Comments on: Risk of heart attack or death increased during weeks after stopping Plavix

By: MKC

MKC — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:13:11 +0000

My dad was on Plavix and 325 mg of aspirin for about 2-3 years. During October he woke up one morning and had a lof blood in his urine. His doctor took him off of Plavix and Aspirin completely. In the meantime w took him to a Urologist who ordered a contrast CT scan and blood test. He was scheduled to have his bladder checked in January. However, he suddenly passed away on December 7th 2009. I totally blame the doctor for allowing him to go without anything at all and anyone else who was aware of these types of problems associated with this drug. The bleeding only occurred once and she never put him back on Plavix and or aspirin, not even a reduced amount. He did not complain of getting tired or sick. One day he was fine and the next day we found him on the floor of his apartment.

By: Cindy

Cindy — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:00:22 +0000

I had brain surgery due to a brain aneurysm. They did coiling and placed a stent below the aneurysm. I was put on Plavix and 325mg aspirin July 16th 2009 and will be stopping the Plavix Oct 1st 2009. I have never taken medication and do not like the affects, fatigue and all my joints hurt. Three weeks ago one of the bursas popped out of my knee cap and believe its due to the Plavix since one of the many side affects is joint pain. Why couldn’t it cause joint damage. I have not felt myself since the surgery and contribute it to the Plavix. Can’t wait to get off of it.

By: Gary

Gary — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:50:34 +0000

I had triple bypass 17 years ago at age 40, 10 years later I started having stints, usually 1 procedure every 18 months, now I have a full metal jacket as they call it, stints from one end to the other. I’ve had two heart attacks in the last three years. I’ve been taking plavix at least 5 years or maybe even longer. I feel lucky that I am still alive. If it helps the blood then I’m for it. Side effects, none that I know of. Guys, be thankful that it can help, if you have to stay on it then so be it. Its better than risking death.

By: william

william — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:18:46 +0000

i have a daughter had a medicated stenp pun in ..doctors put her on plvix she took it for about 3 to 4 weeks then she read about all the side effects and she stopped tacking it. her doctor got real mad. she takes aspirin this has been a bout a year ago she is doing fine she workes out almost every day

By: Hubert

Hubert — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:39:02 +0000

I’ve been on Plavix and aspirin ever since my MI back in March. Now my PSA’s are elevated, so they want me to go off Plavix for a week prior to a biopsy. From reading here, I’m scared shitless about going off Plavix…

By: william

william — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 23:32:57 +0000

i had two medicated stents put in about 6 weeks ago they put me on plavix is it safe to get off of it since its only been 6 weeks

By: Vincent

Vincent — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:47:22 +0000

I’ve been on Plavix since January,2008. Now my cardiologist said to stop taking Plavix as of July 28,2009. I’m on aspirin,but its only 81mg. Should I be taking a larger dose? Now after reading about all that happens when you stop taking Plavix I’m really concerned about the outcome?

By: Connie

Connie — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 01:13:23 +0000

I had a stroke 3/2009 and they put me on Plavix with no aspirin. My second opinion neurologist and doctor told me to go on 325 mg aspirin, but now am scared getting off of Plavix after reading all of this. However, I reallly want to get off of Plavix even if my neurologist said I had to take it for the rest of my life. Can Tana tell me why her Dad was miserable taking Plavix. Tana, can you respond?

By: Larry

Larry — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 22:47:05 +0000

I had a heart attack January 08 and had two angioplasty’s and two stents placed the same day to solve the problem. I was also put on Plavix and a 325 mg asprin and a blood pressure med. I did vary well with no side effects until recently. I returned to my cardiologist with complaints of an occasional fleeting pain in my upper left chest and with pretty regular heart palpatations daily. He did an EKG which was normal. He put me on a Holter monitor for 24 hours, at this time I do not know the results as yet. I’m scheduled for a stress test next week and a echocardiogram the week after. I was totally unware of the problems with Plavix until I happened upon this web site. From what I’ve read so far, it sounds like it’s bad to be on Plavix and worse if you get off of it! I’m 63 and in otherwise good health, but now feel that this damn drug company orchestrated a clever way to keep us all on this drug forever. I’ll update as I learn more about my recent problems

By: Bobbie

Bobbie — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:14:41 +0000

We have a dear friend who had stents put in about 6 weeks ago. He was put on Plavix and this past week had an anyurisy last week and died.

