Clopidogrel

[hearty1]

Hi Jane

The Cardiologist changed the Clopidogrel to Apixaban. He said it was the best medication available. I hope you're ok.

[not2worry]

The medications are somewhat different. Clopidigrel works on your platelets - think like Teflon coating each platelet so they don’t stick together or stick to the arteries. Apixban is like Eliquis that is a blood thinner that thins the blood preventing it from clotting. Eliquis is the new form of Warfarin that doesn’t require INR testing. Eliquis is generally given to prevent clotting of the blood that move through your arteries and can lead to strokes. Clop is generally given to assist in keeping platelets from collecting on the walls of your arteries to prevent blockages and ergo heart attacks.

Yours From Across The Pond

[hearty1 in reply to not2worry]

Thank you not2worry. The Consultant took me off Clopidogrel not long after he had prescribed it. He then prescribed Apixaban. He had also prescribed Bisoprolol, Isosorbide Mononitrate & Simvastatin just after I was diagnosed. I feel that all this medication is helping my heart condition. Hope you are keeping well. Sending you Best Wishes.

[not2worry in reply to hearty1]

You will do just great! My husband had a heart attack in 1999 and has been taking Clopidigrel,Isosorbide Mononitrate & Simvastatin for 20 years. He just turned 84! He developed AF about a year ago and now added Warfarin to his med box. When he had his heart attack we went to the Cleveland Clinic here in the States and all these drugs with the exception of the Warafrin were "new" on the market. They have proven to be life-saving and live-improving medications for my husband. We call them "vitamins" for the heart.

Cheers!

[hearty1 in reply to not2worry]

Thank you not2worry that's great to know. Fortunately I have not had a heart attack but was having TIAs and AF I also have a leaking Mitral Valve but as I mentioned earlier I feel things have improved on all the medication. Many thanks for the reasurrance it's much appreciated.

[RoyM in reply to not2worry]

Sorry to be pedantic but the term blood thinners is quite misleading. In actual fact anti-coagulants don't change the viscosity of blood at all. They simply slow down the clotting process to prevent the blood clots forming in the heart due to the washing machine effect within a heart that is not beating correctly. In relation to the general opinion that only Warfarin benefits from a reversing drug, is equally misleading there are now reversing agents for most of the new anti-coagulants....that is assuming that the hospitals have them at their disposal. If you suffer a catastrophic bleed away from the hospital I am not sure it will matter if your anti-coagulated or not. If medical intervention is available there is an army of procedures to help stop the bleeding. I have been taking Apixiban for 4 years and any bleed takes a little longer to stop but nothing more than that. I also consider that any risks of bleeding is far out weighed by the stroke protection given with anti-coagulants.

[hearty1 in reply to RoyM]

Thank you RoyM for explaining all this. I trust the Consultant, he said I was on the best medication available. I have found that my symptoms seem to have improved, long may it last.

[not2worry in reply to RoyM]

Thanks so much for the additional information. My hubby has to take Warfarin due to some other complications. It's a hassle to have to do the INR testing and wish he could have done the Eliquis. But you are right, anything that can prevent a stroke is worth the small inconvenience of taking any drug. Science is great.

[Kimkat]

My father in law was recently put on to apixaban after a dvt diagnosis and we have just found out that the difference between apix and warfarin is they there is no antidote, in other words if you are bleeding to death they can’t give you anything to stop it, whereas with warfarin they give you a certain vitamin that can help stop the bleeding. We’re angry about this as it wasn’t explained to us when he was given it, the only difference that they mentioned was the fact that you don’t need to have regular tests.

[hearty1 in reply to Kimkat]

Hi Kim Kat I have been on Apixaban for about two years and I've found that anything that I had that bleed just stopped as it used to do before I took Apixaban so I don't find it a problem.

[Kimkat in reply to hearty1]

That’s good but I was quite upset when the GP explained the difference last week. I feel that this should have been pointed out at the time of prescribing it.

[hearty1 in reply to Kimkat]

Yes I agree.