What is Aggrastat used for?
Aggrastat is used for patients having chest pain that lasts
longer than typical angina and that is not controlled by the
medicines that are usually effective for angina. Aggrastat prevents
blood clots from forming, thereby reducing the number of patients
having heart attacks or needing heart surgery.
Who should not be treated with Aggrastat?
You should not be given Aggrastat if you ever had
the following conditions:
- Bleeding in the brain, brain tumor or ballooning
of a blood vessel in the brain
- History of reduced number of platelets in the blood
from prior treatment with Aggrastat
You should not be given Aggrastat if within the past
30 days you have had:
- Medical diagnosis of internal bleeding or of unusual
tendency toward bleeding
- Medical diagnosis of stroke
- Major surgery or trauma
You should also not be given Aggrastat if now:
- Your doctor sees signs of ongoing injury to the
aorta (the large blood vessel that carries blood from the
heart) or signs of pericarditis (inflammation of the sac
surrounding the heart)
- You have very high blood pressure (greater than
180/110)
- You are being treated with eptifibatide (Integrilin)
General Precautions:
Aggrastat should be used with caution if you have
a decreased blood platelet count or disease of the retina
of the eye associated with bleeding.
What should I tell my doctor or health care provider?
Because certain medications can interact with Aggrastat,
review all medications that you are taking with your doctor,
including those that you take without a prescription. Tell
your doctor if you are taking another drug that affects blood
clotting such as Coumadin or warfain.
What are some possible side effects of Aggrastat?
(This is NOT a complete list of side effects
reported with Aggrastat. Your health care provider can discuss
with you a more complete list of side effects.)
The most common complication reported during testing
of the product was excessive bleeding. The increased bleeding
is why some people (those who have had recent surgery, and
other examples mentioned above) should not be given Aggrastat.
Other possible side effects occurring in at least
3% or more of the people studied:
- Pelvic pain
- Slow heart rate
- Tear in the coronary artery
- Leg pain
- Dizziness
For more detailed information about Aggrastat, ask your health
care provider.
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