By: Tana

Tana — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:52:30 +0000

My dad is taking Plavix. He is miserable on it. He didnt have a MI, he had two stents and was told at that time he would only have to take it a year but after the one year was up the doctor told him he would have to take it for life. It affects him terribly and he has never been the same since the stents and the Plavix. He only had some chest burning but went to the ER and the next thing you know they are doing a cardiac cath and saying he has partial blockage and needs stents. He had a cardiac cath again after a year and his doctor told him everything looked great – no more blockage at all but he had to stay on the Plavix. He’s a WWII veteran and Korean Veteran who has seen his share of danger and I thought he was gonna cry shen she told him that. Its that bad and his Cardiologist is so busy putting in stents all the time that she rarely sees people in her office and its like pulling teeth to get him an appointment to even beg her to reconsider. I want to sue the drugmaker and the doctor. My Dad wants to come off Plavix but is afraid because of all the hipe about having a heart attack and no one can prescribe a replacmeent with less side effects. i USED TO THINK PEOPLE THAT SUED DRUG COMPANIES WERE CRAZY UNTIL I HAD A FAMILY MEMBER WHO GO CAUGHT UP IN THIS PRESCRIPTION CON GAME CALLED PLAVIX.

By: Carmen

Carmen — Thu, 14 May 2009 02:46:17 +0000

My dad had his first heart attack in Oct of 1997. He had and angioplasty and stent placed at that time. In the Spring of 2007, his cardiologist discovered some new plaque build-up and dad had a second stent placed in July of 2007. After his second stent surgery, dad kept asking me about the Plavix that they put him on. He didn’t want to take it and I know he felt like his life was being threatened somehow. For ten years after the first stent he only took aspirin and his normal blood pressure meds, now they were pushing the Plavix on him and he was not happy about it. I was taking Pharmacology at that time and dad called me in August to ask about the Plavix and tell me that it concerned him.

I looked up the side-effects that were known at the time and advised him to make sure that he was either on a lowered dose of aspirin or not to take aspirin in conjunction with the Plavix. Dad took the medicine from late July til September of 2007.

On Monday, October the 1st, 2007, my dad had a heart attack and died in the driveway of my parents home. We had an autopsy done on dad because, as I said, he felt that his life was in danger either from an acid spill at work two weeks before his death or from “something”. He told us that if he died, he wanted us to have an autopsy performed, so we did.

The autopsy showed that Dad had a 90 % blockage at both ends of both the original 1997 stent and the new stent that had only been placed two months prior to his death. It also showed that dad had necrosis of tissue in his liver and pancreas as well as pus in both kidneys. A blood test done by his GP one week prior to his death showed that dad had abnormally high levels on his white blood cell count and his blood sugar was also flagged as high.

I suspect that my dad stopped taking the Plavix and had a “rebound” effect that may have lead to his final heart attack. He was 58 and had been diagnosed with Cardiac Disease, of course. I still can’t get over his calling me about the Plavix in August of ‘07. It wasn’t like dad to be so shaken up over something and I have wondered about the results of his autopsy and why it appears his pancreas was failing and he had cell death occurring in other organs and pus in his kidneys. If the Plavix had nothing to do with it, then I sincerely apologize, but Yes, I would like someone to explain it to me! What happened to my dad? We thought he was doing better after the second stent. Why did he drop dead one day when I choose to stay late at work because of an appointment earlier in the day and my mother was watching my kids? Why did he lay in the driveway for up to 35 minutes and no one saw him or stopped to call an ambulance and my mother found him? Why were they calling V-fib in the ambulance and why did his eyelids twitch when the ER people let us go see his body after they pronounced him?

By: pat

pat — Thu, 14 May 2009 00:20:32 +0000

recently had my 2nd mi first one in 95 with no stents this time 3 ive always just taken a baby asprin now im on plavix and adult asprin and a bata blocker my normal blood pressure is 90/60 i dont get it im scared to question my doc

By: Robert

Robert — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:14:50 +0000

My mom had a couple of heart attackst in the last few years. About a year and a half ago they put some stents in and put her on Plavix. About six months ago her cardiologist said she was doing good and took her off the plavix. 3 weeks ago she had to have a triple bypass with 2 of her stints 100 percent blocked and another artery 80 percent. There were 2 others partialy blocked but nothing they couldn’t treat with medicine they said. Now after the surgery they want to put her back on Plavix for a couple of months and after reading everything here I don’t think she should.