Medications

[rwd]

I had an AVR 3 years ago, along with 3 bypasses. Was put on Coumadin for the valve. One year later had 4 Drug eluding stents placed and put on plavix and 81 mg aspirin. Plavix was stopped 8 months later. Just had another stent placed in a very calcified artery that took 2 hours to drill a place to put the stent. Placed back on Plavix and 350 mg aspirin for possibly life.
My question is how common is it to be on Plavix , Coumadin, and 350 mg.Aspirin, for extended period of time? Also as a side note I work in a Cabinet Shop around sharp blades and cutters all day.

 

[Guest]

There is not a whole lot of information about this combination. It does slightly increase your risk of a serious bleed. Cuts from sharp objects are rarely considered serious bleeds. Hardly anyone ever dies from a cut to the arm or leg for any reason. Your major concern is a bleed into the brain. These also are fairly rare. However, it appears to be a risk that you will have to live with

 

[Kathleen]

I will share with you what I have since not many get into this combo. My dual valves will be 22 in 2 weeks so I have been on coumadin for 22 years. Two years ago during an ablation attempt a bit of dye leaked into my right coronary artery which completely dissected the artery. The artery required 6 drug eluding stents and plavix. I took plavix for 7 months with no bleeding episodes. One of the stents blocked a year later which was restented and plavix and asprin were started at that time. One month later I had a hospital admitted bleed and was allowed to go on an every other day plavix/asprin dose. The bleed was so new that I never did go back on it. I have no coronary artery disease so my decision was totally my own. At the time of the stent replacement the other 5 stents were considered 40% blocked. The doctors doubt I am making the correct decision but it is all I can do at this time. We have already discussed placing bare metal stents when these close which will require plavix for a month after placing. The bleed was a nosebleed. It was my fourth hospital admitted bleed.

 

[Guest]

Kathleen,
Thanks for your input.