Get to know the most common antiplatelet drugs ======================================= If your doctor has prescribed anti-platelet drugs for you... be sure to read this article... Platelets are blood cells that come together when necessary and prevent further bleeding in the affected organs by forming a blood clot... Actually, blood clot production is your body's natural way to prevent bleeding... This method of blood clot production is a natural and necessary process, but if this blood clot forms inside the bloodstream and causes a stroke inside the veins... Medicines with the purpose Preventing the formation of blood clots... is prescribed in the veins.... In the continuation of this article from Dr. Kihani Fard magazine, we are going to introduce you some examples of the most important anti-platelet drugs, so stay with us until the end... Introduction of anti-platelet drugs.. Anti-platelet drugs disrupt the process of connecting platelets to each other and thus prevent the formation of blood clots.. Most of this group of drugs are produced in the form of pills, but some of them are injected. It is prescribed by the doctor in various conditions, among which the following can be mentioned. - Atrial fibrillation - Coronary artery disease - History of heart attack or warning signs of a possible heart attack in the future - History of stroke or warning signs of a possible stroke in the future - Peripheral vascular disease (occlusion of veins and arteries outside the heart that causes blood circulation disorders.) - Surgeries such as coronary artery bypass, angioplasty (placing a stent in an open artery) or heart valve surgery 1 .... Aspirin Aspirin is an anti-platelet drug that is prescribed by a doctor... This drug is used for a wide range of patients who are exposed to dangerous vascular diseases.. Among these patients, we can mention the survivors of stroke, heart attack and cerebral hemorrhage.. Aspirin is in the category of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke and stroke.. Arthritis and mild to moderate pain.... Be careful, it is forbidden to take this medicine without a doctor's prescription.... ### How to take aspirin Before taking aspirin as one of the anti-platelet drugs, carefully read the instructions inside the drug package... Take the drug exactly as recommended by the doctor and never arbitrarily change the dose of the drug... Also, it is forbidden to take or stop taking this drug without consulting a doctor... Aspirin can be taken with food or without food. The prescribed amount of aspirin to reduce blood platelets is between 75 and 150 mg per day... If you miss a dose of the medicine, take it immediately after you remember... But if a lot of time has passed and you are close to the next dose, skip the missed dose... Be careful not to take 2 doses at the same time... ### Recommendations before taking aspirin Before the doctor prescribes aspirin for you, inform the doctor about your medical history, health condition and illness.. - Anemia - Kidney diseases - Liver diseases - Asthma - History of stomach ulcer or stomach bleeding - Continuous consumption of alcoholic beverages - Diabetes - gout - Vitamin K deficiency - Lupus Allergic reactions to aspirin and other drugs In addition, if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant, be sure to tell your doctor about this... As with any drug, aspirin interacts with some other drugs.... Before prescribing aspirin, make a complete list of the medications you are taking and tell your doctor about all of them.... Aspirin strongly interacts with the following three drugs: - Cidofovir - ketorolac - Probencid In addition to these three drugs, other drug interactions of aspirin are as follows: - Alcohol - Other NSAID drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen - Alendronate - Bismuth subsalicylate - Flavokoxide - Diabetes medications such as acetazolamide and methazolamide - Gout medicines Medicines that prevent blood clots.. such as apixaban, clopidogrel, enoxaparin, heparin and warfarin - Pemetrexed - Pyrazone sulfine - Live vaccine ### Side effects of aspirin After taking aspirin, you may face the side effects of this drug. The mild side effects of this drug are nothing to worry about, but if the side effects become severe or continue for a long time, you must inform the doctor... These side effects are as follows: - Nausea and vomiting - Heartache heartburn Some other possible side effects of aspirin are rare but more dangerous. Call your doctor right away if you experience any of the following symptoms: - Hives - Hoarseness - Swelling of the eyes, face, lips, tongue or throat - Breathing problems or rapid breathing - Sensation of ringing in the ears or hearing loss - Fast heartbeat - Skin cooling - Bright red blood in stool - Black or tar-colored stools - Vomiting blood or vomiting similar to coffee grounds 2 .... Plavix Clopidogrel, known by the brand name Plavix®, is another antiplatelet drug. This drug prevents the accumulation of blood platelets and the formation of blood clots. Before taking clopidogrel, read the instructions inside the