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How Long Can Aggrenox Be Taken?
Question: My husband is a stroke patient currently being treated by the VA as an outpatient. He is taking both placid and aggrenox but has been told by VA neurologists he should e eventually discontinue aggrenox. He has been given a choice to say when. We are not sure about the wisdom of this. Any advice?
Brief Answer:
Placid instead has antineoplastic effects
Detailed Answer:
Hello. I have gone through your question and understand your concern.
Stroke is a major event and it is very important to find the condition that caused it. This helps on preventing a recurrence of the stroke. While aggrenox is the treatment of choice in most of the cases, it generally is used from three to six months or even through lifetime if there is a evident condition which has clear risks of new strokes.
Placid instead has antineoplastic effects and I don’t see any indications on stroke, unless there is a malignancy underneath the whole situation.
Please provide me with further information to better understand the situation and being more helpful on the situation.
Wish you good health.
Placid instead has antineoplastic effects
Detailed Answer:
Hello. I have gone through your question and understand your concern.
Stroke is a major event and it is very important to find the condition that caused it. This helps on preventing a recurrence of the stroke. While aggrenox is the treatment of choice in most of the cases, it generally is used from three to six months or even through lifetime if there is a evident condition which has clear risks of new strokes.
Placid instead has antineoplastic effects and I don’t see any indications on stroke, unless there is a malignancy underneath the whole situation.
Please provide me with further information to better understand the situation and being more helpful on the situation.
Wish you good health.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju
A small vessel off the left carotid stenosed causing the first two events. The vessel was scented but there were several TIAs in the months following. Aggrenox was prescribed after the first two events (5 days apart) and plavix after the surgery. Four months after the surgery there was a major event causing severe debilitation (10th cranial nerve paralysis, right side weakness, etc.). Patient spent 4.5 months in nursing home rehab, at home PT, and two extended terms of of outpatient neuro-physical therapy with some success. Patient very motivated. VA neurology dept. wants to discontinue aggrenox if his neurosurgeon continues plavix. We need an objective opinion since the major event occurred while patient was taking both drugs.
A small vessel off the left carotid stenosed causing the first two events. The vessel was stented but there were several TIAs in the months following. Aggrenox was prescribed after the first event and plavix after the second event and surgery. Five days lapsed between the fist two events. Four months after the the surgery there was a major event causing severe debilitation (10th cranial nerve paralysis, right side weakness, aphasia, etc.). Patient spent 4.5 months in nursing home rehab followed by at home PT and two extended terms of outpatient neuro-physical therapy with some success. Patient is very motivated. VA neurology dept. wants to discontinue aggrenox if his neurosurgeon continues plavix. We need objective opinion since the major event occurred while patient was taking both drugs . I.e., will discontinuing one or the other increase likelihood of another event. Please advise.
A small vessel off the left carotid stenosed causing the first two events. The vessel was stented but there were several TIAs in the months following. Aggrenox was prescribed after the first event and plavix after the second event and surgery. Five days lapsed between the fist two events. Four months after the the surgery there was a major event causing severe debilitation (10th cranial nerve paralysis, right side weakness, aphasia, etc.). Patient spent 4.5 months in nursing home rehab followed by at home PT and two extended terms of outpatient neuro-physical therapy with some success. Patient is very motivated. VA neurology dept. wants to discontinue aggrenox if his neurosurgeon continues plavix. We need objective opinion since the major event occurred while patient was taking both drugs . I.e., will discontinuing one or the other increase likelihood of another event. Please advise.
Brief Answer:
Plavix is better than aggrenox
Detailed Answer:
Hello again. There is a misinformation on the drug name. What you meant in the first question was plavix instead of placid.
Plavix as well as aggrenox are both antiaggregants and are used in combination to prevent a second stroke in case of an arterial thromboembolic event.
Generally this combination is used in the first three to six months after the first event and then one of them is discontinued. While the use of antiaggregants have preventive effects on a second stroke they also carry hemorrhagic risk as an adverse effect. After a period of time (3 to 6 months) the hemorrhagic risk is greater than prevention benefits. That is why it is recommended to take only one of the antiggregants for the rest of life to lower the hemorrhagic rate.
Aggrenox and plavix have similar hemorrhagic risk rate and prevention rate. But aggrenox has more side effects like headache which is reported to 40%. That is why plavix is preferred over aggrenox, despite having the same effects.
Hope this helps. Please feel free for further questions
Plavix is better than aggrenox
Detailed Answer:
Hello again. There is a misinformation on the drug name. What you meant in the first question was plavix instead of placid.
Plavix as well as aggrenox are both antiaggregants and are used in combination to prevent a second stroke in case of an arterial thromboembolic event.
Generally this combination is used in the first three to six months after the first event and then one of them is discontinued. While the use of antiaggregants have preventive effects on a second stroke they also carry hemorrhagic risk as an adverse effect. After a period of time (3 to 6 months) the hemorrhagic risk is greater than prevention benefits. That is why it is recommended to take only one of the antiggregants for the rest of life to lower the hemorrhagic rate.
Aggrenox and plavix have similar hemorrhagic risk rate and prevention rate. But aggrenox has more side effects like headache which is reported to 40%. That is why plavix is preferred over aggrenox, despite having the same effects.
Hope this helps. Please feel free for further questions
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Ashwin Bhandari
Brief Answer:
it is more than enough
Detailed Answer:
Hello.
Both of them are anti platelet drugs as I explained before. Even dipiridamole is an anti platelet drug which together with aspirine form aggrenox. Generally I would prescribe only plavix. Together with aspirin at its lower efficacy dose is more than enough.
Best regards.
Geldon Fejzo MD
it is more than enough
Detailed Answer:
Hello.
Both of them are anti platelet drugs as I explained before. Even dipiridamole is an anti platelet drug which together with aspirine form aggrenox. Generally I would prescribe only plavix. Together with aspirin at its lower efficacy dose is more than enough.
Best regards.
Geldon Fejzo MD
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
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