Alcohol Usage and Blood Thinning

Because alcohol stops blood cells from sticking together, it can thin your blood. This could be good or bad for your current and future health.

Your blood contains red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The platelets are what stop the blood flow when you’re hurt. 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.

This is where alcohol enters the picture. A glass or two of wine daily may (or may not) reduce your risk of heart disease or ischemic (clotting) strokes. It does this by cutting down the number of platelets in your blood. It gets in the way of blood cell production, down in your bone marrow. Alcohol also reduces the “stickiness” factor of the platelets in your bloodstream, making it more difficult for your body to heal small to large wounds. It can also cause things like nosebleeds after a single night of over-drinking. Fortunately, the effect of alcohol doesn’t last very long.

On the minus side, drinking too much can lead to strokes from blood clots breaking off and traveling to the brain, hemorrhagic (bleeding) strokes, high blood pressure, and even heart attacks.

Does alcohol have beneficial effects by thinning your blood down? One school of thought says, yes. More watery blood may be better for your circulatory system and heart, it says. Some research-based evidence suggests that people who have thicker blood may be at higher risk of developing a stroke or having a heart attack. The blood is viscous, or thicker, and higher viscosity makes it more difficult for a fluid to flow; think of honey or thickened oil. When blood is thick enough not to flow easily, your heart has to work that much harder to move it throughout your body. Also, viscous blood is more likely to develop into clots in your veins and arteries.

However, blood that is too thin won’t clot when it’s supposed to. People with thinner blood bruise more easily, their cuts and other wounds heal more slowly, and their platelets break down more often than other people’s and so need replaced more often. Autoimmune disorders, such as systemic lupus erythematous or rheumatoid arthritis can cause this.

An enlarged spleen or hypersplenism can lead to thin blood, and can cause platelets to get caught inside the spleen.

Alcohol thins your blood, working by affecting how blood clots. Because of this, you might think that drinking a moderate amount of alcohol, and being careful not to go beyond that amount, could help to keep your blood from becoming too thick. After all, thicker blood could increase your risk of a stroke or heart attack.

However, it’s never a good idea to use alcohol in place of your prescription blood thinners. Your doctor has prescribed you a very specific amount of medication based on specific factors they found in your blood. You have no chance of perfectly matching the effect of your prescribed medication, and this can be incredibly dangerous.

If you drink to excess on a regular basis, you run the risk of excessive bleeding or even a bleeding stroke, even if you stop taking your blood thinners for a time. Additionally, some medications, such as Coumadin (warfarin), interacts badly with alcohol.

Abstain from alcohol while you are taking an anticoagulant or blood thinner. It’s hard for your doctor to determine the right dose and keep you as healthy as possible if you also drink.