Does Alcohol Affect Deep Vein Thrombosis?

Medically Reviewed by Nayana Ambardekar, MD on June 06, 2024
2 min read

Drinking alcohol can sometimes be a touchy issue between patients and doctors. But it's a topic you should talk about with yours when you have deep vein thrombosis.

Alcohol, in low to moderate amounts, thins the blood, potentially reducing the risk of clots. But moderation is key - and doctors don't recommend drinking alcohol to protect against DVT.

The relationship between alcohol and deep vein thrombosis may depend on what, and how much, you pour in your glass.

A 2013 study of almost 60,000 people found no difference in the risk of blood clots between wine or beer drinkers.

 

Another study found that, compared to non-drinkers, people who drank more than 3 ounces of liquor per week had a 53% higher risk of DVT.

It might be a question of habits. People who said they drink a lot of liquor also tended to binge drink, which counteracts any helpful effects you might get from alcohol in moderation.

Be careful about drinking if you're taking a blood thinner, such as warfarin (Coumadin).

Your liver breaks down alcohol and some medications. If it's busy working on the alcohol instead of your blood thinner, the level of the drug in your blood will go up and raise your bleeding risk.

When you drink, you might get tipsy and lose your balance, too. You don't want to fall and hurt yourself. That could be very dangerous, especially if you hit your head.

Having a drink or two every once in a while may be fine when you're on blood thinners -- just be sure to talk to your doctor. If you're a regular drinker, you may need to get your medication levels checked more often.