medicine package and ask your doctor if you don't understand... This medicine is actually a clopidogrel tablet that should be taken with a glass of water... ### The right dose of Plavix This medicine is produced in the form of tablets with a dose of 75 and 300 mg... Most of the time, the doctor prescribes a daily dose of 75 mg... However, sometimes the doctor may also prescribe a higher dose of Plavix, i.e. 300 mg... The important thing is that you must take Clopidogrel exactly as prescribed by the doctor and avoid changing the medicine.. Forgetting a dose of Clopidogrel If you forget a dose of Plavix, take it immediately after you remember... If you don't remember to take the medicine until the next dose, skip the missed dose the next day and take the next dose... You should never take 2 doses of this medicine at the same time... ### Recommendations before taking Clopidogrel Before prescribing Plavix and while taking it, pay attention to the following points: - If you have wounds that are prone to bleeding, such as mucosal wounds, bleeding in the brain, etc.. - If you are pregnant or breastfeeding or become pregnant while taking the drug, tell your doctor about your liver and kidney diseases that cause bleeding.. Bleeding is easier and longer than usual, so be careful not to get cuts and injuries... ### Plavix drug interactions Like any other medication, clopidogrel may interact with various medications. Therefore, before prescribing Plavix, you should inform your doctor about all the medications you are taking: - Dasabuvir, paritavir and ritonavir - Defibrotide - Other NSAID drugs such as ibuprofen or naproxen Medicines that prevent blood clotting, such as warfarin - Repaglinide Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as citalopram, fluvoxamine, and sertraline - Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (*SNRIs*), such as desvenlafaxine and venlafaxine - Stomach acid blockers such as cimetidine, esomeprazole and omeprazole ### Plavix side effects While taking clopidogrel, you may experience some side effects that are mild and not worrisome. If these side effects become severe or last for a long time, tell your doctor: - Extreme fatigue - Headache and dizziness - Nausea and vomiting - Heartache - Diarrhea - Nosebleeds In addition to the above, some other side effects of Plavix are more serious. Call your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms: - Difficulty breathing or swallowing - Hives and skin itching - Red blood in stool - Vomiting blood or vomiting similar to coffee grounds - Unusual bleeding or bruising - Pink or brown urine - Swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles and legs - Hoarseness and slow and difficult speech - Black and tar-colored feces - Vision change - Fever - Fast heartbeat - Purple spots or bleeding under the skin - Confusion - Convulsions - Yellowing of the skin or eyes 3 .... dipyridamole Dipyridamole is another item in the group of anti-platelet drugs that is prescribed along with other drugs to prevent blood clots. This drug is often used for patients who have undergone heart valve replacement surgery. Dipyridamole is also prescribed after a stroke and previous attack.. Be careful, this medicine can only be obtained with a doctor's prescription. - ** Pharmaceutical form: ** intravenous solution (5 mg/ml) and oral tablet (25 mg, 50 mg and 75 mg) ### How to take dipyridamole First of all, note that the use of dipyridamole must be done exactly according to the doctor's order.... Do not stop taking it or change its dose without the doctor's order.... The injection of this drug must be done by a doctor or a nurse and this injection is intravenous.... Take dipyridamole tablets or capsules with or shortly after taking the medicine and avoid taking a sufficient amount of the medicine.... Water... ### Proper dose of dipyridamole The dosage of dipyridamole should be prescribed by the doctor and taken exactly according to the doctor's order... Do not increase or decrease the dose of the medicine without the doctor's opinion... Usually the prescribed dose of this medicine is as follows: - Usual dose for release capsules: 200 mg 2 times a day - Usual dose for tablets and liquids: 300 to 600 mg 3 or 4 times a day - Taking medicine for children: 2 or 3 times a day (daily dose is determined based on your child's weight) #### Forgetting a dose of dipyridamole If you forget to take dipyridamole, take it as soon as you remember... If it was almost time to take the next dose, ignore the missed dose and take the next dose at the usual time... Avoid taking 2 doses of the drug at the same time... ### Recommendations before taking dipyridamole Before your doctor prescribes dipyridamole tablet or injectable form, tell your doctor about the following: - Allergy to dipyridamole or any drug sensitivity - Coronary artery disease (hardened artery) - Heart attack Uncontrolled chest pain (angina) - Myasthenia gravis - Low blood pressure - Liver disease - Taking asthma medication called theophylline - Women during pregnancy or breastfeeding Be careful that oral dipyridamole is not approved