Side Effects of Plavix is there an Alternative

Posted by Sundance(RB) @sundance6, Aug 16, 2019

I have been on Plavix for approx 8 months now for an 80% blockage in my main artery on my left side of my neck. I still haven't decided to have it taken care of, My issue is that I am brusing terriably ,ost on my arms and hands, plus everyting i hit something anywhere on my body it bleads. I wear long sleeves so not to freak people.
My wife is on Warfin and dosen't have this problem. For some reason she had not noticed my brusing and bleeding. She spends much of her time taking care of our 8 year old Grandson 3 hours away. She and my daughter became very concerned this last week when I was with them because I would hit something with my legs or hands I would start to bleed then they saw all my brusies.
I called the Neurologist who had percreibed it for me to ask about what was happening. (I JUST NOTICED ON THE SIDE OF THE BOTTLE IT SAID CALL YOUR DOCTOR IMEDATELY IF YOU ARE BRUSING AND BLEEDING) When I got one of his nurses they were very unconcerened about it. When I told one about what it said on the bottle she just dismissed it as my problem!
I asked if there was anything else that maybe we could change tom again she dismissed it as my problem! I quickly dismissed her!!
Anyway I need some help and advice for what is going on with my body and what I percieve as a reaction to the Plavix.
Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions!
Thanks,
Sundance (RB)

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Heart & Blood Health Support Group.

@sunshine6 I'm glad you dismissed her and I would her Dr. Find another Dr. ,you shouldn't be bleeding from medication . Call and ask to speak to your Dr. not the nurse

REPLY

My husband has been on Plavix for 15 years due to medicated stents, He bruises so easily like you basically arms and hands. He is in the hospital right now and from the iv and blood draws he is a mess with the blue marks. Rarely does he not have the bruises..

REPLY
@linepa

My husband has been on Plavix for 15 years due to medicated stents, He bruises so easily like you basically arms and hands. He is in the hospital right now and from the iv and blood draws he is a mess with the blue marks. Rarely does he not have the bruises..

Jump to this post

Sorry for just getting back with you all. I got a new lap top about 10 days ago and I am trying to get use to it.
About three weeks ago when I was up in the mtns. fishing I steped in a deep hole and fell on my left side. Of course I bleed like the stuck pig. Everything healed. My left thigh hurt pretty bad but It didn't bruse. Then about 10 days ago I noticed I was bleeding internally down into my knee joint. I got swolan and very black.
went back to the dr. and he took me off the Plavix. He didn't know I had stopped the week before because of all the bkeeding and brusing that I have had for the last year.
He put me on Dipyridamole and Asprin. Does anyone know anything about this drug. He said it use to be used before Plavix. Problem is it is so old it's taking the pahramcy a week to get it in.
Going back in to Urgent Care tomorrow to have my leg looked at. Very Black and Brusied. What worries me is a Black line running down from my knee south.
Sundance(RB)

REPLY
@sundance6

Sorry for just getting back with you all. I got a new lap top about 10 days ago and I am trying to get use to it.
About three weeks ago when I was up in the mtns. fishing I steped in a deep hole and fell on my left side. Of course I bleed like the stuck pig. Everything healed. My left thigh hurt pretty bad but It didn't bruse. Then about 10 days ago I noticed I was bleeding internally down into my knee joint. I got swolan and very black.
went back to the dr. and he took me off the Plavix. He didn't know I had stopped the week before because of all the bkeeding and brusing that I have had for the last year.
He put me on Dipyridamole and Asprin. Does anyone know anything about this drug. He said it use to be used before Plavix. Problem is it is so old it's taking the pahramcy a week to get it in.
Going back in to Urgent Care tomorrow to have my leg looked at. Very Black and Brusied. What worries me is a Black line running down from my knee south.
Sundance(RB)

Jump to this post

@sundance6 Sorry to hear about this m The Dr. has me on only a baby aspirin every night only ever since my by pass in 96 Are you on Coumadin also? that will cause bleeding with some other meds and herbal products. Tell your Dr what all your on if you do take supplements.

REPLY

Not on Coumadin. Do take the Baby Asprin. From what I have been told they put you on Coumadin only after you have had a stroke. What got me was my family jumped all over me when I went up to see them a couple of weeks back. They said it was NOT RIGHT! Then I looked at the bottle and it said "IF BLEEDING OR BRUSING APPEARS SEE YOU DOCTOR in Big bold letters.
Called the Dr. office who said keep taking until I get the new meds. I have always been told if you have a reaction to stop taking the med. When I did se the Dr. he said to stop taking an perscribed the other med. As I said it takes the Pharmacy a week to get it in!
Other than that I am feeling much better from the Lyme Disease or Fibromyalgia. Have been doing my twice a week Silver Sneakers Yoga class at the Y. Had to make a day trip a week ago for 500 miles the same day. Took a lot out of me still!
How have you been feeling? Are you healed up?
Sorry as I said this new computer thing disrupted my Life. Getting back in the Flow of things! Be glad when Summer goes away!! Fall is my Favorite.
Be Safe!
Sundance(RB)

REPLY

Hi @sundance6,

I’m so glad to hear that you’re feeling better. I’d also like to invite @kathe626 @debiobrien @trkuk @tresjur @ajm027 @pamelaann1 @yorlik @mthurman @1943, to join this discussion – they have all discussed clopidogrel (plavix) in the past and may be able to share their experiences with it.

