Jo, I don't blame you for not wanting a drug. I believe thin, healthy blood is best achieved naturally. If you don't have an underlying condition and docs recommend it just cuz you fit a profile, I would reject it too as long as there is good natural plan in place. Doctors too often prescribe what is not needed and never revisit to modify or eliminate. In the case of an artificial valve, I would say go with the thinner only because Western medicine doesn't know how to deal with anything else. That's why it looks at supplements and natural remedies with horizontal stares. Docs in Western Med don't get it. And they don't seem to want to.