Worried about med

[Patricia88]

Completed 12 month ticagrelor.after 2nd stent in lad then another couple years later called stemi ld .I am staying on the pills as I have 2 month spares cumulated through Brexit scare.my doc said not to take them .but research says it ok for 3 more years so I am gonna cut pills in harf .and take them .why? I am scared I clot up again .and don't know what else can do .

[SpiritoftheFloyd]

Hi Patricia88

The vast majority of heart patients are only put on ticagrelor for 12 months, but beyond that continue to take an aspirin every day. Unless otherwise recommended by the doctors there is no need to carry on them after 12 months, the daily aspirin has the effect of thinning the blood. Once you have passed the 12 month period there is no need to thin the blood to such a degree, the only time they are prescribed for the 3 year period is when there is threat of a patient having a thrombosis.

[Patricia88 in reply to SpiritoftheFloyd]

Hi.i like the name.thanks for reassurance.but I had 95 %block on the main artery. (Lad) 3 year ago .I have atherosclerosis.plaque breaks and then clots..I got stent in it .I was so happy and well... then wham 2018 boxing day.emergency another block in vesseltoo close for stent. I scared it will happen if I come off med and just rely on aspirin again . joining LD.had balloon put in it.thanks for talking .

[NorthantsSteve]

Hi Patricia. Please go and talk to your doctor about this. If s/he says you shouldn’t take your stashed spares then you shouldn’t. Ticagrelor + aspirin is for a year only (and research is suggesting that this could be for shorter depending on your circs). Continuing for longer than necessary raises the risk of a stomach bleed. The way to reduce the risk of further clotting is through diet and exercise changes.

[Patricia88 in reply to NorthantsSteve]

Thanks steve.i do understand all this.i told doc I was gonna talk to cardio .i helped with research once and they said .you helped us we will help you if you need it.i am 80 years but young and so fit.i don't eat any sat. Fat or drink and I walk and bike .all over. But I think cardio will also stick to there NICE.rules.just like my doc .even though I could clot again .sorry I am just a gloomy person .but feel better taking half a pill for couple more month .

[NorthantsSteve in reply to Patricia88]

Fair enough. It’s your body. But the NICE guidelines are based on what works best for most.

[Patricia88 in reply to NorthantsSteve]

I love our NHS.they saved my life twice.i also know funds are short and ticagrelor so very pricey. it must go where it's needed most. So many youngsters health will suffer with all the pollution.god bless em .I got 4 great grandchildren .😪

[NorthantsSteve in reply to Patricia88]

Just to be clear. The fact that Ticagrelor is recommended for a year only isn’t only to do with its cost. It is also to do with the clinical benefit/disbenefit of taking it longer than a year. There is research to show that taking it longer is detrimental to your health and maybe taking it shorter isn’t detrimental.

[Patricia88 in reply to NorthantsSteve]

Thanks Steve .you helping me get some sense into my scared frame of mind .scared if I take them scared if I don't.so glad I found this site.so many frightened people .so much kind thoughts mm I will ponder on your message .I will overcome my fear .I will accept .I must .

[Nathan53]

Hi Patricia - like you and many others I was anxious about ticagrelor ending at the 12 month point. I had read articles about the benefits of continuing to take ticagrelor beyond the 12 month usual term. See attached article patient.info/medicine/ticag... which states in some instances it can be prescribed for up to 3 years. I queried this with the Cardiologist I saw at the 11 month stage and she explained she would only recommend continuing beyond 12 months for those at significant risk of a further heart attack and not for people who had been stable since stents and had not experienced significant cardiac problems in the meantime. Another article attached openheart.bmj.com/content/4... casts doubt at some of the drug company claims promoting the benefits of ticagrelor beyond 12 months. Cardiologist told me the risks of bleeding outweighed any possible benefit of continuing beyond 12 months in stable patients. In fact some people only take for period shorter than 12 months.

I strongly recommend you discuss with Cardiologist before continuing. Also the recommended dose if taking beyond 12 months is 60mg. Cutting a 90mg tablet in half would not be giving you an effective dose and also I don't know if ticagrelor is a tablet that can be halved - may not be safe to do this.

