Angela.

[Villagelife]

Hi everyone I saw this group while researching clopidogrel. I have recently been prescribed Clopidogrel, Lansoprazole and statins due to a potential eye stroke. Im currently undergoing various tests to identify any problems. I have close family history of heart disease and strokes. I thought this group sounded like a friendly informative place to join.

[RufusScamp]

Welcome to the group. We can't give you medical advice, but we can give you support and encouragement, and share experiences. Good luck with the tests.

[Villagelife in reply to RufusScamp]

Thank you, that's exactly what Im looking for. I need to do everything I can to reduce my risks as heart disease and strokes run in my family and it will be nice to learn what works for others.

[Heather1957]

I had a stroke early 2017, luckily it was a minor stroke following an angiogram.

I was prescribed Clopidogrel and had absolutely no problem at all.

I was changed blood thinners after 2 stents in October and they are giving me some side effects. I have been told I can go back to Clopidogrel in October but I am going to find out if I can go back to it early.

[Villagelife in reply to Heather1957]

Hi, hopefully they will agree for you to go back on clopidogrel, its good to know you didn't suffer any side effects while on clopidogrel. I was initially prescribed 300mg of aspirin for 14 days, I think I began to get aspirin toxicity, my blood pressure dropped, my resting pulse dropped substantial plus several other side effects. I stopped taking them after 11 days and it took 2 weeks for me to begin to feel normal.

[Nesting]

Hello I was diagnosed with a stroke after a mri scan and following blood tests was diagnosed with APS syndrome and been on clopidogrel , lansoprazole and atorvastatin for couple of years now , They recently upped my statin to 80 mg and just had follow up blood tests but all seems okay so far .

[Villagelife in reply to Nesting]

Hi hopefully your blood test will continue to be ok. I have heard of APS but only because I'm on the health unlocked lupus group. Some blood tests suggested that I have lupus, I dont have a diagnosis though I've been on a waiting list to see a rheumatologist for 18 months. I no longer have the symptoms that prompted the GP to do the tests, Im hoping that it continues that way.

[Alison_L]

Hi Angela and welcome to the group. I was prescribed clopidogrel for 6 months after my 2nd stent, but had to switch to ticagrelor as the cloppy started causing bowel problems. I'm also on lansoprazole, but haven't had any problems with that.

[Villagelife in reply to Alison_L]

Thank you. So far I haven't had any problems with my current medication but its only been about 6 weeks, it seems ages though.

[Franniepudding in reply to Alison_L]

Hi Alison, sorry to jump in here but I wondered what bowel problems you had from clopidogrel. I have had almost daily diarrhoea since starting them but put it down to stress as I had only lost my husband a few months before but I’m now convinced it’s the clop. Thanks.

[Alison_L in reply to Franniepudding]

Hi Frannie. Sorry for your loss - stress does cause all sorts of problems. My problem was actually bleeding from the wall lining of the bowel, but I believe cloppy can also cause diarrhoea as well. Speak to whichever medic you're most in contact with (heart failure nurse, cardiologist, GP) and see if you can switch to Ticagrelor. In the 4 years since my heart attack, I've got my doctors to change various of my medications for other, similar ones, and they've been quite happy to let me try the alternatives.

[Franniepudding in reply to Alison_L]

Thank you for your reply. I’m just debating whether it’s worth changing now, I’ve been on clop since January and just figured it out. It stops in ( months anyway so maybe I’ll leave it and plod on.

[Alison_L in reply to Franniepudding]

It's still worth telling your doc, even if you don't change it

[Qualipop]

Most people are given clopidogrel or ticagrelor after a heart attack or stroke. I had to stop ticagrelor because of breathing problems but clopidogrel was fine. I had stomach pain because I was also taking aspirin ( that's what your lansoprazole is for, to protect your stomach. I wanted to stop he aspirin but my GP insisted it was better to stay on that and stop the clopi but I'm still getting stomach pain with the aspirin. I wish he'd done it the other way round.

[Villagelife in reply to Qualipop]

I wonder why the Gp was insistent that you stayed on the aspirin did he give you a good reason?. I was on a high dose 300mg for 14 days but stopped it after 11 I felt awful.

[Qualipop in reply to Villagelife]

After a heart attack you need to be on one or the other to stop the blood being sticky and clotting and maybe causing another blockage or a stroke. He insisted on aspirin rather than clopidogrel because, he said, they know far more about the side effects of aspirin and how to treat them than they do about clopidogrel. Also, my suspicion only - aspirin's cheaper!

[Villagelife in reply to Qualipop]

I think that Aspirin is cheaper😬. At least he gave you a viable reason.

[Qualipop]

Yep, call me suspicious but that's what I thought.