If you have suffered a heart attack or have blood clots, your doctor may prescribe Coumadin. Coumadin is the brand name of warfarin, an anticoagulant, or blood thinning, medication that can help prevent blood clots from forming in your arteries. As with any medication, Coumadin can interact with other drugs and dietary supplements in ways that can be harmful. Red clover is an herbal dietary supplement used to treat symptoms of menopause and heart disease. Consult your doctor before taking red clover for any reason, especially if you are taking Coumadin or other anticoagulant medications, as it may enhance the medication's effects.
Coumarins
Coumarins are sweet-smelling substances extracted from some plants, including red clover and tonka beans. They are used in the production of fragrances and essential oils. Coumarins are also one of the main constituents of rat poison and anticoagulant medications, such as Coumadin. In the body, coumarins are broken down into dicumerol, which blocks the production of coagulation factors that depend on vitamin K. Derivatives of coumarins are used as the active agents in the anticoagulant medication Coumarin to reduce blood clotting.
Coumadin
Coumadin is often prescribed following a heart attack or stroke to reduce the risk of a traveling blood clot. It is also used to prevent blood clots from forming in your legs if you have phlebitis. Coumadin decreases the risk of blood clots forming in your arteries by blocking certain blood clotting factors. While taking Coumadin, you have an increased risk of bleeding because of its suppression of clotting factors. Ask your health care provider before taking any other medications or herbal supplements, such as red clover, that may also inhibit blood clotting.
Red Clover and Coumadin
Although scientific evidence is scarce, it's possible that red clover may enhance the blood thinning effects of anticoagulant medications, including Coumadin, and increase your risk of bleeding. A 2007 report published in "Neurocritical Care" states that a 53-year-old woman taking a combination of herbal supplements, including red clover, suffered a dangerous hemorrhage in her brain. Because she was taking several different herbs, it cannot be concluded that red clover was entirely at fault. If you are taking Coumadin or other blood thinners, ask your physician if red clover is safe for you.
Precautions
Along with Coumadin and other anticoagulants, red clover may also interact with other medications. The University of Maryland Medical Center says there is a possibility red clover may also interfere with the anticancer drug Tamoxifen and enhance the actions of medications containing estrogen, such as oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy. Don't take red clover if you have a blood clotting disorder, a history of hormone-sensitive cancer or are pregnant.
References
- Coumadin: EMedTV
- TheFreeDictionary.com: Coumarins
- "Neurocritical Care"; Multifocal and recurrent subarachnoid hemorrhage due to an herbal supplement containing natural coumarins; J. A. Friedman et al.;
- The University of Maryland Medical Center: Red Clover; Steven D. Ehrlich; December 2008
- Memorail Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Red Clover
- MedlinePlus: Red Clover
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