I do see where you are coming from but you may be putting yourself at risk. The risk of stroke increases with age and you may be increasing the risk of a bleed. This is just my opinion but please take medical advice. I ceased after 12 months even though I had a 3 month supply of tablets and have been fine in fact I felt better for having stopped them. I presume you are on aspirin which is protecting you.

[Patricia88 in reply to Nathan53]

Hi Nathan .so glad you ok now as I am .I think I have unstable angina I will look at the sites you recommend in morn.maybe unstable can become stable.but it happened twice sudden.and it was the main artery. Then a branch from it. I am feeling better now I found like-minded friends.this site is a lifesaver.literally.🤔

[Nathan53 in reply to Patricia88]

Its good to be able to talk these things through. If after reading the links I attached you realky feel continuing ticagrelor would be good for you take the articles with you when you see the Doctor. Its natural to feel insecure when treatment changes so ask away if you have any questions

[Hidden in reply to Patricia88]

Patricia, you are a diamond, but don't worry about the NHS funds, there are plenty of people wasting them and you are genuine. Please take this with respect, but you are 80, stop worrying, listen to the Doc's and just enjoy life! Loads of people have had exactly the same thing happen (me included) far younger! I was in a bit of a panic when it was time to stop taking it, but you have to realise they can cause harm as well as good?

PS I won't try and encourage you to take up running.

[Prada47 in reply to Hidden]

Hi

lateguitarist/Patrica

I second the comments about NHS funds.

When I said to my Dr I feel I am taking up more than my fair share of funds and it's a waste, Dr said don't worry about wasting funds we can do that all on our own !!

Regards

Great advice about Meds

[Hidden in reply to Nathan53]

That's a good point that, I also feel better when not taking the Clopidogrel (same thing). It is very easy to start to see these drugs as a comfort blanket but as has been said they WILL increase the chances of a bleed. Let's be honest, we would all be better off if we never had these things happen to us, but that is life and we have to realise this aspect is actually a compromise.

[pepper_uk]

Hi, I had a heart attack and 2 stents done Nov '19. I have not been back to work yet due to issues. I am on 90mg Ticagrelor for for 12 months and cardiologists have advised gp that I take them for a further 3 to 4 years thereafter at a 60mg dosage. I am 51 years old.

Before day before the heart attack I was running around at work like a spring lamb.

Obvious concerns are why am I on them for more than 12 months, unlike those that do not take them after 12 months.

[Patricia88 in reply to pepper_uk]

Yeah that's my prob.think it's because our veins are furred up as well as narrow.im sure you will stay healthy while still on the med.i am like new ride bike all over.nd yes can jog.but Dr won't referred me to cardiology unless I have symptoms.but I don't get any.it just clots .then 999 and stent.i been lucky both times .you stay on that clot buster as long as you can .I'm gonna just eat blood thinning foods.i don't eat dairy or fat meat it's saturated fat.well done with the med .stay on it .😉

[Redsea in reply to pepper_uk]

Hi Pepper, I was told by my cardiologist that I was too young to die, and that because I hadn't any major issues and minimal damage to my heart, personally, I thought a troponi level of 10 000 was a huge heart attack! It certainly felt like it to Me! He said a further two years on ticagrelor would be a preventative measure and was in fact pleased I had been researching into this further more he was delighted I had stopped smoking, from the day of my heart attacks I haven't touched one as he told me one more fag will kill me! Done it with pure will power! Now I need to shift 20kg hope that's easy too, but I doubt it! By the way I was 64 when I had mg event, so you are very young maybe that's why he wants you to continue. Good luck and take care.

[Nathan53 in reply to pepper_uk]

Hi Pepper - I think you will have been prescribed ticagrelor beyond the 12 month period as you have mitral valve regurgitation. This means there is a possibility of some blood leaking backward through the valve so ticagrelor is to safeguard you from developing any blood clots - ask your GP for confirmation of this. Don't worry many people have this sort of issue with heart valves without even knowing. It would have been detected on Echo Scan.

