Side Effects When Taking Plavix

Plavix is a drug used to prevent platelets from clumping together and forming blood clots. When platelets stick together, blood has difficulty getting through. When this happens, a stroke or heart attack can occur. The drug is used by people who are at risk of having a heart attack or stroke and by those with poor circulation. The drug is considered generally safe--but like most prescription drugs, Plavix does have side effects and is not for everyone. Plavix has been the subject of lawsuits, as its side effects have led to the death or serious injury in some people.

General Warnings

• People with ulcers or other ailments that cause frequent bleeding should stay away from the drug. If having surgery or dental work, be sure to inform the doctor, as Plavix increases bleeding. Generally speaking, chest pain, body pain, fatigue and flu-like symptoms have been reported.

Cardiovascular Side Effects

• Some Plavix users have reported experiencing cardiovascular problems. Of these, chest pain, edema and hypertension were reported with the most frequency during a trial of about 17,500 people. Of this group, about 8 percent complained of chest pain. Edema and hypertension affected about 4 percent each. In a comparative trial, more people were said to be affected by those ailments when they were given aspirin. Not everyone believes aspirin's effects are worse. Some people say the danger is Plavix, not aspirin.
  More serious side effects include palpitations and heart failure. Those two ailments affected between 1 and 2 1/2 percent of trial patients.
  Several recent studies indicate the mixture of heart drugs such as Nexium and Prilosec are interfering with Plavix, increasing the risk of heart attacks.

Gastrointestinal Side Effects

• More than 27 percent of the almost 17,500 people mentioned above experienced some form of gastrointestinal side effect. Of these, diarrhea, abdominal pain, dyspepsia and nausea were most common.
  Other, more serious, side effects have included ulcers. A study appearing in the New England Journal of Medicine found that patients taking Plavix developed 12 times more ulcers than those who combine aspirin and a heartburn pill.

Hematologic Side Effects

• Some patients have experienced hemorrhaging, though this is extremely uncommon. A March 2009 study showed that Plavix combined with aspirin reduces one's chances of having a stroke, but it also increases the risk of serious bleeding. Plavix users are more prone to contracting a blood condition known as TTP. About 3 million Americans contract TTP each year, and it can be fatal. TTP is linked to blood clots throughout the body that, in turn, require the use of more platelets. With such a high number of platelets spread throughout the body, it dramatically reduces the number found in the bloodstream. This condition is most common in women. Symptoms include confusion, fever and headaches.

Plavix Lawsuits

• A simple Internet search yields many links to firms willing to represent anyone who may have experienced some of these side effects. Some of these firms say the drug's manufacturers, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Sanofi Aventis, failed to properly inform the Plavix users about the potential dangers.
  In early May 2009, a U.S. district judge in New Jersey reinstated dozens of pending lawsuits after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that just because the Food and Drug Administration approves a drug, it doesn't absolve drug companies from any of their products' effects. The drug makers contended that because the FDA approved the warning label on the medications, the lawsuits are preempted by federal law.