Question:
Good
morning. My doctor prescribed me Vartalon K but reading prospect of
this drug it seems to me that it has interactions with anticoagulants.
I am
under treatment with warfarin and thinking to take only half the prescribed
dosage, at least 8 days.
Thanks
for the advice.
Maurice
Answer:
Dear
Maurice,
The active
ingredient of Vartalon K is glucosamine sulfate.
Like
many arthritis treatments, glucosamine (even when used without chondroitin)
may possibly have hematologic effects that could cause it to interact
with warfarin.
However,
the evidence is far from conclusive.
The Arthritis
Foundation does not currently recommend the use of glucosamine. If
glucosamine sulfate is taken, it could very well interact with anticoagulants
such as warfarin or heparin and cause increased bleeding tendencies.
On the
other hand, there are reputable sources that indicate no serious interaction
between glucosamine and warfarin.
If you decide to try glucosamine, your physician should monitor your
International Normalized Ratio (INR) to keep a close look at your
prothrombin time.
