Plavix side effects

[messes]

My 86 yr. old mom had been on plavix for about 2 months when she began having severe diahreea, nausea and loss of appetite.  Is it possible for this to be a side effect of plavix even though she has been on the med for 2 months with no problem?  She often has difficulty tolerating medications.  She was diagnosed with a bacterial infection but after 2 rounds of antibiotic the symptoms return after abouit 2-3 days of feeling better.  .  

[Red_Star]

Drug side effects can occur years later which is why you see many drugs being pulled of the market. Clinical trials run for an average of 8 weeks on healthy adults.

Plavix side effects:

"Gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort has occurred in 27.1% of patients (compared with 29.8% of patients who were treated with aspirin in comparative trials). Other GI side effects have included diarrhea in 4.5%, dyspepsia in 5.2%, nausea in 3.4%, and abdominal pain in 5.6% of patients."

Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Plavix:

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue; unusual hoarseness); black, tarry stools; bleeding in the eye; change in the amount of urine produced; change in vision; chest pain; confusion; dark or bloody urine; fever, chills, or sore throat; LOSS OF APPETITE; pale skin; purple skin patches; seizures; severe, persistent headache; speech problems; stomach or back pain; unexplained weight loss; unusual bruising; unusual, prolonged, or severe bleeding (eg, excessive bleeding from cuts, increased menstrual bleeding, unexplained vaginal bleeding, unusual bleeding from the gums when brushing); unusual tiredness or weakness; yellowing of the skin or eyes."

Plavix side effects >>>
http://www.drugs.com/sfx/plavix-side-effects.html

Natural alternative:

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Nattokinase enhances our body’s natural ability to fight blood clots, and has an advantage over blood thinners because it has a prolonged effect without side effects. Nattokinase:

Supports normal blood pressure
Prevents blood clots from forming
Dissolves existing blood clots
Dissolves fibrin
Enhances the body’s production of plasmin and other clot-dissolving agents, including urokinase (an enzyme produced by the kidneys and found in the urine, which activates plasminogen)

Nattokinase—The Natural Blood Thinner >>>
http://www.******************.com/articles/view/nattokinase-the-natural-blood-thinner/P4/

[WillinSD]

Geriatric patients often require much lower doses of prescription medications and a lot of general practitioners fail to realize this.  It is typical for a couple of months to go by before problems occur.  

Your mom should be seen by a gerontologist and have him review her medication load.  

When you reach your mid to late 80s, the liver and kidneys simply can't handle heavy loads of powerful medications.  You'll need to keep pestering those doctors until they figure out what's going on.  It would be unwise to ignore these new symptoms for too long.

Good Luck to you both!

[ITCHY2011]

The most important information you should know about PLAVIX is it can cause A blood clotting problem called Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP). TTP can happen with PLAVIX, sometimes after a short time (less than 2 weeks). TTP is a blood clotting problem where blood clots form in blood vessels; and can happen anywhere in the body. TTP needs to be treated in a hospital right away, because it may cause death. Get medical help right away if you have any of these symptoms and they cannot be explained by another medical condition:
Purplish spots (called purpura) on the skin or in the mouth (mucous membranes) due to bleeding under the skin
your skin or the whites of your eyes are yellow (jaundice)
you feel tired or weak
your skin looks very pale
fever
fast heart rate or feeling short of breath
headache
speech changes
confusion
coma
stroke
seizure
low amount of urine, or urine that is pink or has blood in it
stomach area (abdominal) pain
nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
vision changes
Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.
These are not all the possible side effects of PLAVIX. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

[Pfendt]

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