin patients to is coumadin.com. It has all the info you need to know and it is written to be fairly easy to understand. It has a section about diet and it explains how the srug works and signs and symptoms to watch for that can indicate your INR is too high. Consistency is key. There isnt anything you CANT have, it is just if you choose to eat Vitamin K containing foods, you consume something with the same amount each day. If you like a green salad, it is fine to have one, but you must have one daily or three-four times a week-they can adjust your coumadin around it. The worst thing is to be eating Vitamin K foods in large amounts suddenly or even worse, be eating them for months then all of a sudden quit. Go to coumadin.com-very good reference.

Oh, you don't understand it at all do you? Its not the coumadin that they're measuring, its the clotting factors. The inr is a measurement relating to that. You can't do anything to increase other then not get allot of vitamin k. You don't need a coumadin cookbook. Green leafy vegetables are the biggest problem. You can still eat them, but always in the same quantity and not allot, the dr will adjust your coumadin to what you need to maintain the inr on your diet, and as long as you don't change it you're ok. Also if you take vitamins be sure the doc knows. Don't take allot of aspirin or meds like motrin. Its not unusual for coumadin doses to have to be adjusted especially at first. Some people never have a steady dose. Be sure to wear some kind of medical id that says you're on coumadin. Here is a list of foods high in vitamin K, so you don't eat allot of them. foods containing high amounts of vitamin K, which can interfere with the effect of this medicine. foods that have moderate to high amounts of vitamin K include brussel sprouts, kale, green tea, asparagus, avocado, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, liver, soybean oil, soybeans, certain beans, mustard greens, peas (black eyed peas, split peas, chick peas), turnip greens, parsley, green onions, spinach, and lettuce. All you need to do is be aware and don't get allot of them, or don't go with none of them then suddenly eat it either. As you will notice they are mostly green leafy vegetables. Check with your doc to be sure he doesn't have specific amounts of these foods, that you can have. Tell your doc you want info on it that explains what the coumadin does and how it works. A big thing you must do is avoid things that could cause injury, like sports. Be careful and don't fall and bang your head. Search for coumadin or warfarin online and you will find allot of info.
Coumadin can be bewildering but keep open lines of communication if you don't understand something. Number one tho is get an id that says you're on it. If you'd be in an accident they would need to know that.