Plavix Information

Plavix is an anticoagulant drug used in the prevention of heart disease in high risk groups, that is, patients who have already had a heart attack, stroke or those who have a condition called peripheral artery disease, which is a circulatory disease of the leg. Many a time the cause of heart attack has been a blood clot that prevents the free flow of blood through an artery to the heart. Plavix prevents the platelets from sticking together and forming clots, thus, it prevents a heart attack or stroke in future. Many drug stores offer cheap Plavix these days.

Plavix Side Effects and Precautions

Though Clopidogrel prevents heart attacks caused by impacted clots, its action on the platelets increase bleeding tendencies. Blood fails to clot even when required, thus making you bleed incessantly, even from a small injury. Internal bleeding from the stomach or intestines or coughing up of blood may be seen. Do consult your doctor if you notice symptoms as bloody or black stools, vomit or expectorate like coffee grounds. The other side effects of Clopidogrel are due to cross reaction with other drugs.

Discuss your illnesses in the past and the medicines you've been taking. Speak about your pregnancy or lactation to your doctor. If you are posted for surgery or any dental procedure, inform your doctor in advance that you are under treatment with Plavix as you will have to stop the drug a minimum of 5 days prior to surgery and this can be continued later, as per your doctor's instructions. Do not buy Plavix if you are allergic to it or if you already have any bleeding or bleeding tendencies.

Dosage Information For Plavix

In acute coronary syndrome, a single loading dose of 300 mg of generic Plavix is followed by 75 mg once a day. Aspirin 75 mg to 325 mg a day is also started and continued as an adjuvant to Plavix. In patients with STEMI-ST segmented elevated myocardial infarction) the dosage is the same but a loading dose may or may not be given initially. In other conditions like recent myocardial infarction, stroke or peripheral arterial disease, the daily dosage would be 75 mg once daily. A condition called CYP2C19 poor metabolizers associated with resistence to Plavix may require a higher dose but the exact dose is not known. North Drug Mart gives 75 mg and 300 mg of discount Plavix.