I'm coming up to my 1st anniversary (Jan 4th) of my MI and I know I'm due to stop taking my antiplatelet medicine, Clopidogrel. I've been lucky in the sense I've not had too many side effects, just Bisoprolol and Ramipril but I would like to know if anyone has had any effects when stopping Clopidogrel?
Thank you for any and all comments.
Hi NYA. I had only positive effects when I stopped the anti platelet therapy (I was on Ticagrelor). I had more energy and stopped bruising and bleeding if I got a cut. Reaching that first year after my MI was also a psychological boost. I was also able to stop the PPI is was taking, too (Lansoprazole), which was an added boost. I stayed on 80Mg Atorvastatin for another year and then was reduced to 40Mg. Good luck and many congratulations on your anniversary.
So are you not on ANY anti platelet meds then? Did you have stents?
Hi. Sorry - wasn’t clear in my reply. I should have said - I stopped Dual Anti Platelet Therapy (by dropping Ticagrelor) after 12 months. Still on Aspirin. I did have a heart attack + stent.
Hi I’m like you I’m stopping ticagrelor tomorrow and been wondering about the lansoprazole too as I take two a day now for indigestion but I’ve been feeling awful. Aches and pains everywhere, burping, gas all over my chest and they just don’t help! That would leave me with Asprin, statin and bisoprodol
I feel awful if I don't exercise. Tired, achy, cold and I get more twinges in my chest if I miss more that one of my high cardio sessions. For me, I think exercise is key. I do platies, HIT and Spinning once a week of an hour each and I feel ready to join my local running club to join their 'couch to 5k' programme in the New Year. When I was discharged from Hospital in January I struggled to walk 0.2 of a mile and I've worked hard to get the level I'm at and I believe the exercise has helped me to cope better with the side effects of all the med I'm taking. Speak to your Cardio Rehab team if you have access to one, they are brilliant. They recommend 3 hours for exercise per week where you should be working hard enough to get breathless but not so hard you can't hold a conversation.
Hi, I’m not sure once you’ve finished cardio rehab and a year has gone by that I can still gain access to cardio rehab?
Call them, they should advise and speak to your GP. Your GP should be able to refer you. I may be wrong, but I believe you may be able to self-refer.
Thank you I’ll see what I can do I’m seeing dr next week
Could you update when you hear from the doctor regarding rehab?
I'm beginning to think cardiac rehab is something I should look into even if I have to pay for it myself - I think I'm possibly too timid about how hard I can/should be pushing myself. Ftr, I've not had a heart attack, my angio came back 'crystal clear', but the recovery from pericarditis (I have recurrent pericarditis and some effusion) is harder this time than ever before and I'm thinking a directed programme might be very helpful.
I'd be very interested in hearing what your doctor says about referring you at this point, or if you can self-refer, and if you do self-refer, does that mean you'd have to pay out of pocket.
I will ask him, I’m sure we could ring the team ourselves and get an answer? What do you think?
That's an idea, I'll look into that after the festive season. I think I'm going to start a discussion here on the site, as well - no better knowledge than those who've been there-done that!
The Cardio Rehab progreamme is an NHS programme and I believe is free. Once you have been through the programme (about 6 weeks), you will be given information about Phase IV instructors. These are just regular gym instructors who have done a course specifically aimed at people with Cardio issues, you have to be referred to them by your Cardio Rehab team or your GP (I think referral from the Rehab team is prefered). There will be a small charge, about £5 or £6 per session, maybe more depending on where you live. Well recommended to continue your recovery.
Ah now I’ve done that well started it at my local gym and I referred myself. Can’t for the life of me think what is was called but it’s a programme open to anyone with health issues
Oh dear. I decided waiting until after the festive season was too long to get the ball rolling - gave the cardiac nurse a ring and she was not happy at all I was taking her away from 'the really unwell' (her words, I don't think she likes me
).
She was quite brief but quite clear - 'We don't refer people with your conditions for cardiac rehab, you might want to look into private.' and rang off before I could ask where to start looking for private cardiac rehab.
I've started a discussion, hopefully someone here has gone to out-of-pocket rehab and can give me some starting points.
I'm sorry to hear that, maybe the Nurse is just having a 'bad' day. Speak to your GP and ask why your condition would not be referred to Cardio Rehab and what the alternatives are?
Good luck with your discussion group and I hope it helps.
Lol, she's always been that way towards me. I can sort of see her reasons - when I'm in the waiting area I'm surrounded by patients who are clearly quite unwell whereas I'm ambulatory, far less obviously unwell, and usually have an annoying habit of recovering 'too quickly' for her liking 
Maybe talk to your doctor about it? I understand that as long as there are no other issues, adults should be able to tolerate a baby aspirin without a PPI. With any luck dropping the Ticagrelor will ease the indigestion and you can back off the PPI under supervision. I came off them gradually and now have the odd gaviscon if I ever have any reflux.
PPI what does that stand for?
