Replacement for Coumadin for Deep Vein Thrombosis while Breastfeeding?
Answered by: Susan Eagles
Question from: Name not given
Posted on: July 02, 2005

Three weeks after the birth of my daughter I was admitted to a hospital with deep vein thrombosis. I was told I would have to take coumadin for a least 6 months. I am breastfeeding was told it was okay to do so while taking coumadine (is it?). My six months are almost up and I want to know what I should take after taking coumadin to thin my blood while breastfeeding. I was planning to take grape seed and garlic. Are these okay to take while breastfeeding for thinning my blood? Do I have to wait until I finish breastfeeding to detox myself of coumadin? Do I need to detox my daughter of coumadin since I was breastfeeding her while taking it?

It is likely to do more harm than good to try to detox yourself or your baby. I recommend that you consult with a natural practitioner for advice on your deep vein thrombosis. A complete assessment will determine whether or not you still have a circulation problem. If you do, only a full assessment can reveal factors that are associated with it, and only then can you work on a cure.

In the meantime, your diet is the most important medicine. Fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, garlic and onions (go lightly on the garlic and onions until you see how they affect your baby’s digestion) promote healthy blood vessels. Alcohol, coffee, eggs, salty foods and sugar products should be kept to a minimum. High fat meat and dairy products, margarine and salad oils (except extra-virgin olive oil) should be avoided or minimized, as they have a negative effect on blood vessel health. Exercise, to a level appropriate to your health condition, helps the blood flow through to the peripheral parts of your body.

Ginger, rosemary, stinging nettles and turmeric are all good herbs to support blood circulation. Nettle can taken as a tea. The other herbs can be used generously in cooking. These herbs all provide many other health benefits as well as supporting blood circulation. Your baby will receive the benefits through your breast milk.

Garlic sometimes causes aggravation to a breastfed baby, resulting in colic. As for grape seed, I assume you are referring to grape seed extract. My main concern is to be sure that extract is not prepared from spent seed meal left over from the extraction of the oil from the seeds. Oil extraction frequently involves hexane and I worry that traces of the toxic solvent could persist in the grape seed extract. You may want to check with the manufacturer first.

Testing has shown that coumadin does not enter the breast milk. I don’t know whether sufficient testing has been done to know this conclusively. If you are worried, ask your doctor whether he can check your baby’s blood for healthy clotting ability.

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