Bruising is common with medications, such as Plavix, that prevent your body from forming blood clots. Bruising occurs when small blood vessels underneath your skin break open and release a small pool of blood. Low doses of aspirin are used with this medication to treat some conditions. Taking aspirin with this medication can increase your risk of bleeding, so you must be careful. Clopidogrel increases your risk of bleeding, which can be severe or life-threatening. If you have acute coronary syndrome, you should take aspirin with clopidogrel.

1. Both Plavix and Effient are often prescribed for use in combination with aspirin.
2. This is because stopping Plavix beforehand might put you at risk of forming a blood clot in your stent.
3. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.
4. A special MedGuide will be given to you by the pharmacist with each prescription and refill.
5. A boxed warning alerts doctors and patients about drug effects that may be dangerous.

One states that the drug increases the risk of blood clots if Eliquis treatment is stopped too soon. The other states that the drug increases the risk of blood clots in the spine if Plavix is taken at the time of certain spinal procedures. The typical dosage of Plavix for people with peripheral artery disease (PAD), recent stroke, or recent heart attack is one 75-mg tablet taken by mouth once daily.

If you’re pregnant and taking clopidogrel, your doctor may recommend that you stop taking the drug temporarily as your due date approaches. This helps to reduce the risk of serious bleeding during and after delivery. On the other hand, apixaban (Eliquis) is an anticoagulant drug.

The expiration date helps guarantee the effectiveness of the medication during this time. 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. If you have a blood clotting disorder or other risks of bleeding, your doctor may monitor you more closely by performing blood tests while you’re taking Plavix. Otherwise, you likely won’t need to have routine blood tests to check your clotting ability. Plavix and Effient have different approved uses, but they’re both used to prevent cardiovascular events in people with ACS.

Allergy warning

However, having blood in your urine may sometimes indicate serious bleeding or kidney problems. You shouldn’t put anything inside your nose to plug or block your nostrils. If your nose continues to bleed what came first, the alcohol, or the alcoholic thinking for more than 15 minutes, or if the bleeding gets worse before 15 minutes have passed, call your doctor right away. If you have a skin rash while you’re using Plavix, call your doctor right away.

International Patients

Do not stop taking clopidogrel without talking to your doctor. If you stop taking clopidogrel, there is a higher risk that you may have a heart attack or stroke. If you have a stent, there is also a higher risk that you could develop a blood clot in the stent if you stop taking clopidogrel too soon.

Your doctor will let you know when to stop taking this medication and when it’s OK to take it again. Warfarin and clopidogrel work to thin the blood in different ways. Before taking clopidogrel, be sure to tell your doctor and pharmacist about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. For more information on the possible side effects of clopidogrel, or tips on how to deal with a troubling side effect, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. It is also for people at high risk of these cardiovascular events to reduce their chances of having them.

Drug forms and strengths

A special MedGuide will be given to you by the pharmacist with each prescription and refill. This medicine may be used for other purposes; ask your health care provider or pharmacist if you have questions. The easiest way to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records. Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed. Clopidogrel may not work as well if you have certain genetic factors that affect the breakdown of this medicine in your body.

Clopidogrel is also sometimes used to prevent blood clots in people with atrial fibrillation (a condition in which the heart beats irregularly). Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this medication for your condition. After six hours, 50% of a typical clopidogrel (Plavix) dose is still in your system.

However, sudden drops in blood pressure may be a symptom of serious internal bleeding, which is a possible side effect of Plavix. It’s possible to have mild headaches while you’re using Plavix. In fact, many drugs are known to cause headaches as a side effect. You may wonder how often certain side effects occur with this drug, or whether certain side effects pertain to it.

Clopidogrel is an antiplatelet medication used to prevent blood clots from forming. Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects. This document does not contain all possible drug interactions. Keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription/nonprescription drugs and herbal products) and share it with your doctor and pharmacist. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicines without your doctor’s approval. Although it’s not approved for this use, Plavix is often prescribed in combination with aspirin for people who’ve had CABG surgery.

You may need emergency medical treatment to prevent complications. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. This material is provided dmt: uses side effects and risks for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Data sources include Micromedex (updated 3 Mar 2024), Cerner Multum™ (updated 17 Mar 2024), ASHP (updated 20 Mar 2024) and others.

A randomized, controlled trial with blinded end point adjudication evaluated carotid artery stenting versus carotid endarterectomy in patients with carotid artery stenosis. Clinical experience also suggests the utility of this antiplatelet regimen around the time of carotid artery stenting Fairman 2019. Other drugs may interact with clopidogrel, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products.

Clopidogrel is converted to its active form by enzymes in the liver. Alcohol can increase your risk of bleeding while you’re taking this drug. Clopidogrel oral tablet can interact with several other medications. For instance, some can interfere with how well a drug works, while others can cause increased side effects.

These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction and may need immediate treatment in hospital. In rare cases, clopidogrel can cause a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). Occasionally you may be prescribed a one-off higher dose, such as 300mg or 600mg.