If you stop taking clopidogrel, there is a higher risk that you may have a heart attack or stroke. 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. But most drug labels and patient handouts don’t list every possible drug interaction. Talk to your pharmacist to get the full picture. They can also answer any questions about medical terms or jargon on the drug packages.

This is when a medication reacts with one or more other drugs. For example, taking a cough medicine (antitussive) and a drug to help you sleep (sedative) could cause the two medications to affect each other. This medicine may increase your risk of bleeding or bruising.

• Your pharmacist can tell you all of the ingredients in the specific clopidogrel products they stock.
• While you are using this medicine, if you have any kind of bleeding, it may take longer than usual to stop, especially if you hurt yourself.
• Tell your healthcare provider and dentist that you are taking clopidogrel before any planned surgeries (including childbirth) or dental procedures.
• Clopidogrel is commonly used to prevent complications in the following situations.

How Do You Look for Drug Interactions?

Follow your doctor’s orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so. This may not be a complete list of medicines that can interact with clopidogrel. Keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines, vitamins, minerals, and dietary supplements you are taking. Bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to the hospital.

What are the serious side effects of clopidogrel?

High-potassium foods and drinks, like bananas, salt substitutes, and orange juice. These can affect blood pressure drugs called ACE inhibitors. Your doctor will track your potassium levels, and they may tell you to cut back on foods with it. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take aspirin and extended-release dipyridamole exactly as directed.

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• There are tests available to identify people who have trouble changing clopidogrel to an active form.
• It is not known if clopidogrel passes into breast milk.
• It’s important to take your medication as directed by your doctor or pharmacist.
• The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine.
• Your doctor will track your potassium levels, and they may tell you to cut back on foods with it.

Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this medication for your condition. This herbal dietary supplement can affect many medications for heart disease, HIV, depression, and other conditions. It can also affect birth control pills and the cancer drugs irinotecan and imatinib. This is when you have a health problem that makes it risky for you to take certain meds. For example, if you have a condition like high blood pressure, taking a decongestant for a cold could drive up your blood pressure even more.

Clopidogrel may cause allergic reactions, which can be serious. Stop taking clopidogrel and get help right away if you have any of the following symptoms of a serious allergic reaction. While less common, the most serious side effects of clopidogrel are described below, along with what to do if they happen.

Your healthcare provider will advise you if you should take clopidogrel while you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant. Clopidogrel may not work well in people with a certain genetic variation, nonfunctional alleles of the CYP2C19 gene (known as CYP2C19 poor metabolizers). Your healthcare provider may do a lab test to check for this variation.

The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive. Grapefruit juice doesn’t mix badly with every type of drug in these classes of medications. Check your drug’s label or information pamphlet for any warnings about it. Also, ask your doctor or pharmacist if it’s safe to have grapefruit or its juice in any amount with your specific drug. If they tell you to stop eating or drinking it, ask if any other fruits or juices might have similar effects on your medicine.

Medical Professionals

Clopidogrel may increase the risk of serious bleeding during a surgery, other medical procedures (eg, coronary stent procedure), or some kinds of dental work. You may need to stop using this medicine at least 5 days before a surgery, medical procedure, or dental work. Do not stop taking your medicine without your doctor’s permission. Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. It is unknown if drinking alcohol will affect clopidogrel, but both clopidogrel and alcohol can increase your risk of bleeding.

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You should carry the list with you in case of emergencies. Your body has enzymes, such as the cytochrome p450 (CYP) and others, that process many types of medications. It also has a way to get rid of drugs, usually though your urine. Other drugs may speed up, slow down, or even completely block these functions. When this happens, the amount of drug in your body may increase (similar to taking too much) or decrease (similar to taking too little). Most drugs that you swallow enter your blood through your intestines.

Interactions

This helps prevent the formation of blood clots that can block the flow of blood to your heart and brain and increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. It’s important to take your medication as directed by your doctor or pharmacist. If two meds interact, spacing them apart during the day may not stop them from interacting and could lead to new or worse problems. To avoid an interaction, your doctor may need to change your dose or prescribe a different medication.

Side effects

Continue to take aspirin and extended-release dipyridamole even if you feel well. Do not stop taking aspirin and extended-release dipyridamole without talking to your doctor. The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients.

It works by preventing platelets (a type of blood cell) from collecting and forming clots that may cause a heart attack or stroke. The combination of aspirin and extended-release dipyridamole is in a class of drugs called antiplatelet agents. It works by preventing excessive blood clotting.

Taking more clopidogrel than directed may increase the chance of clopidogrel medlineplus drug info serious side effects without increasing the helpful effects. Some other medicines may alter the blood levels of clopidogrel, and vice versa. Tell your healthcare provider about all medicines that you take or have recently taken. Tell your healthcare provider and dentist that you are taking clopidogrel before any planned surgeries (including childbirth) or dental procedures. Your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking clopidogrel before the procedure to decrease your risk of bleeding.