Plavix & Aspirin Concerns

A new study reported to the American College of cardiology says the regimen of Plavix and a daily aspirin may be doing more harm than good.

[Jean]

I have been on plavix for 5 years for shallow carotid pulses and what appears to be PVD. No heart attacks. Abdominal aneurysm diagnosed 3 years ago; 2.9 in size. Family history of cardiac disease. Father, myocardial infarction at age 37, died of arteriosclerosis at age 50.
My question- Should I continue plavix with baby aspirin daily? Am nervous about new study. Stayed on Premarin for "20" years because it supposedly was "great" for your heart. Then I was told to stop immediately. Did wean off.
Starting to doubt all meds. Advice!

[Jean]

Forgot to mention my age -- 61

[joe]

i have been taking plavix and baby aspirin for two years. had open heart surgery in 1980 and again in 1997. father died of heart attack at age 42 and grandfather age 50. i am 65. should i continue with it.

[Brenda Sheffield]

Stopped taking Aspirin for 2 wks in April....the stomach bleeding stopped. Saw Doctor, went back on Aspirin +Omeprazole, the bleeding recommenced. Stopped taking Aspirin last Tuesday and so far , no bleeding.I am 62, and had heart attack in 2002.
Now I have to see the doctor again and confess to my actions.
Life is just a bundle of fun, folks!!!

[George River Vale_NJ]

Brenda ...
You have to believe what your body is telling YOU!
I once was in cardiac rehab .. and could not do all the exercises they were trying to make me do .. I was having cramps and aches and pains and just generally unwell.
The therapist asked me what was wrong and I told her .. and she advised me "quietly" to do what my body told me to do ... and I stopped taking all the anticholestrol Statin medications and others that were giving me so much trouble... a week later I felt great and could do all the exercises like I was 10yrs younger again. MEDICINE is NOT the best thing all the time!
Doctors need to keep the pharmaceutical groups happy when they come into their offices peddling their pills.
Good luck!

[George River Vale_NJ]

PS Brenda,
I've been taking both 81mg of aspirin along with Plavix every day since 5/16/2005 and my stomach and esophagus burn like mad ... forcing me to take another medication, Protonix, which after a week or so causes my intestinal tract to rebel and then I have to worry about that!
I also take Bisoprolol .. 1/2 of a 5mg pill every night and then I get headaches and extremely dry mouth and wheezing in my throat and lungs by morning .. after I've stayed up half the night because it also causes burning of the esophogus if I lay down right after taking it!

Lovely eh?! Doctors say, "just keep on taking them, necessary".

[liz]

George River Vale_NJ wrote:

Brenda ...
You have to believe what your body is telling YOU!
I once was in cardiac rehab .. and could not do all the exercises they were trying to make me do .. I was having cramps and aches and pains and just generally unwell.
The therapist asked me what was wrong and I told her .. and she advised me "quietly" to do what my body told me to do ... and I stopped taking all the anticholestrol Statin medications and others that were giving me so much trouble... a week later I felt great and could do all the exercises like I was 10yrs younger again. MEDICINE is NOT the best thing all the time!
Doctors need to keep the pharmaceutical groups happy when they come into their offices peddling their pills.
Good luck!

HeY! I had problems with statins also. Am now taking VYTORIN(comb. zetia and zocor) with NO problems. It is a low dosage statin. You might want to ask you DR.

[JimD]

It looks as if they are now taking lawsuits regarding Aspirin and Plavix. It seems this connection to bleeding can be very true...

http://www.onlinelawyersource.com/plavix/gast...

[Chris]

liz wrote:

<quoted text>
HeY! I had problems with statins also. Am now taking VYTORIN(comb. zetia and zocor) with NO problems. It is a low dosage statin. You might want to ask you DR.

I've heard lots of folks complain of muscle/joint pain while taking statins. When my dosage was increased to 40mg. I ached all over. Solution, I take 20mg in morning and 20mg in evening. Muscle aches disappeared.

[Bill Sanders]

I am a 65. I had surgery at 18 to correct an aortic coartation. I had no problem with the bicuspid aortic valve until it failed at 61 years of age and was replaced with a bovine aortic valve. I had a stroke 3 days after the surgery and now take both Plavix and aspirin. I lived and work in The Hague during this time and the Dutch Doctor prescribed different drugs. Can you tell me the possible drugs that could be have been used and their effectiveness appossed to Aspirin and Plavix?

