• Basic Info
• Top Questions
• Clinical Info
• Interactions

What is clopidogrel?
Clopidogrel keeps the platelets in your blood from coagulating (clotting) to prevent unwanted blood clots that can occur with certain heart or blood vessel conditions. Clopidogrel is used to prevent blood clots after a recent heart attack or stroke, and in people with certain disorders of the heart or blood vessels. Clopidogrel may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

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What is the price of this medication and similar alternatives?

This pricing information is subject to change at the sole discretion of DS Pharmacy. For the most current and up-to-date pricing information, please visit drugstore.com.

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What are the possible side effects of clopidogrel?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using clopidogrel and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• nosebleed or other bleeding that will not stop;

• black, bloody, or tarry stools;

• coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds;

• chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, nausea, sweating, general ill feeling;

• sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body;

• sudden headache, confusion, problems with vision, speech, or balance; or

• pale skin, easy bruising or bleeding, weakness, fever, and urinating more or less than usual.

Continue taking clopidogrel and talk to your doctor if you have any of these less serious side effects:

• stomach pain;

• runny or stuffy nose, cough, sore throat; or

• mild headache or dizziness.

Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

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How should I take clopidogrel?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Take this medication with a full glass of water. Clopidogrel can be taken with or without food. Because clopidogrel keeps your blood from coagulating (clotting) to prevent unwanted blood clots, it can also make it easier for you to bleed, even from a minor injury. Contact your doctor or seek emergency medical attention if you have bleeding that will not stop.

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What is the most important information I should know about clopidogrel?
Clopidogrel keeps your blood from coagulating (clotting) to prevent unwanted blood clots that can occur with certain heart or blood vessel conditions. Because of this drug action, clopidogrel can make it easier for you to bleed, even from a minor injury. Contact your doctor or seek emergency medical attention if you have bleeding that will not stop. You may also have bleeding on the inside of your body, such as in your stomach or intestines. Call your doctor at once if you have black or bloody stools, or if you cough up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds. These could be signs of bleeding in your digestive tract.

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What happens if I miss a dose?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

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What other drugs will affect clopidogrel?
Before taking clopidogrel, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs: phenytoin (Dilantin); tamoxifen (Nolvadex); tolbutamide (Orinase); torsemide (Demadex); fluvastatin (Lescol); a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin), heparin, ardeparin (Normiflo), dalteparin (Fragmin), danaparoid (Orgaran), enoxaparin (Lovenox), or tinzaparin (Innohep); or medication used to prevent blood clots, such as alteplase (Activase), anistreplase (Eminase), dipyridamole (Persantine), streptokinase (Kabikinase, Streptase), ticlopidine (Ticlid), and urokinase (Abbokinase).

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Can I take this if I am pregnant or trying to get pregnant or if I am breastfeeding?

Clopidogrel has been assigned to pregnancy category B by the FDA. Animal data have failed to reveal evidence of fetotoxicity. There are no controlled data in human pregnancy. Clopidogrel should be given during pregnancy only when need has been clearly established.

There are no data on the excretion of clopidogrel into human milk. Animal data have shown that clopidogrel and/or its metabolites are excreted in rat milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk and because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants, a decision should be made whether to discontinue nursing or to discontinue the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother.

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Who should NOT use this medication?

• Active pathological bleeding (e.g., peptic ulcer, intracranial hemorrhage).
• Known hypersensitivity to clopidogrel or any ingredient in the formulation.

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What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. Symptoms of a clopidogrel overdose may include vomiting, feeling exhausted or short of breath, and blood in your stools or vomit.

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What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking clopidogrel?
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to clopidogrel, or if you have any active bleeding such as a stomach ulcer or bleeding in the brain (such as from a head injury). Before taking clopidogrel, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have: a bleeding or blood clotting disorder, such as hemophilia; a history of stroke, including TIA ("mini-stroke"); a stomach ulcer or ulcerative colitis; liver disease; or kidney disease. If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to use clopidogrel, or you may need a dosage adjustment or special tests during treatment.

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Can I stop taking the medication if I feel better?
As a general rule, you should always take your medications exactly as prescribed and do not change the dosage or stop taking the medication without first discussing it with your healthcare provider.

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I am on so many medications; do I have to take them all?
This is called polypharmacy—many different medications being used at the same time by one person. Sometimes, being on multiple medications is acceptable and appropriate but at other times it may be problematic. If you are receiving your medications from multiple physicians you need to ensure that they all know what medications you are taking. The best way to do this is to make a list of all the medications you are currently using, including all nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs (if possible, also include all the diseases you have been diagnosed with). Give a copy to every doctor who takes care of you so they have it on file, this way they can avoid duplicating medications and perhaps even try to consolidate some. After every doctor's visit remember to update the list accordingly. Also, as much as you possibly can, try to use the same pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions, this way any potential drug interactions can be caught and averted.

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Where can I get more information?
More Information

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