REPLY

Kanaaz, That sounds Great to Me! I am very tierd of having to wear long sleeves in the middle of the summer because my arms look like I have some disease.
Also, with the internal bleeding I am having in my left it is very scary. Would appreciate any help anyone could provide.
Thanks,
Sundance

REPLY
@sundance6

Kanaaz, That sounds Great to Me! I am very tierd of having to wear long sleeves in the middle of the summer because my arms look like I have some disease.
Also, with the internal bleeding I am having in my left it is very scary. Would appreciate any help anyone could provide.
Thanks,
Sundance

Jump to this post

Hi, Sundance (@sundance6). Not to give you any advice, but to share my experience with Coumadin. When I was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation four years ago, my cardiologist (not my neurologist) prescribed Warfarin (Coumadin) in modest doses of 5-7.5mg daily. Almost 3 years later (June 2018) I suffered a "small stroke", probably from a blood clot that formed in my heart after an anomaly in the ability of the Coumadin to prevent clotting. A lab test showed a very low anticoagulation in my blood. However, that occurred only once since I started taking Coumadin and has not recurred since my stroke last year.

Note that Coumadin was prescribed for me in order to prevent a stroke, not after I already had one. That sounds more like advertising for Eliquis which suggests that it's good at preventing "another stroke." One reason my medical team and I have stayed with Coumadin is that an antidote is readily available, if needed when bleeding starts as a result of an accident of some sort. My pharmacist suggested that I switch to one of the other anticoagulants, but he could not guarantee that antidotes were regularly available for those other drugs, so we turned them down and I remain on Coumadin. Lab tests every two or three months reassure me that Warfarin is doing the job of avoiding clots forming in my heart.

Hope this information is useful to you and gives you some questions to pose for your medical team about your need for an anticoagulant medication --- and which one. Martin

REPLY
@predictable

Hi, Sundance (@sundance6). Not to give you any advice, but to share my experience with Coumadin. When I was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation four years ago, my cardiologist (not my neurologist) prescribed Warfarin (Coumadin) in modest doses of 5-7.5mg daily. Almost 3 years later (June 2018) I suffered a "small stroke", probably from a blood clot that formed in my heart after an anomaly in the ability of the Coumadin to prevent clotting. A lab test showed a very low anticoagulation in my blood. However, that occurred only once since I started taking Coumadin and has not recurred since my stroke last year.

Note that Coumadin was prescribed for me in order to prevent a stroke, not after I already had one. That sounds more like advertising for Eliquis which suggests that it's good at preventing "another stroke." One reason my medical team and I have stayed with Coumadin is that an antidote is readily available, if needed when bleeding starts as a result of an accident of some sort. My pharmacist suggested that I switch to one of the other anticoagulants, but he could not guarantee that antidotes were regularly available for those other drugs, so we turned them down and I remain on Coumadin. Lab tests every two or three months reassure me that Warfarin is doing the job of avoiding clots forming in my heart.

Hope this information is useful to you and gives you some questions to pose for your medical team about your need for an anticoagulant medication --- and which one. Martin

Jump to this post

Please Martin! That's what Mayo Conect is all about. I appreciate that info. My Dr. whom I'm ready to fire just shakes his head when I mention Coumadin.
I'm switching Dr. and will ask the new one!
I really appreciate you advice.
Have a Good Holiday Weekend!
Sundance(RB)

REPLY
@predictable

Hi, Sundance (@sundance6). Not to give you any advice, but to share my experience with Coumadin. When I was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation four years ago, my cardiologist (not my neurologist) prescribed Warfarin (Coumadin) in modest doses of 5-7.5mg daily. Almost 3 years later (June 2018) I suffered a "small stroke", probably from a blood clot that formed in my heart after an anomaly in the ability of the Coumadin to prevent clotting. A lab test showed a very low anticoagulation in my blood. However, that occurred only once since I started taking Coumadin and has not recurred since my stroke last year.

Note that Coumadin was prescribed for me in order to prevent a stroke, not after I already had one. That sounds more like advertising for Eliquis which suggests that it's good at preventing "another stroke." One reason my medical team and I have stayed with Coumadin is that an antidote is readily available, if needed when bleeding starts as a result of an accident of some sort. My pharmacist suggested that I switch to one of the other anticoagulants, but he could not guarantee that antidotes were regularly available for those other drugs, so we turned them down and I remain on Coumadin. Lab tests every two or three months reassure me that Warfarin is doing the job of avoiding clots forming in my heart.

Hope this information is useful to you and gives you some questions to pose for your medical team about your need for an anticoagulant medication --- and which one. Martin

Jump to this post

I had an aFib attack & a heart attack right afterwards. They were due to an extremely stressful and painful insertion of an Nasal-Gastro tube during an intestinal blockage attack---- Yes all 3 at almost the same time!

Anyway, after all this happened, I was prescribed Eliquis for preventing clots & strokes. Went to the drugstore to fill this & was presented a bill for over $350.00 for a 1 months supply! That is WITH drug insurance. Naturally, there was no way I could afford such an outrageous amount. I applied for financial help from the drug company, but was turned down because I had drug insurance. What a bunch of malarkey. I am now in limbo as I am getting a new heart dr., and can't see him for 2 months.

The old dr. refused to try Coumadin for me, in fact he refused any help at all, that's why a new dr. I am just taking baby aspirin.
Any ideas why Coumadin, an old standby was not prescribed instead of something unreasonably priced?
Thanks for the helpful material given here!!!!

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.