Research suggests drinking alcohol may thin the blood by affecting platelets, which are the parts of blood that initiate coagulation, or clotting. Yet because of this effect, drinking alcohol could potentially increase your risk for the bleeding type of strokes — especially when you drink it in large quantities. Alcohol use — especially in excess — can also pose other risks to your health. Too much clotting is dangerous because platelets can build up in your veins and then dislodge.

Reducing The Risks Of Blood Thinning From Alcohol

If alcohol is abused, it can increase the risk of heart attacks and cause damage to other organs. Alcohol Addiction Center is a free, web-based resource helping to bring education and information to the world of alcohol addiction. It is our hope that with increased awareness, more and more people will get help with their alcohol problems.

• That said, some studies have found that low to moderate consumption of alcohol is generally safe for people on blood thinners.
• It can also cause things like nosebleeds after a single night of over-drinking.
• A higher BAC can impair your cognitive functions and physical coordination.
• It’s recommended to limit alcohol intake to no more than one drink/day for women and no more than two drinks/day for men.
• While moderate amounts may protect against some heart and blood vessel diseases, too much can increase your blood pressure and the risk of heart disease.

How Does Alcohol Thin the Blood?

Overdoing the alcohol, taking aspirin, and taking your blood thinner as prescribed can lead to internal bleeding. If you were to have an accident, even a normally minor one, and suffer injuries, you may experience excessive bleeding, which may require emergency medical care or surgery. Your blood contains red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. These special cells are stickier than the others in your bloodstream and they also release clotting factors that help to create a plug to close a bleeding injury. The effects of alcohol consumption on blood pressure and heart rate can last up to 13 hours after drinking, and its effects on heart rate can last up to 24 hours after drinking. The effects of alcohol consumption on the blood are either short-term or long-term.

• Your healthcare provider also prescribes you the correct dosage for you depending on a number of factors.
• It does this by cutting down the number of platelets in your blood.
• When you’re injured, blood cells called platelets rush to the injury site.

We cannot guarantee payment or verification eligibility as conveyed by your health insurance provider will be accurate and complete. Payment of benefits are subject to all terms, conditions, limitations, and exclusions of the member’s contract at time of service. Excessive long-term alcohol intake can contribute to blood clot formation by increasing platelet levels and activation, leading to a higher likelihood of clotting. It’s recommended to limit alcohol intake to no more than one drink/day for women and no more than two drinks/day for men. It’s advisable to spread alcohol consumption over at least three days.

The combination of alcohol and Eliquis is generally considered safe, if moderate. 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. Research has found that alcohol affects the process of blood coagulation. “Coagulation” is a term used to describe the process of blood cells known as platelets sticking together. When a person experiences an injury, those platelets travel to the area to form together into a blood clot to stop the bleeding.

Is this a short-term effect?

For men under age 65, up to two drinks a day is considered moderate. Just 1-2 units of alcohol can thin your blood by reducing the number of platelets and making them less sticky, which impacts your body’s blood clotting ability. The net effect is that drinking alcohol increases the risk of bleeding and makes it more difficult for your body to stop bleeding when you experience an injury. Any amount of alcohol that exceeds the daily limits of “moderate drinking” is considered heavy drinking, which brings additional health risks.

For patients with cardiac problems in particular, it is important not to depend entirely on the consumption of alcohol for treatment of clot formation. At best, the effect of alcohol can last long enough if it is consumed in moderation and on every alternate day. If you suspect alcohol misuse or experience characteristic symptoms of a blood clot, such as swelling, pain, redness and warmth in the affected area, seek professional help promptly. Never withhold information about alcohol intake from your doctor, as it impacts treatment decisions.

Since blood thinners and alcohol are both anticoagulants, taking them together can cause serious issues. It first reduces the number of platelets in the blood by getting in the way of blood cell production. It then makes the platelets less sticky so it’s harder for them to stick together and form clots. Moderate drinking may be able to lower the risk of clotting but it only does so for a short period of time.

The effects of alcohol on the blood are either short- or long-term. Short-term, you can expect an increase in blood pressure and higher cortisol levels. Short- and long-term alcohol use has different effects on the blood. Short-term alcohol use can lead to high blood pressure and thinned blood because it hinders blood cells’ ability to clot. Long-term, excessive drinking can decrease your heart’s ability to function correctly. According to the above review, daily drinking of significant amounts of alcohol can increase platelet aggregation and reactivity, meaning it may increase the risk of blood clots.

Effects on Clotting Factors

Alcohol leaves the bloodstream at an average rate of about 0.015 g per hour. Thick blood (hypercoagulability) stops oxygen, hormones, and nutrients from moving smoothly throughout your body. It also leads to blood clotting, which prevents you from bleeding out. Long-term alcohol use also can lead to an increased risk of developing arrhythmias, which are irregular heartbeats, as well as cardiomyopathy, a stretching or does alchol thin your blood drooping of the heart. When structural changes take place, it affects how well the blood pumps blood throughout the rest of the body. Blood clotting is essential to prevent blood loss when someone is injured or wounded.

If you must drink alcohol while taking blood thinners, do so in moderation. A 2017 review explains that alcohol consumption has complex and varying effects on platelets, which are small blood cells that initiate the coagulation cascade, causing blood to clot. 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 or anyone you know is undergoing a severe health crisis, call a doctor or 911 immediately. Addiction Resource team has compiled an extensive list of the top drug rehabilitation facilities around the country. Click on the state you are interested in, and you’ll get a list of the best centers in the area, along with their levels of care, working hours, and contact information.

Recovery is in reach, you just have to be willing to reach out and take it. 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.

Blood thinners may interact with alcohol as well as certain other medications, foods, and dietary supplements. For example, the NIAA advises that drinking alcohol while taking warfarin, which is a blood thinner, can have adverse effects. When it comes to the health of your blood vessels, have a conversation with your doctor. By limiting drinking to only 1 or 2 drinks per day (for women and men respectively), you can significantly reduce the chance of acquiring these health risks.

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If you’re taking blood thinners or will be soon, quitting drinking is critically important. It helps to convert fibrinogen into fibrin, a protein that forms a mesh-like structure that helps stop bleeding. It also activates other proteins that are involved in the clotting process. Heavy alcohol consumption can also lead to accidents, mental health issues like depression, risky sexual behaviors, and liver disease. An occasional drink or even moderate drinking throughout the week is okay.

Addiction Resource is an educational platform for sharing and disseminating information about addiction and substance abuse recovery centers. Addiction Resource is not a healthcare provider, nor does it claim to offer sound medical advice to anyone. Addiction Resource does not favor or support any specific recovery center, nor do we claim to ensure the quality, validity, or effectiveness of any particular treatment center. No one should assume the information provided on Addiction Resource as authoritative and should always defer to the advice and care provided by a medical doctor. Antiplatelets, for example, prevent platelets from sticking together to form clots.

Platelets move through your bloodstream, throughout your entire body. About 70% travel freely while the remaining 30% stay in your spleen, where they are stored. After new platelets are made in your bone marrow, they live in your body for about 7-10 days. When you use prescription medicines to treat the condition whereby your blood is thick, you should consult with your doctor first.