I've been told to stop Clopidogrel after 12 months since getting a stent.Just 2 days after stopping, I'm getting severe pain like heart attack. I have unstable angina and glyceryl nitrate spray didn't help .took aspirin too as usual.
I'm not sure if withdrawing Clopidogrel has caused this.
Anyone experienced this after stopping?
Hi! I stopped Clopidogrel and felt just thre same. You need to get checked out so call 111 for guidance or go to A&E but please do it now!
That's one for the medical professionals - have you called 111 for advice?
No haven't called . Husband just wants to wait. He's feeling a bit better . Just wondered if pain was common after ceasing Clopidogrel. Thank you for taking the time to reply.
Thank you for your answer. So kind to take the time. A&E just check tropinin levels.wait till it goes down then send you home. Happened 6 times. Turned out was cracked stent last time ! Hospital under special administration,no faith.18hr wait even when delivered by ambulance.
Good advice. Will take it
Good advice you've had there.I didn't have any withdrawal symptoms after stopping clopidogrel.
Lily
As a heart patient with unusual chest pains you cannot just leave it and hope it goes away. Your body is telling you something is wrong, and you need to get it assessed quickly, for any delays might be fatal. NHS advice is quite clear, if you have sustained chest pains longer than 15 minutes you should call 999, since you might be having a heart attack.
I forgot to take my Clopidogrel on holiday and so went to a chemist and bought some coated mini aspirin which I took instead with no ill effects until I returned home and resumed Clopidogrel instead. Then later prior to having a foot operation I was advised to stop the Clopidogrel for five days which I did with no ill effects. So I suggest it sounds unusual to experience such severe pain like a heart attack. If you haven't already follow Michael's and others' advice and go to A and E immediately. These guys know from experience what they are talking about. Interestingly I was advised by my GP not to take both aspirin and Clopidogrel.
It’s not usual after the settling down period following stents, I know, but those of us who are at increased risk of stroke are told to continue to take both Clopidogrel and aspirin.
Thanks for your response. My husband just had Clopidogrel stopped by the gp's in house pharmacist because the 12 month date had been reached . His prescription request was refused. We've no idea if a case review with his GP took place or if they just went by 12 month recommendation. Will be in touch with practice tomorrow.
If it's any help I took Clopidogrel for 12 months after my NSTEMI heart attack then stopped since, in my case, it was specified on my discharge notes to the GP from the hospital at the time. I understand it is quite commonplace for this to be the case so there is nothing unusual about your husband's situation. I certainly did not have a review by the GP. And further I do not recall having any problems after I stopped. That aside, as I said above, hope all goes well.
Yes, that is the normal practice; it’s just that the doctors had looked at my arteries, they'd discovered that my carotid arteries were also 95% blocked and told me I had to stay on both medications permanently in order to help prevent stroke. Well done on overruling your husband! I do hope that everything gets sorted for him quickly.
Hi, I had carotid endarterectomy surgery on right carotid artery during January for 75% blockage. Would you consider surgery?
I had the right side done at the end of October and funnily enough, my surgeon called me a couple of hours ago to set a date for the left side! Mine was 95% blockage, both sides. I would be interested in having a chat about the experience, as I haven’t met anyone else who’s had the op, but I don’t want to hijack this thread. If you’re up for it, is DM possible on here?
Thank you for that insight. Overruled my husband.He's been taken by ambulance. FYI, paramedic said could be stopping Clopidogrel caused this.
No sides to stopping this med.
Hi June
I don’t have any personal experience with the drug you have mentioned but I just wanted to drop a message to you both to say thinking of you and hope that your husband feels better soon.
Please let us know how he’s doing.
Best wishes
Soap
please don’t leave it. My husband had second massive heart attack albeit 8 months after stopping it. Then another near miss because we paid private angiogram as he had - six months after second ha some discomfort. He is now on the tablet you refer to for three years. I’m dreading him stopping it
Well done for over ruling your husband and getting him taken to hospital. Hope he's fine and you are OK. Please let us know how he gets on.
Hi June D53, Please go snd get it checked out, I don't think not having clopidogrel would cause this, the spray should have helped, you should Dail 999, thats what I was told.
Best wishes
Trish.
NO problems stopping clopidogrel. I do hope he's ok; he's in the right place now.
Thank you for your concern. All done. Back home. Bad angina attack. Nothing changed. ❤️
Good news but strange his spray didn't help
.
Good point. And aspirin taken.
Can I suggest you use the search box on here for vasospastic angina? I know nothing about it except what I've seen on here but I have read that it doesn't respond to GTN spray. Just a thought. Milkfairy is the expert
I’m on Clopidogrel too. I was in hospital as an emergency due to kidney stones , I was going to have an operation . I was told I had to stop taking Clopidogrel for 7 days before the op. I was also told that I could have a heart attack when I went off Clopidogrel so had to stay in hospital for the 7 days before the operation .
So in your case you could call 111 and your Cardiologist . If you can’t get hold of him/ her call call your GP . If pain gets worse then you could call 999 I’m not advising you what to do , just giving my opinion
Hope it gets resolved .
Kind regards
I’m interested to see the comments on this as my cardiologist told me last week that I should stop taking Clopidogrel at the end of May, which will be 6 months since my heart attack.
I hope you are okay.
Thank you Robbo36. All ok now. Seems it's standard if you have a stable condition. My husband has unstable angina and according to research removing Clopidogrel increases incidence of stroke and heart attack . It was a Swedish study , very informative. He has a residual amount he'll continue but GP won't renew prescription at this stage . He's got a GP appointment in 2 weeks. Will post outcome.
Hi JuneD53,
Follwing on from my stents in June, I had unstable angina in November! My medication was changed from Ticagrelor to Clopidogrel.
I was casually reading your Clopidogrel feeds, not intending to make any comments. But I felt the need to say this from my experience so far (still learning) that once these problems have started you just have to be prepared to be surprised by unexpected Angina! Have that spray ready for use at all times. I still have to cross that Clopidogrel bridge in the future!
Thank you for your response. I truly hope you keep well and best wishes.
Clopidogrel 
Clopidogrel experience
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