Plavix and Pantoprazole interaction?

[tony969]

I have been taking Plavix for 3 years after MI back in 2009/100% occlusion of the left ventricle artery/.I have 2 bare metal stents and one DES inside those two in the same artery. Taking Diltiazem, Lisinopril, Aspirin and Ranitidine as well. Have been having constant stomach and chest pains and the doctors are not able to find the cause- at least they don’t think it is a cardiac one./the chest pains/ My gastroenterologist suggested I stop taking Ranitidine and switch to Pantroprazole. I have read a lot about the interaction between Plavix and PPI’s but he thinks only Omeprazole have more effect on Plavix, not Pantoprazole. Please, let me know what your opinion is and have you heard about any interaction between those two? I don’t need an additional heart attack.
Thank you for your response

[jrbon]

I stopped  Plavix at once 1 year  after the DES stents implantation.

Consider that in your case, the DES stents have already lost, long ago, all the medicaments and you should not have more risk that if you had bare metal ones.

Jesus

[tony969]

Did you stop it at once or taper if off? How long have you been on Plavix? I really want to get rid of this medication but unfortunately am so affraid...

[ed34]

I have been off plavix for about six months now, and am just on Aspirin. I only noticed one difference from stopping the medication, breathing was easier. I have no idea why, but 24 hours after stopping plavix, I had to breathe less often. My average breaths per minute were around 12, now they are 10.

[tony969]

Unfortunately I never stopped Plavix. My stents are located in a place/called sandwich stents- DES is inserted into two bare metal stents/ and stopping Plavix may result in forming a cloth very rapidly. Unless the science comes up with something new or a substitute for Plavix, I don't want to take any chances. I had 100% oclussion of the mid left ventricle artery and almost died...life is still precious to me:)

[NoAnswersFromDoctors]

When you stopped the plavix, did your chest pain decrease?  My husband is in the SAME BOAT as you.  Severe chest and stomach pains ever since his initial cardiac event in March 2012 -- this resulted in placement of one stent in artery 90% blocked and no stent in another artery that was too small and 'kinked' to get a stent in.  He was put on several meds and sent home, and has never felt well since.  His chest pain is so bad that he tells me it hurts more now than when he went to the hospital in March.  They have run test after test and tell him the tests can't find anything wrong.  He was referred to Vanderbilt and was the so-called 'specialist' there looked at his test results and said 'Nothing looks wrong'. I suggested to him to ask his doctor if he could take half of his plavix meds for two weeks JUST TO SEE if that was the cause of his chest pain and the doctor outright refused to do that and bullied him that a clot would form on his stent if he tried to do this.  

[tony969]

I do agree with this. That's why my doctor stated that It might be necessary to take PPI's for life. I do know a person who had taken Nexium for 13+ years now and he is feeling good with no side effects. Maybe he is one of the licky ones:)