Clopidogrel
About
Clopidogrel consists of the anti-platelet drug (blood thinner) primarily taken for the prevention of heart attack or stroke in people at high risk of heart disease. A heart attack generally refers to the blocked flow of blood to the heart because of the blockage of arteries. A heart blockage is most often a build-up of fat, cholesterol and other substances, which form a plaque in the arteries that feed the heart (coronary arteries).
Clopidogrel belongs to a class of medications called a blood thinner or an antiplatelet medication. Clopidogrel plays a vital role in preventing the formation of harmful blood clots (plaque) in your veins. It makes your blood flow easy through your veins making it less likely to form a serious blood clot. So, an intake of Clopidogrel helps prevent blood clots if you have an increased risk of having severe chest pain (unstable angina or heart attack), stroke, peripheral arterial disease (heart problem due to narrowed blood vessels).
The recommended daily dose of Clopidogrel is 75 mg once daily orally, with or without food. It should be swallowed whole with a glass of water. Do not chew, bite or break it. Your doctor will advise you how often you take your tablets based on your medical condition. In some cases, you may experience nosebleeds, heavier periods, bleeding gums, easy bruising, diarrhoea, stomach pain, indigestion, or heartburn. If the side effects are persistent, reach out to your doctor.
Try not to stop taking this medicine of your own. Stopping a sudden intake of Clopidogrel may worsen your condition and increase your risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack, and stroke. Let your doctor know if you have any liver, kidney, or heart problems. Clopidogrel should be taken cautiously in pregnant or breastfeeding women. It should be not given to people with a bleeding disorder (haemophilia), active pathological bleeding, like a peptic ulcer, or bleeding in the brain (intracranial haemorrhage). Do not take Clopidogrel with aspirin or ibuprofen for pain relief while you are using Clopidogrel. It may increase the chance of having stomach ulcers or severe gastric bleeding.
Uses of Clopidogrel
Medicinal Benefits
Clopidogrel plays a vital role to prevent the formation of harmful blood clots in your blood vessels by making platelets (clotting agents) sticking together. Thus, it helps to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, unstable angina (heart related chest pain), peripheral arterial disease (blocked or poor blood flow due to narrowed blood vessels) in heart disease patients and patient who have undergone recent heart surgery with stent.
Directions for Use
Storage
Side Effects of Clopidogrel
- Nosebleeds
- Heavier periods
- Bleeding gums
- Easy bruising
- Diarrhoea
- Stomach pain
- Indigestion or heartburn
In-Depth Precautions and Warning
Drug Warnings
Indigestion medicines known as proton pump inhibitors like omeprazole should be used with caution while taking Clopidogrel. Prolonged use of Clopidogrel can cause bleeding problems (like nosebleeds, heavier periods, bleeding gums, and easy bruising). If you are going to have any surgery, discontinue taking Clopidogrel 5 days before the surgery. Discontinuation of Clopidogrel might increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other risks of cardiovascular events. So, do not stop taking Clopidogrel of a sudden on your own decision. If you have had any recent stroke or heart attack, stop the intake of Clopidogrel with painkillers like aspirin or ibuprofen as it can increase your stomach or gastrointestinal bleeding. Purpura (blood leakage under the skin) has been observed with the use of Clopidogrel including in fatal cases.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interactions: Clopidogrel may have interaction with other anticoagulants (e.g. warfarin, aspirin, rivaroxaban, apixaban), pain killers (e.g. ibuprofen), antidepressants (e.g. citalopram), and indigestion medicine/proton pump inhibitors (e.g. omeprazole).
Drug-Food Interactions: Clopidogrel may interact with Ginkgo biloba and St John’s wort plant (used as an antidepressant) and increase the risk of bleeding.
Drug-Disease Interactions: Clopidogrel should not be given to the people with stomach ulcers, brain haemorrhage (bleeding in your brain), haemophilia (a bleeding disorder), and liver or kidney problems.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
cautionYou can drink alcohol with Clopidogrel. But do not drink too much while taking this medicine. It can irritate your stomach.