[JeffR]

Bill Sanders wrote:

Can you tell me the possible drugs that could be have been used and their effectiveness appossed to Aspirin and Plavix?

I'd be interested in this also. Unlike many here I haven't had any problems so far(2 months,got the Cypher stents 2-3 days before they hit the news) with aspirin and Plavix though I do have to ask my cardiologist if I should be taking baby aspirin or the regular 325 mg that the surgeon that put my stents in told me to take. I wonder about other drugs though because I work in the very shaky timber industry and if my job and insurance go,I won't be able to afford Plavix. I see from this link that its possible that low level Warfarin (only $4 at Walmart)may work,but that requires monitoring.
http://www.nym.org/healthinfo/docs/003/doc03a...
As a side note,I was put on Lovastatin and then taken off within 5 days. I had every side effect listed for it plus a couple I think I came up with on my own.:-) The increased sensibilty to pain is very real. I had the angioplasty done on my left and a angiography done on my right. I couldn't hardly walk while I was on the Lovastatin but was fine as soon as it was out of my system. Confusion,dizziness,depression ,you name it.
I haven't been able to find a link but I just picked up my 1st refill of actual Plavix rather than the generic today,and the pharmacist told me theres already been started a lawsuit against Plavix regarding allowing the generics.
Best wishes and good luck to all here!
Jeff

[KarM]

You all should worry. Sorry to alarm anyone. My dad,who passed away this October, was taking the generic Plavix along with baby aspirin ever since his stent operation 4 yrs. ago. He had a stroke, not a clot but a brain bleed. He went into a coma & the next day he was brain dead. I know in my heart that it was due to his meds. Please do not rely solely on your doctor, alone. Do your own research & let your body tell you what meds it agrees with, side effect wise, not the doctor. May God bless & guide you all to a healthier you.

[muskyhusky]

You know you can control your cholestral with your diet, but it's always easier to pop a pill.

[YourPalHal]

muskyhusky wrote:

You know you can control your cholestral with your diet, but it's always easier to pop a pill.

That may well be true in many - even most people. However there are people like me who have been honored by their physicians with the title of 'Champion Cholesterol Manufacturers', from a line of the same.

Diet and exercise gave me a LDL of 90 which over time necessitated angioplasty to the left and right femoral arteries. And that was even using lipitor. Since then I was switched to Crestor. My LDL went down to 60 under that regimen and I can honestly say that I have had no muscle or joint pain or weakness since.

My old English teacher taught us to never use NEVER, and always avoid ALWAYS. And smart Generals don't generalize. What works for some, may be dangerous to others.

[muskyhusky]

My apologies to you YourPalHal,

I had a stent put in 2 years ago come July... I hate taking Plavix, I'm afraid if I get into a car accident that I will bleed to death before the EMTs can get there.

I stopped taking my cholestral pills a few months back, but my levels weren't very bad.

[Val]

does anyone have any information between the relationship of Plavix and mental confusion and or depression? I really need your help now.

[Barbara]

liz wrote:

<quoted text>
HeY! I had problems with statins also. Am now taking VYTORIN(comb. zetia and zocor) with NO problems. It is a low dosage statin. You might want to ask you DR.

I also had the same problem. I now take a low dose ofMevacor everyother day and have no problems

[muskyhusky]

Val wrote:

does anyone have any information between the relationship of Plavix and mental confusion and or depression? I really need your help now.

As far as I know they don't cause either of those things, although I was depressed at all the stupid bruises I get while on this stuff, but I guess it's better to be bruised then to be dead...[thumbs up]

[M Steinberg]

If you are having heartburn--ulcerated esophogus. Look up CABBAGE juice. Fresh cabbage juice (you'll need a juicer) is a time tested remedy.

[wendy]

Val wrote:

does anyone have any information between the relationship of Plavix and mental confusion and or depression? I really need your help now.

did you ever find out more about this? my mom started on plavix 6 weeks ago and she was totally sharp but now she is so confused it isn't even the same woman- I saw a commercial advertising plavix and they said if confusion appears call your doctor right away...we did and her cardiologist said she needs it, but it has changed her from sharp as a tack to a senile person in 6 weeks! anyone know more about this?