Clopidogrel Side Effects, Dose, and How to Use It – Clopidogrel is a drug that serves to prevent platelets to stick together at risk of forming blood clots. Blood clots formed in arterial veins can trigger the occurrence of arterial thrombosis, such as heart attack and stroke.
Clopidogrel will be given to people who experience a heart attack, stroke, coronary heart disease, and peripheral artery disease. In certain situations such as heart attack or after the mounting of the ring at the heart, Clopidogrel will be combined with aspirin, which also serves to prevent blood clots. But keep in mind, the combination of these two drugs will make a person’s risk bleeding.
Heart attacks often occur in people with excess body weight. Why? Because when a person has an excess body weight, automatic fat deposits in their body will be more than necessary, therefore there will be an accumulation of fat in any blood vessels inside the body including in the heart (coronary blood vessels).
Fat accumulation in the coronary vein can cause narrowing of the blood vessels and also causes the surface of the veins to become brittle, when blood vessels are brittle, then the possibility of blood vessels rupturse will increase. When blood vessels rupture, a blood composition called platelet will come to “patch” the blood vessel ruptured by forming a thrombus.
How to use Clopidogrel
Take clopidogrel before or after eating according to the doctor’s direction, usually once a day. Take this medication regularly to get the maximum benefit. To help you remember, use at the same time every day.
Dosage is set based on medical conditions and response to treatment. If you use the drug to prevent blockage after the planting of tubes or other procedures, take this medication along with aspirin for months or years after the procedure (depending on the procedure/tube type) as directed by the physician.
Consult to the doctor for more details and about the risk of an early stop. It is important to continue using the drug even if you feel healthy. Do not stop taking this medication without consulting a doctor.
Contraindications.
Hypersensitive, patients with bleeding history.
Clopidogrel dose.
Clopidogrel dose for acute coronary syndrome.
- For unstable angina, an increase in the non-ST segment of myocardial infarction (NSTEMI): initial dose 300 mg, then continued 75 mg/day of mouth up to 12 months, granting with infinite if combined with aspirin 75-100 mg/day.
- Myocardial infarction with increased ST segment (STEMI): 75 mg/day of mouth with a combination with aspirin 162-325 mg/day and then 81-162 mg/day
For the age of < 75 years.
- Administration of the initial dose 300 mg followed by a dose of 75 mg for 14 days up to 12 months (if there is no bleeding).
- Concurrent therapy with aspirin: give combination with aspirin 75 – 325 mg every day with or without thrombolytic administration.
For ages > 75 years.
- There is no initial dose.
- 75 mg for 14 days to 12 months (if there is no bleeding).
New myocardial infarction occurs, stroke, or peripheral artery disease.
75 mg mouth every day; Recommended as an alternative therapy for aspirin or given in conjunction with aspirin if the patient is not at an increased risk of bleeding but at a high risk of cardiovascular disease.
Coronary artery disease.
75 mg orally every day.
Cardioembolic Stroke.
Prophylaxis if the patient is not an oral anticoagulation consumption.
Carotid artery stenting.
300 mg per oral with aspirin 81-325 mg for 1 dose in the day before treatment of carotid artery stenting (CAS), then 75 mg/day of mouth plus aspirin 81-325 mg/day for at least 30 days after the CAS.
Alternative:
300-600 mg per oral once, then continued 75 mg/day for 4 days before the CAS with a combination of aspirin administrated 81-325 mg/day.
Clopidogrel Side Effects.
Here are Clopidogrel Side Effects:
Frequency of incidence 1-10%.
- Upper respiratory tract infection (8.7%).
- Chest pain (8.3%).
- Headache (7.6%).
- Flu-like syndrome (7.5%).
- Arthralgia (6%).
- Pain (6%).
- Dizziness (6%).
- Diarrhea (4.5%).
- Rash (4.2%).
- Rhinitis (4.2%).
- Depression (3.6%).
- Urinary tract infections (3.1%).
The frequency of occurrence is < 1%.
- Severe Neutropenia.
- Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.
- Acute liver failure.
- Aplastic Anemia.
- Hypotension.
- Hepatitis.
- Myalgia.
- Eczema.
- Erythema.
- Agranulocytosis.
Report after the sale of the drug.
- Disorders of the blood system and lymphatic system: agranulocytosis, aplastic anemia / Pancytopenia, thrombotic thrombocytoopenic purpura (TTP), acquired hemophilia.
- Eye disorders: Eye bleeding (conjunctiva, eye, retina).
- Gastrointestinal disorders: Gastrointestinal and retroperitoneal bleeding with fatal results, colitis (including lymphocytic colitis bowel disease), pancreatitis, stomatitis ulcer, gastric/duodenum, diarrhea.
- General disorders and conditions of the provision of clopidogrel: fever, surgical wound bleeding.
- Hepatobiliary disorders: Acute hepatic failure, hepatitis (non-infectious), abnormal liver function test.
- Immune system disorders: hypersensitivity reactions, anaphylactoid reactions, serum sickness.
- Musculoskeletal disorders, connective tissue and bones: musculoskeletal bleeding, myalgia, arthralgia, arthritis.
- Nervous system disorders: taste disorder, fatal intracranial hemorrhage, headache.
- Psychiatric disorders: confusion, hallucinations.
- Respiratory, chest and mediastinum disorders: bronchospasm, interstitial pneumonitis, respiratory tract haemorrhage, eosinophilic pneumonia.
- Kidney and urinary tract disorders: increased creatinine levels.
- Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders: maculopapular, erythematus, or exfoliative rash, urticaria, bullous dermatitis, eczema, toxic epidermal necrolysis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, angioedema, hypersensitivity syndrome induced by drugs, drug rash With Eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), erythema multiforme, skin bleeding, lichen planus, generalized pruritus, Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis (AGEP).
- Vascular disorders: vasculitis, hypotension.
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