Author: Charles Frank
FDA Drug Safety Communication: FDA review finds long-term treatment with blood-thinning medicine Plavix clopidogrel does not change risk of death
In order to metabolize Plavix, your body uses an enzyme (type of protein) called CYP2C19 that’s found in your liver. If you’re missing this enzyme, you may not be able to metabolize Plavix. If you’re pregnant or may become pregnant, talk with your doctor about the benefits and potential risks of using Plavix during pregnancy. Using more than the recommended dosage of Plavix can lead to serious side effects. It can also interact with certain supplements as well as certain foods.
Talk to your doctor about other drug options that may work for you. However, not every pharmacy stocks Plavix, the brand-name form. If your doctor prescribes Plavix, when filling your prescription, be sure to call ahead to make sure your pharmacy carries it. Tell your doctor if you’re pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Clopidogrel should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk.
As with all medications, the cost of clopidogrel can vary. The actual price you’ll pay depends on your insurance plan, your location, and the pharmacy you use. Be sure to tell your doctor if you experience fatigue during clopidogrel treatment.
Clopidogrel doesn’t directly treat any lingering symptoms related to recovering from a heart attack or stroke. However, the drug can help prevent another heart attack or stroke from occurring. However, there are potential risks to the mother and fetus if a heart attack or stroke occurs during pregnancy. Therefore, the benefit of clopidogrel in preventing these health events may outweigh any risk of the drug on the pregnancy.
Plavix use with other drugs
Call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction to clopidogrel, as the reaction could become severe. Call 911 or your local emergency number if your symptoms feel life threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency. However, you shouldn’t drink too much coffee when you’re taking Plavix. This is because coffee can irritate the lining of your stomach, which can sometimes cause stomach upset or bleeding. Plavix also increases your risk of bleeding, which can sometimes occur in your stomach. Plavix and Effient have different approved uses, but they’re both used to prevent cardiovascular events in people with ACS.
This information does not contain all possible interactions or adverse effects. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share this information with your doctor and pharmacist. Do not stop taking this medicine without first talking to your doctor, even if you have signs of bleeding. Stopping clopidogrel may increase your risk of a heart attack or stroke. If you’re pregnant and taking clopidogrel, your doctor may recommend that you stop taking the drug temporarily as your due date approaches.
1 Diminished Antiplatelet Activity in Patients with Impaired CYP2C19 Function
If your nose continues to bleed for more than 15 minutes, or if the bleeding gets worse before 15 minutes have passed, call your doctor right away. When you get clopidogrel from the pharmacy, the pharmacist will add an expiration date to the label on the bottle. This date is typically 1 year from the date they dispensed the medication.
- This drug helps to reduce the risk of a blood clot forming inside the stent.
- People also took other cardiovascular medications if their doctors prescribed them.
- For clopidogrel to be effective, your body must be able to metabolize (break down) the drug into its active form.
This affects the formation of Plavix’s active metabolite, and ultimately the drug’s efficacy. The expiration date helps guarantee the effectiveness of the medication during this time. The current stance of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is to avoid using expired medications. If you have unused medication that has gone past the expiration date, talk with your pharmacist about whether you might still be able to use it. It doesn’t matter what time of day you take the drug, but you should try to be consistent each day.
Clopidogrel side effects
The drugs listed below all help to prevent your body from making too many blood clots. However, these drugs each work in slightly different ways. Because of this, some drugs may work better for you than other drugs. If you miss a dose of Plavix, try to take it as soon as you remember. However, if it’s almost time for your next dose, just skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the usual time. Don’t take two doses of Plavix at the same to make up for a missed dose.
Your doctor or pharmacist can provide you with more information about the interactions between these medications and clopidogrel. If you have questions about any drug interactions that may affect you, your doctor or pharmacist can address those as well. For instance, some interactions can interfere with how well a drug works. Other interactions can increase side effects or make them more severe. Drug-condition interactions can also cause certain effects. For information about these interactions, see the “Clopidogrel oral tablet precautions” section below.
This helps to reduce the risk of serious bleeding during and after delivery. Clopidogrel is commonly used in older adults (ages 60 years and over) to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. People who’ve had a recent heart attack or stroke are at high risk of having another one.
You may wonder how Plavix compares to other medications that are prescribed for similar uses. Here we look at how Plavix and Effient are alike and different. Here we look at how Plavix and Brilinta are alike and different.
If you’re not sure whether you’ll need to get prior authorization for clopidogrel, contact your insurance company. Before approving coverage for clopidogrel, your insurance company may require you to get prior authorization. This means that your doctor and insurance company will need to communicate about your prescription before the insurance company will cover the drug. The insurance company will review the prior authorization request and decide whether the drug will be covered.