for people under the age of 12. Also dipyridamole injections are only allowed in adults... ### Drug interactions of dipyridamole Similar to other antiplatelet drugs, dipyridamole interacts with some other drugs.. At the time of prescribing dipyridamole, fully inform the doctor of other medications you are taking: - other medicines to prevent blood clots, such as aspirin, clopidogrel, ticagrelor, warfarin or rivaroxaban - High blood pressure medications, such as bisoprolol, ramipril or furosemide Also, indigestion medications, such as ranitidine, proton pump inhibitors, or antacids containing magnesium or aluminum.. Digoxin for heart problems ### Dipyridamole side effects Some of the side effects after taking dipyridamole are more common and milder. If these side effects become severe or you have been suffering from these side effects for a long time, tell your doctor. Common side effects of dipyridamole include the following: - Headache - Dizziness - Stomach upset Dipyridamole may cause other side effects that are more serious. Call your doctor right away if you experience any of the following: - Symptoms of an allergic reaction such as hives, difficulty breathing and swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat - Feeling of lightness - Chest pain - Liver problems such as upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine and yellowing of the skin or eyes 4 .... Brillaus medicine Ticagrelor, known by the brand name Brilenta, is one of the anti-platelet drugs prescribed by the doctor. Brilaus is one of the similar examples of the drug Ticagrelor and the Iranian brand produced by Obidi Pharmaceutical Company. Prevent blood clots after heart surgery. Doctors usually prescribe this drug together with aspirin. It is not convenient for you to swallow the pill, you can crush the pill and mix it with water, then drink the solution.... Finally put it in a glass of water and drink the water again to make sure the pill is completely taken.... In addition, read the medicine carefully before starting the medicine.. For things you don't understand... ticagrelor 90 mg and lower dose 60 mg are produced.... The doctor will decide the right dose for you... if needed A lower dose of ticagrelor 60 mg tablets will be suitable for you.... This medicine can be taken with or without food and is usually prescribed twice a day.... Be careful to take this medicine exactly as prescribed by your doctor and avoid changing the dose of the medicine.. Arbitrarily... Avoiding... #### Forgetting a dose of Brilavos If you forget to take a dose of medicine, ignore the missed dose and use your next dose at the usual time.... In no case do not take these two doses of ticagrelor at the same time.... ### Recommendations before taking Brilavos Before prescribing and starting to take Brilavos, pay attention to the following points so that you do not have problems after taking the medicine: - If you are allergic to ticagrelor or any other medicine, tell your doctor... ticagrelor If you are pregnant, contact your doctor... Some medications affect the way ticagrelor works and interact with this medication. Before prescribing ticagrelor, tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking. Medications that may interact with ticagrelor include: Medicines to prevent blood clots, such as low-dose aspirin, warfarin, rivaroxaban, or apixaban - Digoxin for heart problems - antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as citalopram - Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen - Some antibiotics such as clarithromycin and rifampicin - Epilepsy drugs such as phenytoin and carbamazepine Statins to lower cholesterol such as simvastatin ### Brilavos side effects You may have side effects after taking ticagrelor. Common side effects of this drug include the following, which are mild. If these side effects are severe or long-lasting, tell your doctor: - Dizziness - Nausea Some of the other side effects of this drug are more serious and you should tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of them: - Slow heartbeat Shortness of breath even with mild activity or at rest - Red, pink or brown urine - Black, bloody or tar-colored stools - Nosebleeds or any bleeding that does not stop.... - Easy bruising and purple or red spots under the skin - Coughing up blood or vomiting like coffee grounds Allergic reactions such as hives, difficulty breathing and swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat Take antiplatelet drugs only as directed by your doctor In this article from Dr. Kihani Fard's magazine, we introduce some examples of the most important antiplatelet drugs and introduce their medicinal information, including how to use and dosage, interactions and side effects.. The important point that we must point out again is that this group of drugs are classified as sensitive and dangerous drugs, and their use should be done with the doctor's order if any antiplatelet drug is taken. **:Content Sources** medlineplus.gov clevelandclinic.org pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov webmd.com nhs.uk drugs.com mayoclinic.org