Plavix

Plavix is prescribed to patients who have recently suffered from a heart attack or stroke. This drug prevents unwanted blood clots by keeping platelets in the blood from coagulating. Plavix is manufactured and distributed by Sanofi-Aventis and Bristol-Meyers Squibb. It is the 6th top selling drug in the United States with sales of approximately $3.8 billion.

According to an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Plavix has been linked to serious side effects such as heart attack, stroke, internal bleeding, hemorrhages, ulcers, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and death. In the same study, it was found that patients taking Plavix experienced 12 times as many ulcers as patients taking other drugs. It was also seen that Plavix and aspirin together doubled the risk of heart attack, stroke and death in patients.

Serious side effects may include:

• Nosebleed or other uncontrolled bleeding
• Bloody or tarry stools, blood in your urine
• 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
• Pale skin, weakness, fever, or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
• Easy bruising, unusual bleeding (nose, mouth, vagina, or rectum), purple or red pinpoint spots under your skin