Q. I was searching for natural asthma relief and read that turmeric could tame wheezing. This is the main ingredient in curry powder.
I have been swallowing spoonsful of them both for several days. I found that together with my inhalers they give a lot more relief for my COPD than I get from the inhalers alone. But I have also found that I bleed much more easily. Could turmeric do this? I take aspirin but no other anticoagulant.
A. We have received a number of reports from readers taking warfarin (Coumadin) that combining turmeric or its active component curcumin with this anticoagulant greatly increases its anti-clotting effect. The INR number used to measure how well the warfarin is working may climb unexpectedly.
We have not seen studies showing that turmeric has anticoagulant activity on its own, but it sounds as though you may be experiencing such an effect. You may want to reduce the dose you are using.
We also advise against taking a “spoonful” of any spice on its own. If you accidentally inhale the powder, it could be damaging to the lungs–the last thing you need, with COPD. So please stir your spoonful or half-teaspoonful of turmeric into milk, scrambled eggs, oatmeal or even coffee before you swallow it. This advice holds for cinnamon and other spices as well.
