Life after ticagrelor

[Imin]

Hi.

I’m two months away from stopping my ticagrelor. Since my HA I have had chest discomfort daily but cardiologist is confident it is not cardiac related, suggested anxiety related but GP has discounted that although we all agree I have had anxiety since HA. Just wondering/hoping it may be a side effect of ticagrelor and once I stop taking it the chest discomfort might ease?!

Anyone felt better after stopping taking the ticagrelor??

Hope everyone is doing ok. We’ve all just broken up from school (children and me) for our six week summer break! Hoping for some sunshine up here in the North East to enjoy the garden and maybe a picnic (healthy options of course) or two! Although if there is a dull/rainy/cold day in the mix it will motivate me to go into work to prepare for all the children coming back in September!! 😉

[benjijen]

Hi, I was on a clinical trial with ticagrelor after my stents so was on it for just over 15 months in total. I think the pain I sometimes had was more through worrying in case something was wrong. The good thing about stopping it was that I didn't have so much bruising. My GP even thought that one large bruise I had on my stomach was domestic abuse! (I live alone so no abuse!) I expect you'll still be on the usual aspirin plus any other meds they deem necessary and they will be adjusted if needed.

[Imin in reply to benjijen]

Thanks for replying! Brave if you to get involved in the trial - you’ve contributed in giving a lot of us a better chance of no further clots after HA while the stents are healing!

I was really hoping that once I stop the ticagrelor the discomfort will ease, therefore the anxiety will reduce, therefore the discomfort will disappear if you get my drift!

I feel like I’m kind of in a catch 22 scenario as I’m not anxious until I feel the discomfort which comes on so randomly - before I eat, after I eat, during exercise, not during exercise, sometimes when gardening, sometimes not, when watching TV...or not!

Probably clutching at straws with the hope it may be the ticagrelor!

Thanks again for replying and being part of the trial that has benefitted a lot of us on the forum. Hope you are keeping well x

[benjijen in reply to Imin]

Hopefully once you are off it and your other meds are sorted out you'll feel more relaxed. I have unstable angina so my pains come and go but - touch wood! - I've been free of pain since earlier this year. Good luck.

[Rose54 in reply to benjijen]

I live with my Son and he said anyone will think I am abusing you as your black and blue .

I stopped it end of June and still waiting for some big bruises to fade

[Imin in reply to Rose54]

Yes, the bruises can get ugly!! I’ll be glad to wear a skirt again as my legs seem to cop it the most!

[Tess27]

Hi, I had a heart attack and one stent in May 2019, usual drugs aspirin, hbp tablet, statin, Bisoprolol, omeprazole and ticagrelor. Stopped the ticagrelor in May 2020 and the chest pains I had been experiencing have now more or less gone. Like you after my HA I started to experience anxiety, been back and forward to cardiologist numerous times with my chest pain and was told it wasn’t my heart, my heart was fine. They were putting the chest pains down to acid caused by the ticagrelor, hence taking omeprezole,they increased it to 60 mg per day to try and get on top of it, that helped but I was still getting twinges of chest pain. Since coming off ticagrelor I’ve reduced the omeprazole to 20 mg per day and as said the chest pains have more or less gone. I have also generally felt much better since stopping ticagrelor. Hope this helps 😊

[Qualipop in reply to Tess27]

I actually had to stop ticagrelor after 6 months because of upper chest pain which was definitely stomach. Just on aspirin now although will very soon need to find an alternative stomach protector as Ranitidine is no longer available and I can't take Losec. Several times my GP told me to double my dose of ranitidine to ease the pain.

[Imin in reply to Qualipop]

Thanks for replying - it’s reassuring to know that the daily chest discomfort I experience might very well be the ticagrelor and there might well be some light at the end of the tunnel! x

[Imin in reply to Tess27]

I’m glad you’re feeling better...this has given me hope that I too may feel better when I stop taking the ticagrelor. Fingers crossed! x