Pregnancy
cautionClopidogrel should not be taken until prescribed. Your doctor will weigh the benefits and any potential risks before prescribing it to you. Please consult your doctor.
Breast Feeding
cautionClopidogrel should not be taken until prescribed. Your doctor will weigh the benefits and any potential risks before prescribing it to you. Please consult your doctor.
Driving
safe if prescribedClopidogrel has no or negligible influence on the ability to drive or use machines.
Liver
safe if prescribedNo dosage adjustment is necessary in patients with liver disease.
Kidney
cautionClopidogrel to be taken with caution, especially if you have a history of Kidney diseases/conditions. The dose may have to be adjusted by your doctor.
Children
unsafeClopidogrel is not recommended for children. The safety and effectiveness of Clopidogrel have not been established in children due to limited testing of this drug on children by competent authorities across the world.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- A low cholesterol diet and a regular exercise regime complement treatment with Clopidogrel effectively.
- Stick to a freshly prepared home-cooked meal and avoid processed, packed foods that contain hidden sugar and extra calories.
- Try to replace most of your saturated fats with unsaturated fats can reduce total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) in a short period.
- Foods like avocados, olive oil, fatty fish and nuts contain many heart-healthy unsaturated fats, so eating them regularly is beneficial.
- Include a diet enriched in fats like fish oils, polyunsaturated oils, and omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for heart health.
- Quit smoking and avoid excessive intake of alcohol.
Special Advise
- As Clopidogrel tends to increase bleeding, try to avoid injuries, keep away from sharp objects, and inform your doctor if you have peptic ulcers or injuries.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
A blood clot can occur in any part of the body that can lead to a heart attack, stroke, and damage to organs (even coma or death). Blood clots can reach your arteries or veins in the organs like the brain, kidney, heart, lungs, and limbs. Conditions like atherosclerosis, diabetes, heart failure, irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), and obesity/overweight can trigger excessive blood clotting in the brain and heart. On the other hand, deep vein thrombosis (blood clot in veins), peripheral artery disease (narrowed arteries due to fat deposit or blood clot), and atherosclerosis (fat build upon the walls of the arteries) can cause a blood clot in your limbs.
FAQs
Clopidogrel belongs to a class of medications called a blood thinner or an antiplatelet medication. Clopidogrel plays a vital role in preventing the formation of harmful blood clots (plaque) in your veins. It makes blood flow easily through your veins, making it less likely to form a serious blood clot. So, an intake of Clopidogrel helps prevent blood clots if you have an increased risk of having severe chest pain (unstable angina or heart attack), stroke, and peripheral arterial disease (heart problem due to narrowed blood vessels).
Yes, Clopidogrel causes blood thinning. It works by preventing platelets (a type of blood cells) from sticking together and forming clots.
Please consult your doctor if Clopidogrel needs to be stopped before undergoing surgery. The doctor might ask you to stop taking Clopidogrel a few days before surgery to avoid the increased risk of bleeding during the procedure.
Do not take aspirin for pain relief or ibuprofen while you are taking Clopidogrel unless your doctor says it's OK. They raise the risk of unusual bleeding.
When a blood clot is treated, guidelines recommend that patients take blood thinners for the rest of its life. If they do not, the chance of developing a second clot is 30 to 40 per cent in the next 10 years.
There might be a problem if you are taking herbal therapies with Clopidogrel especially that affects blood like Ginkgo Biloba and St John's wort plant extract used as antidepressant. Together taking can increase your risk of bleeding. Tell your doctor if you are using any type of herbal supplements before taking Clopidogrel.
Yes, taking Clopidogrel can increase the risk of bleeding as it contains aspirin which blood thinner. So, please be very cautious while shaving, cutting fingernails or toenails, or using sharp objects to avoid any bleeding.
