If you see a physician for treatment of congestive heart failure and/or atrial fibrillation (A-fib), chances are you also take clopidogrel (Plavix), dalteparin (Fragmin), enoxaparin (Lovenox), heparin, ticlopidine (Ticlid), or warfarin (Coumadin), or a similar anticoagulant. And since all anticoagulant medications work within a narrow range, you don’t want either to increase or decrease your clotting factors without changing the doctor working with you to get the right dosage of your medication.
While there are no reports of any bleeding out after they ate curry (which contains turmeric that is the source of curcumin) or after they took the supplement, there is at least a theoretical possibility of this supplement interacting with your anticoagulant meds. Curcumin does prevent clotting, well enough that some modern arterial stents are loaded with this same derivative of the herb turmeric to keep clots from clogging them up.
Curcumin Benefits
The way curcuminoids prevent clotting, moreover, isn’t the same way Coumadin or Plavix prevents clotting. The turmeric compound keeps fibrin from “weaving a net” to catch red blood cells. Coumadin prevents the liver from making the fibrin “fibers” in the first place. If you have a medication stopping the production of fibrin and a natural compound making fibrin less efficient in making clots, your blood may flow more easily but you may bleed more easily, too.
If you are taking an anticoagulant, have a discussion with your doctor before you take curcumin. This way you can work together proactively to make sure you get the maximum of both your prescription medications and any supplements you take.