Clopidogrel experience

I thought I would share. Had a heart attack back in April and stent fitted, was placed on a cocktail of drugs as most are.

I reacted really badly after two weeks and stopped them all bar the clopidogrel and aspirin. I was told not to but I've done my own research and was comfortable in my decisions.

However, everyday I had chest pains. Any upper body exercise like mowing the lawn caused real problems. I was checked over and confirmed it was not my heart. I tried a switch to ticagrelor but that was horrific, so back to the clopidogrel.

4 months in and chest pains every single day, so I stopped the clopidogrel every other day. No real improvement but my dry eye improved.

5 months and I switch to one every three days. No real improvement, but eyes improved.

6 months and I stopped, just continuing the aspirin. No real improvement.

Then after 2 weeks off the clopidogrel the chest pains started to ease. 3 weeks and they are almost gone.

No-one I have spoken with can report other patients with similar side effects but it is listed in some online sites.

I know some of you will say I shouldn't come off it, as would my cardio doctor, but I'm comfortable and confident in the decisions I'm taking about my health. I just thought I would share the benefit of my own experience in case anyone is having similar problems.

[CorGo]

Thank you for sharing! I think it gives me pain also... but I am on Ticagralor. I was wondering if turmeric and garlic supplements would work instead of aspirin and Tecagrelor. I am only 2 weeks post Stent, but I also could not stand the other drugs and Ticagrelor gives me gut pain and back pain and off and on chest pain also.

[Hidden in reply to CorGo]

I think coming off the thinners before the stent has healed over would be particularly risky. For a 2nd generation DES, that is about 3 months or a little longer. For any type of stent, the risk is by far the highest in the first month.

My plan is to look to come off aspirin after a year, but I may see if I can get a coronary artery calcium scan to assess my overall risk first.

[Stentrunner]

I’m on clopidogrel and aspirin having had stents put in during April. I had sharp chest pains just a few times each day for several months post-op. They seemed to be after eating rather than during exercise. These pains were quite different from the persistent dull pain of angina, and have gradually become less and less common. But it is over six months now - and the clopidogrel is only a 12-month thing after stenting, so I’ll be off it next April.

[Qualipop]

HA and 2 stents. Was given ticagrelor and aspirin at first. Really struggled to breathe on Ticag and my GP refused to change it. I was going for a second angiogram in a week so I stopped it. I was desperate. The consultant was furious and had to give me a loading dose of clopidogrel before he could do the angiogram. At least I got it changed but my GP took me off clopi after 6 months because of severe stomach pain. Just on aspirin now.

[Hidden in reply to Qualipop]

Thanks for sharing. There is a big study going on at the moment looking at dual anti-platelet therapy, due to end in March 2021 (from memory). It wouldn't surprise me to see guidelines altered on the back of the study, but either way, it'll make for an interesting read.

[Qualipop in reply to Hidden]

Whatever happens I just wish they'd realise hat no two people re act to he same drugs the same way. They throw the same cocktail of drugs at everyone regardless. I had to have ALL of mine either changed or stopped except aspirin and the furosemide I was on for years before. I am now only actually taking aspirin that was prescribed after my heart attack and a different statin to the one I was given. BP tablets stopped, angina tablets stopped and the rotten stomach protector that makes me gurgle constantly.

[MountainGoat52 in reply to Qualipop]

I think you will find it is all down to the mysterious PROTOCOL each medical establishment has. They issue medication to their preferred standard and getting them to change any aspect of this is extremely difficult. Blinkered is an appropriate description.

I had an experience after my triple bypass that required urgent action. I was put on Furosemide to clear my lungs even though I had previously advised that I was allergic to both thiazide and loop diuretics. I became very ill and refused to take further medication. My oxygen got down to 73% (not a pleasant experience, particularly during the night), so something had to be done. Thankfully someone in authority authorised a potassium-sparing diuretic given intravenously (I later learnt this was Amiloride) which had me back on track inside 4 hours. At the daily briefing, the doctor in charge of medication was not that pleased with what had gone on and told me it was against protocol. I now question every change in medication. It's about time they realised we are all different!

[Franky17]

Hi I done the same wound up having more heart attacks just had anouther stent fitted on 7 tablets a day now (help)

[Hidden in reply to Franky17]

Sorry to hear that Franky, sounds like an awful situation.

[Franky17 in reply to Hidden]

I feel like I was the lucky one in the ward,the others were waiting for bigger operations,