[Cathybm]

Please speak to your medical team. I know exactly how you feel as after my HA and 3 stents I was only given 6 months Ticagrelor and became quite frantic when I consulted Dr Google and found Nice recommended a year, sometimes longer. They were excellent at explaining how my other meds were working hard to change the make up of plaques etc. The did say that if the idea of stopping was causing me to be stressed they would let me continue for another 6 months as bring stressed was quite a risk for me. I did stop them and followed my medical teams advice and I'm 2 years post HA tomorrow and have no issues. Take care.

[Patricia88 in reply to Cathybm]

Thanks I needed that .I not taken the ticagrelor.just aspirin and other stuff to help my lovely heart and poorley viens.i love my body now .hope it will be well few more years .good health to you.😊

[Snowdrops_17]

I cant answer this! I think every person is unique and reacts differently to heart meds! I can't take Bisoprolol any more as it totally wipes me out during the day.

Doctor suggested to take this at night time. I shall give this a trial when on holiday for 2 weeks. If it still makes me feel bad, then won't take it any more. Besides my heart attack last Feb, I also was diagnosed with peripheral vascular disease 3. June. Bisoprolol is a contraindication if you got this. Researched that on the NICE.org website. Doctor agreed. See what cardiologist has to say as the vascular team wasn't aware that I took Bisoprolol.

So we are all different, with heart problems etc, and medication needs to be assessed accordingly to our physical needs to help us recover or improve our health!

[Surreychica_1 in reply to Snowdrops_17]

I took that and it made me feel really bad. The doctor changed it to a different brand which is not half as bad. So perhaps you doctor could change it for you to one which does not cause such bad after effects.

[Patricia88 in reply to Snowdrops_17]

We sure have to look out for ourselves.ambulance staff never spotted attack on ECG.but the hospital staff did straight away. Emergency stent fitted...don't know much about subcontracted ambulances .but I guess my time had not come .😫

[Redsea]

Hi, I understand your concern about ticagrelor. When I saw my cardiologist in August we discussed the issues regarding staying on ticagrelor for longer than a year. He showed me a research paper regarding pros/ cons of continuing. He agreed that I could stay on it for two years at a reduced dose of 60mgs once a day , because I had one stent following two heart attacks and haven't had any further issues since the event last May he was happy for me to continue but I am thinking about ,it as I feel so rubbish taking the concoction of drugs we have to take, as the cardiologist discharged me after one appointment I am myself in a bit of a quandary. Please go and discuss your medication with your consultant or gp, I will seek more advice prior to my twelve month review, and hopefully come to a conclusion. Good luck.

[MountainGoat52]

Hi, if blood clots are actually the main concern in respect of your on-going health, I wonder whether they have checked your homocysteine level. A high level caused me to have a blood clot and so a heart attack. The level can be easily brought down by folic acid (vitamin B9) and I now take a vitamin B complete tablet everyday bought from the chemists. It would be worthwhile asking if they can check your level which can be achieved by a blood test. I understand that is not usually done as there is a cost involved.

[Patricia88 in reply to MountainGoat52]

Hi.thanks for info on vitamins.i not so much worried about blood clots.had blood tests not long ago .I worry incase plaque breaks off vessel that's when blood can clot on the plaque..I've got a list of foods to keep blood thin and vessels open eg celery spinach beetroot lichese .pulses seeds etc.we are what we eat.i will get b vitamins.at least my body be healthy .thanks for concern and info .good luck .🙄

[Redsea]

Hi Patricia88, please do not cut your ticagrelor in half it's dangerous and would not be the correct dose anyway. Please seek advice from your GP or Cardiologist about staying on ticagrelor. I have, with my cardiologists approval been given the opportunity to continue with this medication for a further two years on a reduced dose of 60mgs twice daily. Although I remain scared,anxious about having another heart attack and totally fed up of feeling like rubbish every single day I am rethinking the benefits of continuing with ticagrelor, my first medication review will be at the end of May so I still have time to reconsider my options, would be very nice to be bruise free for the summer! Please just have a chat with your medical team, please don't put yourself at risk by prescribing yourself! Good luck.