Clopidogrel & Asprin

[Dickydon]

Hi, if both these are blood thinners, why the need to take the two of them?

Thanks in advance.

[BobD Volunteer]

They are not actually. Nothing thins blood.

Both clopidogrel and apsirin are anti platelets which reduce the chance of the blood's platelets sticking together. This is helpful where a person may have an artificial valve or stent but is of little or no use in stroke prevention as has been stated here so many times.

I am puzzled why one would need to take both for any reason. Neither are anticoagaulants to reduce the chance of clots forming.

[Dickydon in reply to BobD]

Thanks BobD, I don’t understand either. Got s GP’s next week I’ll ask why I need both.

[Bagrat in reply to BobD]

When my OH had heart attack in 2005 ( before he developed AF) He had both. The clopidogrel was for a year after stenting. No idea why.

[Auriculaire in reply to BobD]

Thrombii are made up of aggregated platelets and fibrin . Anti aggregates may not be any use in stroke prevention where afib is concerned but they are used for stroke prevention in general. My husband had a small clot damage the vision in one of his eyes and subsequently a Doppler found mild stenosis in the carotid artery. He saw the professor of vascular medicine at our local teaching hospital in Limoges and was prescribed aspirin . The only other suggestion was a statin but no mention of an anticogulant.

[Rachel191272]

They are anti-platelet drugs. One takes both in order to maximise the anti-platelet activity so as to reduce the chance of clots forming around eg) a stent that has just been inserted. Aspirin works in a different way to clopidogrel so together they both have even more effect on stopping the platelets from working properly. Usually the requirement for both is only temporary post procedure.

[Dickydon in reply to Rachel191272]

Thanks Rachel191272

Doesn’t the risk of bleeding increase as well though? As initially I was getting spontaneous nose bleeds, but they seem to have stopped.

[Rachel191272 in reply to Dickydon]

Yes, the risk of bleeding is higher. For how long are you going to be on dual therapy?

[Dickydon in reply to Rachel191272]

Don’t know. Nobody (doctors) have said absolutely nothing. Is there usually a time scale to be on this combo of meds?

[Becksagogo]

Hello Dickydon.

I asked my Consultant the exact same question when they prescribed aspirin on top of Rivaroxiban after heart surgery. I was told that they do slightly different things.

Unfortunately the combination set off internal bleeding which resulted in very dark (almost black) stools and I stopped both until further tests were carried out including a colonoscopy.

Nothing was found in the tests but they haven't restarted either the Rivaroxiban or aspirin.

It obviously doesn't affect everyone but if you do notice a change please talk to your GP.

[Dickydon]

Sounded nasty, thanks for reply. I’ll keep an eye on things. Must admit though, I didn’t get any stents as they said my heart looked pretty clear of deposits, but I had a pacemaker fitted. Looks like my heart has electrical issues and not clogged up problems through bad diet, even though that’s not great, I do avoid junk and frozen type foods.

[BobD Volunteer]

When I was in hospital a few years ago they put me on both while they decided if I had a heart attack or not (not) . I ended up swimming out of bed on a red tide from massive nose bleed just as I warned them I would. After that they stopped them.