When I had my stents fitted about 3 weeks ago they changed my blood thinner from clopidogrel to aspirin and Brilique and have been told I'll remain on both of these for a year.
I have been so lucky in that even with my cocktail of tablets I have not suffered any side effects......until now.
I am finding myself gasping for breath quite frequently especially during the night, I must wake up about 15 times to take a swill of water as I have obviously been gasping for air.
When I spoke to the Cardiac nurse last week she asked me (before I could ask her) if I found myself short of breath and she explained it was a well known side effect of Brilique.
Has anyone else been prescribed this blood thinner and had the same problem, if so did it get better?
I am sure I'll get used to it as I know I can take a few deep breaths and be okay again but at night it is such a pain as I wake up still tired.
Thanks IA
Heather x
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Heather1957
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I would speak to nurse again and ask if you can go back on clopidogrel, or ask why it’s changed ,,,that’s what I was on for the year and found it ok after stents ,,, there may well be a medical reason so ask ,,,
Thanks for your reply, after my first angiogram in 2017 I had a stroke (I have fully recovered) but it’s the reason I stayed on Clopidogrel for so long. The cardiac nurse explained I needed something stronger for a year to stop blood clots forming around the stents, eventually they should form part of the artery. Apparently Brilique (twice a day) and aspirin work well together to stop the clots, I can go back to Clopidogrel in a years time.I’ve done the usual Google check and it has the side effect spot on but it does say some people improve I was just hoping others had been so lucky.
If things don’t improve I will speak to the nurse to see if there is an alternative. I’m usually prepared to give things a try as I’d like to think they’ve given me the best option at the start.
I was on it post stents and got breathlessness. It did finally disappear. I was happy to tolerate it as the cardiologist said it was good standard. After a while I noticed it had gone. Maybe a month or two.
Hi Heather. I thought Clopidogrel and Ticagrelor (Trade name Brilique) were interchangeable. When I had my heart attack I was put on Tica for a year with no problems, but when I had another stent put in 18 months later, they automatically started me on Cloppy for 6 months. Unfortunately the Cloppy caused bowel problems, so they happily switched me back to Tica. I've been taking aspirin throughout. I suggest you ask your cardiac nurse if you can switch back to the Cloppy with aspirin, and maybe just drop the aspirin after a year. xx
I'll ask her but if they work together Clopidogrel and aspirin why would they change mine and not just add aspirin? Mind you I don't understand half the decisions they make when it comes to medication. When I left the hospital I was taking 3 blood thinners as no-one had told me to stop taking the clopidogrel until I saw the nurse. She told me it had been removed from my prescription but I didn't know I shouldn't still take it!
Cardiac nurses are a law unto themselves (BHF ones excepted!). My nurse refused point blank to believe my weight gain was in any way related to all the meds she was prescribing for me. This year I stopped taking one of her prescribed drugs (not a blood thinner) and immediately lost 8lbs in 3 weeks!
Atorvastatin (40mg). I stayed off all statins for 4 months, but started a small dose of Rosuvastatin (5mg - equiv to 10mg Atorva) last week. Coincidentally (or not), I ended up in a&e with chest pains and vomiting 3 days after starting those last week, so I'm having a blood test tomorrow to see what's going on.
I have never put on weight with Atorvastatin, in fact they have doubled mine from 40 mg (Early 2017) to 80 mg 3 weeks ago. I have also been prescribed Ezitimibe 10mg which is another Statin. They are desperate (as am I) to reduce my Cholesterol as my recent angiogram showed furring up of my arteries which needed drilling prior to the stents going on. I have been losing weight but I think that is more to do with my blood/sugars!!
Hi , excuse me butting in 😊 how do you take turmeric please as I only know it as a spice for cooking and really dont fancy it in milk as my father in-law drinks it 🤷🏻♀️
I'm sure if you Google it you'll find a lot of people use it as a catch all for loads of ailments, I am not sure how medically sound it is. I believe you can find capsules in health shops. I am more old fashion and put my trust (rightly or wrongly) with the medics.
Hi , to be honest over the last 6 weeks I’ve drastically changed my diet which helped me loose a stone and dropped my sugar and coffee level .That in turn has stopped most of my extra beats etc and dropped my blood pressure, might just be coincidence but every little helps …..I don’t use faddy things etc I was just curious 😊
On another note my heartbeat is now so low I no longer get tinnitus and hear it unless it shoots up , but there’s no pleasing me if it’s too low I get paranoid 😂😂😂
Hello, order capsules from any good herbal supplier, eg Nature's Best.I have been using the capsules for 4 years. Stopped using clopidogrel and aspirin.
No side affects at all, my blood is still quite thin, proven by a cut finger 2 weeks ago.
As I said some people are happy with alternative medicine, not me though. The reason I am taking extra blood thinners is to stop any clotting around the stents until they are integrated into the arteries and as far as I am concerned it is to important to rely on herbal options. I have no problem with people doing what they are comfortable with though, each to their own.
I have been on Clopidogrel for four years, I have no problem except easy bruising, doesn't worry me, most medical staff when they see my bruising, just say are you on a blood thinner.
Hi.I have Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (with obstruction) I had a TIA in 2019 and 3 stents in 2019.I've been on Clopidogrel and Aspirin together for over 2 years, following the stents. I've been told that I will remain on them for life, alongside many other meds.
I've never experienced any issues in taking them together.
I was told the side effects were probably caused by Brilique. I am supposed to take the aspirin and that for a year then return to just Clopidogrel.
Just had an embarrassing moment, my Tesco delivery was supposed to come between 11 - 12, I always get my bags ready by the front door ready. At about 10.30 I heard the Tesco van reversing up to my house so dashed around getting the bags etc. By the time I opened the door I was gasping for breath, the poor driver didn't know what to do. Luckily a few deep breaths and I was sorted.
Hi Heather. Oh poor you. That's a familiar scenario to me as well LOL.When my door goes, by the time I've got myself up and rounded up and corralled the dog, and found the key, I've staggered to open the door, very breathless, often to the point that I cant actually speak at all, much to the consternation of many a delivery driver or other visitor, I've been asked many a time if I need an ambulance !
I've since found a small window sticker on-line, that alerts callers to the fact that it may take a little extra time for the door to be answered, asking for their patience.
It works well, except for Couriers, who just throw the parcels on the door-step and disappear into thin air.
I'm aware that it may suggest that there's someone living in the house who is vulnerable, which then might attract the wrong type of caller, but no more so, as having a "key-safe fixed to the property.
For me, it really relieves the stress of rushing to the front door and means I can open the door with my composure relatively intact 🙂.
I cant recall which drug was making me feel short of breath when in the shower [where I naturally keep my mouth closed] but my doctor suggested taking it in the evening instead which solved the problem. Perhaps that is an option for you. Also, sleep apnea can cause you to wake gasping for breath in which case you might want a sleep study. Ofcourse a partner can also tell if you go spookily quiet when asleep and then suddenly start gasping. Snoring is a symptom too.
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Worried about GP's couldn't care less attitude
Possible pericarditis 
AVR and Single Bypass
How do you know when you should worry?
Breathlessness
