Take at least eight glasses of water a day, and incorporate fiber and unsaturated fats into your diet. In addition, you will have to minimize foods rich in Vitamin K which can affect the action of some blood thinners. Calls to our general hotline may be answered by private treatment providers. We may be paid a fee for marketing or advertising by organizations that can assist with treating people with substance use disorders. Aspirin, typically available in tablets, in combination with alcohol can increase the risk of stomach bleeding and ulcers, especially if taken regularly or in high doses.
However, if you are taking blood thinners, drinking even that much may be risky. Your doctor should explain these important facts to you, along with information about your specific health status. If you don’t have major health issues, you may be able to drink lightly to moderately with your doctor’s permission. If you didn’t know that moderate alcohol consumption tends to thin out the platelets in your blood, this information is something you need to know.
Below are answers to common questions about whether alcohol may thin the blood.
Alcohol thins the blood by increasing the activity of clotting factors like factor VII, leading to a higher risk of blood clots. It also raises levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), which prevents clots from breaking down, affecting the balance between blood clotting and thinning, especially in heavy drinkers. Since blood thinners are designed to thin the blood and alcohol has that same effect, drinking alcohol while on blood thinners should be avoided to prevent excessive thinning.
Yet there are other, less risky ways to protect your arteries — for example, by eating a plant-based diet and exercising. The American Heart Association doesn’t recommend drinking alcohol solely to protect your blood vessels and improve your circulation. But, if the blood is too thin, the body may not be able to coagulate blood after an injury. Do not take alcohol while on other blood thinners unless you talk to your doctor. This is why you need to consult your doctor and take their informed advice about drinking while on blood thinners seriously.
Talking to Your Healthcare Provider
Reported protective alcohol effects may vary depending on the type of beverage, their alcoholic content or non-alcoholic components, and the quantity consumed. Because research suggests that alcohol may thin the blood, people need to avoid consuming how does alcohol thin your blood any before undergoing surgery. People can speak to their doctor if they think they or someone they know may have AUD. Additionally, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) offers guidance on finding treatment and support for AUD.
Types of Anticoagulants and Antiplatelet Medications:
If you use alcohol as a blood thinner continuously, you run the risk of excessive consumption or even addiction. In addition, if excessive alcohol is consumed, there is also a chance of suffering from excessive thinning which can often manifest in the form of a stroke. Antiplatelets, for example, prevent platelets from sticking together to form clots. Alcohol’s blood-thinning effects typically won’t last longer than a day, but the severity of its effects may vary. Using blood thinners and alcohol together can lead to disastrous health complications like compromising the liver and promoting excessive bleeding. This antioxidant may reduce harmful cholesterol levels and minimize the risk of blood clots.
Frequently Asked Questions About Alcohol and Thinning Your Blood
If you’re ready to face your addiction head-on, and want the best possible help recovering, treatment centers can help. If you’re a teenager or are worried about a teenager addicted to alcohol, contact BasePoint treatment center to learn about our programs and how we can help you. Recovery is in reach, you just have to be willing to reach out and take it. Even just being concerned that you might have an addiction can be an early warning sign either than you have an addiction, or that you are vulnerable to potentially developing one. It’s reasonable to be worried about drinking if you notice that you’re drinking more, drinking higher alcohol-content beverages, or feeling restless when you aren’t drinking.
Does Alcohol Thin Your Blood? Risks of Alcohol and Blood Thinners
It depends on a few factors, like how long and how much you drink, your health, and the quality of your diet. Haley Hicks is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and serves as the Chief Marketing Officer at BasePoint Health Management. She provides leadership support to Outreach, Marketing, Admissions and Discharge teams.
- But, if the blood is too thin, the body may not be able to coagulate blood after an injury.
- When alcohol is in the blood, these receptors do not function as they should.
- Your healthcare provider also prescribes you the correct dosage for you depending on a number of factors.
- They halt bleeding by forming a plug at the vascular damage site.
- AddictionResource fact-checks all the information before publishing and uses only credible and trusted sources when citing any medical data.
If your brain starts to bleed and your blood has been thinned by too much alcohol, it may not be able to clot before you lose too much blood and hemorrhage. Excessive drinking may lead to an alcohol dependence disorder, which may require long-term treatment for the person to maintain an initial recovery. When you use prescription medicines to treat the condition whereby your blood is thick, you should consult with your doctor first.
If you were to get in a motor vehicle crash and lose a lot of blood, you need your body’s full clotting ability to keep what precious little blood you have inside your body. But drinking and driving does more than increase your risk of injury because it slows down your reaction times. If you’re taking blood thinners or will be soon, quitting drinking is critically important. There are two main reasons why alcohol should not be mixed with blood thinners.
Some people take medications to prevent the blood from clotting or slow the clotting process. They may refer to them as blood thinners, anticoagulants, or antiplatelet drugs. A doctor may prescribe these medications to reduce a person’s risk of heart attack and stroke. Moreover, chronic heavy drinking can lead to long-term health problems, including liver disease. The liver is crucial for producing proteins necessary for blood clotting; thus, liver damage can severely impair blood clotting mechanisms, leading to an increased risk of bleeding. This is why some people extol the benefits of moderate drinking for heart health.
- Treatment centers can offer some medical support while you’re recovering, including a balanced diet, hydration, and medication that can make it easier to handle the symptoms of withdrawal.
- Alcohol consumption can lead to severe complications both during and after surgery.
- Overdoing the alcohol, taking aspirin, and taking your blood thinner as prescribed can lead to internal bleeding.
- Chronic alcohol abuse can lead to a condition called alcoholic liver disease, which can interfere with the production of certain proteins involved in the blood clotting process, such as fibrinogen.
- Often those who come to treatment with high blood pressure return to normal levels within a month of not drinking.
For men under age 65, up to two drinks a day is considered moderate. But having more than three alcoholic drinks daily could increase your risk for a type of stroke caused by bleeding in the brain (hemorrhagic strokes). Before we dive into how alcohol thins your blood, it’s important to note what is considered moderate and heavy drinking. Talk to your doctor if you’re on blood thinners and still want to drink to find out if it’s safe, and how much you can safely drink while you’re taking your medication. While moderate alcohol use can work as a blood thinner, heavy alcohol intake and binge drinking can have very serious consequences. If you have high blood pressure, drinking many days in a row or drinking a lot in one setting are both very dangerous and can even be deadly.
Clots can travel to your heart or brain and cause a heart attack or stroke. This is a common reason people get a blood thinner prescribed by their doctor. The combination of alcohol and Eliquis is generally considered safe, if moderate. Antioxidants, called polyphenols, may help protect the lining of blood vessels in the heart. Drinking a glass or two of non-alcoholic red wine may reduce your risk for heart disease.
Elevated blood pressure places extra stress on the heart and increases the chances of heart attack, stroke and heart failure. Always ask your doctor if it’s safe for you to consume alcohol while taking blood thinners. If you must drink alcohol while taking blood thinners, do so in moderation.