Plavix

Plavix (Clopidogrel) keeps the platelets in your blood from clotting to prevent unwanted blood clots that can occur with certain heart or blood vessel conditions Plavix (Clopidogrel) is used to prevent blood clots after a recent heart attack or stroke, and in people with certain disorders of the heart or blood vessels. Because Plavix keeps your blood from coagulating (clotting) to prevent unwanted blood clots, it can also make it easier for you to bleed, even from a minor injury. Your blood will need to be tested on a regular basis.

The tolerability of clopidogrel is similar to that of aspirin. Diarrhea, rash, or itching occurs in approximately 1 in 20 persons taking clopidogrel. Abdominal pain also occurs in about 1 in 20 persons, but it is less frequent than with aspirin. Headache, chest pain, muscle aches, and dizziness may also occur. Clopidogrel may also cause severe bleeding, allergic reactions, pancreatitis, and liver failure. Ticlopidine (Ticlid) is an antiplatelet medication quite similar to clopidogrel. It has been associated with a severe reduction in white blood cell count in between 0.8% and 1% of persons. The risk of this dangerous side effect with clopidogrel is about 0.04%, much less than with ticlopidine but twice that of aspirin. Clopidogrel rarely causes a condition called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) in one out of every 250,000 people. TTP is a serious condition in which blood clots form throughout the body. Blood platelets, which participate in clotting, are consumed, and the result can be bleeding because enough platelets are no longer left to allow blood to clot normally. For comparison, the related drug, ticlodipine (Ticlid), causes TTP 17-50 times more frequently than clopidogrel.