CHICAGO (Reuters) – Patients given the blood-clot preventer Plavix after a heart attack or after receiving a stent have a far higher risk of heart attack or death in the three months after they stop taking the drug, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
What will happen if I stop taking clopidogrel?
Do not stop taking clopidogrel without talking to your doctor. If you stop taking clopidogrel,
your blood will start clotting at the same rate as before you started taking it
, usually within 5 days of stopping the medicine. This means you may be at increased risk of serious problems like heart attacks or strokes.
Can I stop taking Plavix suddenly?
You do not need to wean the drug,
and can stop it abruptly
.
Do you have to stay on Plavix forever?
The standard recommendation is
typically at least 12 months of Plavix
. But the study found that six months of treatment was enough to prevent rare but deadly complications, says researcher Marco Valgimigli, MD, of the University Hospital of Ferrara, in Italy.
Can you ever get off Plavix?
Plavix is estimated to
be cleared from your body in about 33 hours
. A single, oral dose of Plavix (clopidogrel) 75 mg has a half-life of approximately 6 hours. It takes 5.5 x half-life of a medicine for a drug to leave the body, therefore most of the Plavix should be eliminated from your system in 5.5 x 6 = 33 hours.
Is it safe to take Plavix every other day?
Conclusions: Long term dual anti-platelet therapy with aspirin 81 mg daily and
clopidogrel 75 mg every other day beyond 12 months after PCI with DES
may be a safe and efficacious cost-saving strategy to prevent VLST.
What are the side effects of long term use of Plavix?
- bleeding that will not stop;
- bloody or tarry stools, blood in your urine;
- coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds;
- chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, nausea, sweating, general ill feeling;
Can you still have a stroke when taking clopidogrel?
About clopidogrel
Blood clots can block the blood supply to parts of the brain, causing a stroke or mini-stroke (also known as a transient ischaemic attack or TIA).
Can you ever get off blood thinners?
Stopping blood thinners
can increase your risk for blood clots
, due to the underlying risk factor(s) for which your blood thinner was originally prescribed. Many times, these bleeding and clotting risks can be complicated for you to understand, and difficult for your healthcare providers to manage.
How long can you stay on clopidogrel?
The key question for your doctor is whether the benefits outweigh the extra risk. This combination treatment is prescribed for a limited period of time, usually
up to a maximum of 12 months
. After this period, your specialist will usually advise you to stop 1 of the 2 antiplatelet medications.
What foods should you avoid while taking Plavix?
- Asparagus.
- Broccoli.
- Brussels sprouts.
- Cauliflower.
- Green onions.
- Kale.
- Parsley.
- Spinach.
Can I drink coffee with Plavix?
These medications are used to slow blood clotting and include aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, and others), naproxen (Anaprox, Naprosyn, and others), enoxaparin (Lovenox), and more.
Health experts advise caution when combining them with coffee
, which can also slow blood clotting.
What is a natural alternative to Plavix?
- Turmeric. Share on Pinterest. …
- Ginger. Share on Pinterest. …
- Cayenne peppers. Share on Pinterest. …
- Vitamin E. Share on Pinterest. …
- Garlic. …
- Cassia cinnamon. …
- Ginkgo biloba. …
- Grape seed extract.
Does Plavix reduce stroke risk?
7, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Taking the blood thinner Pletal (cilostazol) with either aspirin or clopidogrel (best known as Plavix)
lowers stroke patients' risk of a subsequent stroke better
than taking aspirin or clopidogrel alone, a new study finds.
Does Plavix cause memory loss?
Some patients have no side effects, have had very
good
results with Plavix and even credit it with saving their lives. Others have had many different side effects, bruising, uncontrollable bleeding, memory loss, fatigue, swelling of hands and feet and many more.
What can you not do while on blood thinners?
Don't take
over-the-counter medicines
, vitamins, or supplements unless you check with your doctor first. Your blood thinner may not work right with them. For example, aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen can make you bleed more. Even common products like Pepto-Bismol can cause bleeding.