Sorry - a Proton Pump Inhibitor (Lansoprazole is one of these). It works by blocking the production of acid. There are other types of meds that work in different ways that have the same effect.
Thank you it’s my main issue, every night pains moving around my chest and arms, burping etc lol not vet lady like
Try a bowl of porridge each day. This is what I eat, tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/p... made with water and a pinch of salt. A couple of minutes in the microwave. Also also read somewhere (can't remember where could be here somewhere) porridge helps reduce the absorption of cholesterol. I take my Lansoprazole and half an hour later I have my porridge.
I have porridge but the Quaker Oats one and don’t laugh but I have it in the evening when I’m hungry. It’s then I take my second tablet. So I could take gaviscon then instead as lansoprazole isn’t one of the important meds or so I was told
That's better than what I do... a bag of crisps 
Some old habits are hard to kick!
Try taking your Lansoprazole half an hour before you eat as NYA suggests. And then take your Aspirin and Ticagrelor after you have eaten and on a full stomach.
Did you have acid reflux? Lansoprazole gets rid of that but can also cause other digestive issues as the food isn’t broken down higher up. Definitely something to talk to your doctor about.
I have pains that I can only describe as gas that move all over my chest and arms, not sure I would say acid reflux but I am going to make sure now I take meds not on empty stomach
If you’re getting gas rather than acid reflux it sounds as though the Lansoprazole is stopping the acid but because the food isn’t digesting you’re getting a negative consequence. Definitely worth taking Lansoprazole half an hour before you eat on an empty stomach and Asprin/Ticagrelor after you’ve eaten. And also worth raising with your doctor. Good luck.
Proton pump inhibitor (PPI), use of reduces potential for stomach and/or intestinal tract bleeding when using aspirin.
Was changed from Ticagrelor to Cloppydog for the last nine months of the year on anti platelet therapy. No problems when I stopped taking it except no more bruising and bleeding. Happy Heartiversary!
I love the name Cloppydog😂
also when the consultant told me I had to take Clopidogrel I said "sounds like very poor poetry with a brisk pace to me" - he did actually laugh - Cloppydog came later.
Hi NYA2019
I'm coming up to my first anniversary on 28th December. I'm on a cocktail of medicines and to be honest after the first 2 months once my body had got used to being flooded with these drugs haven't had any problems, except being freezing cold with Bisoprolol which I got changed for Carvedilol which solved that problem.
I'm on Ticagrelor, and am on my last pack, only another 10 days and they're history. I don't expect to feel I have more energy as I'm pretty much brimming with that already, but I will be so, so delighted to not be bruised all the time.
I’m so jealous. I’m sure something I’m taking is making me feel awful- didn’t feel like this before HA and stent but can’t seem to get to bottom of it
Sorry to hear you're having problems with your meds. The first 2 months were a bit bumpy, I didn't feel ill, but def out of sorts, unable to sleep, waking up in the middle of the night and not able to get back to sleep, unset stomach, muscle cramps, but never felt tired or exhausted.
Hopefully you'll settle into them before too long.
I hope so it’s been 4 months now so had hoped it would settle. I have a wonderful nurse at Rehab who is trying to help me can’t rate them enough - ( Wirral) been my life line x
Thankyou for your reply x
Oh you go to St Caths?
Yes I certainly do x
Me too. Started last March at rehab, finished in June, had ICD fitted in Liverpool Heart and Chest in August so back doing a second 12 weeks of cardio rehab. Amazing place and staff - just been this afternoon, enjoying it hugely. Rehab has made such a massive difference to my recovery, I really wouldn't be where I am now without their help and support
I agree a fab place - I go Monday and Friday it has been such a lifeline as you say and I never thought I would say this but I love the exercise !
I find exercise so important now if I miss one of my exercise sessions, I really feel like crap a couple of days later. I hope you get the bottom of the med that's giving you trouble. I'm sure you are doing it, but only change one med at a time
I go Tuesday and Thursday and enjoy it.
Never been in a gym in my life before. A friend said a few months ago that I was the last person he would have ever expected to go to a gym. 12 months ago I would have agreed
I had the same problem of being cold on Ramipril. My feet and ankles were so cold it was painful and it also dried out my skin to the point when taking off my top there would be a cloud of dust. The Ramipril also made me itchy. My GP changed the Ramopril to Losartan, much better, feel so much wamer.
Yes I know I was the same. It wasn't just cold but painfully so
No problems stopping at all. My ticagrelor was stopped after about 7 months because I had such unbearable stomach pain. Now just on aspirin, ranitidine ( Long story) , simvastatin and furosemide. I had a total nightmare year on all teh tablets they first gave me; hallucinations, ultra low BP, stomach pain, sickness, breathing problems and finally ventricular tachycardia intil one by onethey were changed or stopped. IT's only now, after 16 months that I feel normal and can function.
1st anniversary 
Clopidogrel
Stopping clopidogrel for five days for surgery 
Foods to avoid after heart attack and stent fitted 
Happy 1st Anniversary Bypass!
