Plavix – Prescribed to Decrease Heart Attack Risk
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Plavix (clopidogrel) in 1997. Marketed by Sanofi-Aventis and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Plavix is an antiplatelet drug that decreases the activity of platelets, making them less likely to stick together causing less incidence of blood clot formation in the blood stream.
Plavix
Doctors prescribe Plavix to decrease the risk of heart attack, unstable angina, stroke and cardiovascular death in patients with cardiovascular disease.
Although Plavix is effective in reducing blood clots, the body’s inability to form clots presents a number of potential problems. Plavix has been associated with major internal bleeding and gastrointestinal bleeding. Massive, sometimes fatal, bleeding can occur in patients who require surgery while on Plavix. In addition, a Plavix trial has found that patients taking Plavix may suffer greater than 12 times as many ulcers when compared to patients taking aspirin plus esomeprazole, a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), which decreases stomach acid.
FDA Advisory Warning
In November 2009, the FDA released an advisory warning that the PPI omeprazole, (marketed as Prilosec/Prilosec OTC) taken along with Plavix significantly reduces the effectiveness of Plavix decreasing the anti-clotting benefits. The FDA has also recommended that doctors avoid prescribing esomeprazole (Nexium), cimetidine (Tagamet/Tagamet HB), fluconazole (Diflucan), ketoconazole (Nizoral), voriconazole (VFEND), etravirine (Intelence), felbamate (Felbatol), Fluoxetine (Prozac, Serafem, Symbyax), fluvoxamine (Luvox), and ticlopidine (Ticlid) along with Plavix, as these drugs may also lessen the effectiveness of Plavix.
Do You Have Grounds for a Plavix Lawsuit?
You may have grounds for a Plavix lawsuit if you, or a loved one, have suffered any of the following Plavix side effects:
- Internal bleeding
- Gastrointestinal bleeding
- Cerebral bleeding or hemorrhage
- Ulcers
- Heart attack
- Bleeding stroke
- Hemorrhagic stroke
- Thrombolytic Thrombocytopenic Purpora (TTP)
- Death resulting from internal bleeding
Personal Injury Attorney New York
If your doctor has prescribed Plavix and you have suffered serious side effects, it is important to consult a product liability attorney as soon as possible to protect your legal rights.
For more than three decades, the law firm of Rudolph F. X. Migliore, P.C. has been helping clients recover damages for harm caused by dangerous prescription drugs. Our attorneys work with nationally recognized co-counsel to reach major verdicts and settlements. Call (631) 543-3663 to arrange a consultation or fill out a contact form for a free case evaluation.
