Plavix is a prescription medication used to prevent blood clots in people who have recently been hospitalized with chest pain, or for people who have recently had a heart attack or stroke. Plavix belongs to a group of drugs called antiplatelets, which help prevent harmful blood clots from forming in the body.
This medication comes in tablet form and is taken once a day, with or without food.
Common side effects of Plavix include bleeding, headache, dizziness, and nausea.
WARNING: DIMINISHED EFFECTIVENESS IN POOR METABOLIZERS
The effectiveness of Plavix is dependent on its activation to an active metabolite by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) system, principally CYP2C19. Plavix at recommended doses forms less of that metabolite and has a smaller effect on platelet function in patients who are CYP2C19 poor metabolizers. Poor metabolizers with acute coronary syndrome or undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention treated with Plavix at recommended doses exhibit higher cardiovascular event rates than do patients with normal CYP2C19 function. Tests are available to identify a patient's CYP2C19 genotype; these tests can be used as an aid in determining therapeutic strategy. Consider alternative treatment or treatment strategies in patients identified as CYP2C19 poor metabolizers.
