Author: Alex Thompson

Clopidogrel Oral Route Description and Brand Names

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. Grapefruit juice decreases the effects of your medicine, so that it may not work as well to prevent clots. Indigestion remedies called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), such as omeprazole and esomeprazole, may reduce the effect of clopidogrel. Your doctor may prescribe daily low-dose aspirin (75mg tablets) to take together with clopidogrel.

See “Clopidogrel oral tablet and aspirin” below for more details. Below is a table of medications that can interact with clopidogrel. This table does not contain all drugs that may interact with clopidogrel.

Description and Brand Names

A class of drugs is a group of medications that work in a similar way. These drugs are often used to treat similar conditions. The expiration date helps guarantee that the medication is effective during this time. The current stance of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is to avoid using expired medications. If you have unused medication that has gone past the expiration date, talk with your pharmacist about whether you might still be able to take it.

There may be other treatments that are more suitable for you in pregnancy. Most pharmacies stock the generic form of clopidogrel. However, not every pharmacy stocks Plavix, the brand-name form. If your doctor prescribes Plavix, when filling your prescription, be sure to call ahead to make sure your pharmacy carries it. Before starting treatment with clopidogrel, your doctor may do a genetic test to check your CYP2C19 genotype.

There are other drugs available to treat your condition. Talk to your doctor about other drug options that may work for you. This drug hasn’t been studied in children and shouldn’t be used in people younger than 18 years. Your doctor will determine the best dosage to suit your needs. How long a medication remains good to take can depend on many factors, including how and where you store the medication. In addition to the boxed warning mentioned above, clopidogrel has other warnings.

What should I avoid while taking clopidogrel?

The typical dosage of clopidogrel is 75 milligrams (mg) taken once daily. If your prescription label is hard to read, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Some pharmacies offer labels that have large print, braille, or a code you scan with a smartphone to convert text to speech. If your local pharmacy doesn’t have these options, your doctor or pharmacist may be able to direct you to one that does. Your doctor will tell you the dosage of aspirin to take with clopidogrel.

1. In animal studies, there was also no harm seen in fetuses when pregnant animals were given the drug.
2. Below is a partial list of mild side effects of clopidogrel.
3. However, the drug can help prevent another heart attack or stroke from occurring.
4. In animal studies, the drug passed into the milk of lactating animals.
5. The current stance of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is to avoid using expired medications.

If you’ve had recent stents placed, you should take Plavix daily until your provider tells you it’s OK to stop it. If you miss a dose of Plavix by a few hours, take the daily dose as soon as you remember. But if it’s almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. You shouldn’t take a double dose of Plavix if you missed the dose the day prior.

Clopidogrel oral tablet and pregnancy or breastfeeding

If you have a stent, there is also a higher risk that you could develop a blood clot in the stent if you stop taking clopidogrel too soon. Do not stop taking clopidogrel without first talking to your doctor, even if you have signs of bleeding. Stopping the medicine could increase your risk of a heart attack or stroke. Clopidogrel is used to prevent blood clots if you have chest pain, peripheral artery disease (poor circulation in your legs), a heart attack, or stroke.

The drug’s clinical trials didn’t include people who were pregnant or breastfeeding. If you’re pregnant or may become pregnant, talk with your doctor about the benefits and risks of taking clopidogrel during pregnancy. Its uses and side effects are similar to that of clopidogrel. For instance, clopidogrel is taken once daily, while ticagrelor’s typical dosing is twice daily. Clopidogrel keeps your blood from coagulating (clotting) and can make it easier for you to bleed, even from a minor injury. Contact your doctor or seek emergency medical attention if you have any bleeding that will not stop.

Clopidogrel helps prevent platelets from sticking together. For clopidogrel to be effective, your body must be able to metabolize (break down) the drug into its active form. An enzyme in the body called CYP2C19 is mainly responsible for metabolizing clopidogrel into its active form. If you’re pregnant and taking clopidogrel, your doctor may recommend that you stop taking the drug temporarily as your due date approaches. This helps to reduce the risk of serious bleeding during and after delivery. If recommended by your doctor, you may be able to receive a 90-day supply of clopidogrel, so there’s less concern about running out of the medication.

This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Data sources include Micromedex (updated 3 Mar 2024), Cerner Multum™ (updated 4 Mar 2024), ASHP (updated 12 Feb 2024) and others. Taking clopidogrel helps prevent blood clots if you have an increased risk of having them. It prevents platelets (a type of blood cell) from sticking together and forming a dangerous blood clot. Platelets are blood cells that help your blood clot normally.

Based on animal studies, a single dose of 1500 to 2000 mg/kg was lethal to mice and rats, and 3000 mg/kg was lethal to baboons. The other most common adverse effect is rash/pruritus. In cases of mild-to-moderate hypersensitivity (e.g., rash), the patient can receive a course of a steroid burst while maintaining their therapy.

You should not take more than one dose at once (unless your doctor advises this). Taking more than your prescribed dose of clopidogrel can increase the risk of the drug’s side effects. This is because stopping Plavix beforehand might put you at risk of forming a blood clot in your stent.

It blocks the effects of platelets, which are blood cells involved in blood clotting. For people with acute coronary syndrome, doctors typically recommend a one-time loading dose of 300 mg on the first day of treatment. This loading dose in older adults is the same as the loading dose for younger adults.