How a Near-death Experience Motivated Justin Barch to Develop Clotamin®, a Special Multi Vitamin without Vitamin K.
Understanding the connection between Vitamin K, Coumadin, and Coumadin Therapy
When Justin Barch’s brother, Mackie, was hospitalized with sharp pains in his leg in March, 1994, the doctors found an extremely dangerous blood clot in his leg.
Tests confirmed that Mackie suffered from a hereditary blood coagulation disorder called Factor V Leiden Thrombolia. Factor V Leiden affects over 12 million Americans and is the most common hereditary blood disorder in the United States. It is present in 5% of the Caucasian population and 1.2% of the African-American population.
People with Factor V Leiden disorder have a higher than average risk for a type of clot that forms in veins, such as the deep veins of the legs (deep venous thrombosis known at DVT) or a clot that travels through the bloodstream and lodges in the lungs creating a pulmonary embolism.
Coumadin Therapy Regulates Mackie’s Blood Levels
Mackie survived the DVT blood clot in his leg and was successfully treated with heparin therapy, an anticoagulant medication that helps prevent dangerous clots.
After Mackie’s diagnosis, Justin and his dad were both tested and learned that they, too, had the same hereditary blood disorder. Years passed without incident. In 2006, Justin was rushed to the emergency room with severe back pains and trouble breathing.
A CAT scan revealed several life-threatening blood clots (pulmonary embolisms) in his left lung. After weeks of intense Heparin therapy, the clots dissolved on their own, Mr. Barch was released from the hospital and was prescribed Coumadin™ anticoagulant medication.
He was advised by his doctor that he would need to take the medication and closely monitor his INR level for the rest of his life.
Vitamin K and Coumadin Therapy: Why They Don’t Get Along
After several months of weekly blood tests and maintaining a consistent, well balanced diet, Justin reached the proper dosage level of Coumadin, his blood thinner medicine. His physician recommended that Justin take a daily multivitamin that didn’t contain vitamin K. Vitamin K is a blood clotting agent that can reduce the effectiveness of Coumadin therapy and mess with INR levels.
Justin discovered that every multivitamin on the market contained vitamin K . Frustrated, he decided to manufacture his own multivitamin without vitamin K and adjusted levels of other vitamins.
Coumadin patients around the world would finally have the option of taking a safer, complete multivitamin without the clotting agent vitamin K. Coumadin therapy would no longer be undermined by vitamin K.
Clotamin Is Much More than a Multi Vitamin without K
Justin was determined to create a special multi vitamin that not only doesn’t have vitamin k but also provides several additional benefits for people on blood thinners.
The Clotamin formula consists of adjusted levels of several vitamins and the addition of other vitamins not normally included in a traditional multi vitamin. Clotamin is the only multivitamin customized to meet the special nutritional needs of people on blood thinners.
