Q: About seven years ago, I lost the sight in my right eye, lasting for about five minutes. Over the next two weeks, it happened again 10 to 12 times. I then saw a neurologist. She said it might have been a migraine or a mini-stroke and gave me Plavix as a preventive treatment.
I’ve read different articles that say it is not good to use Plavix for a long time. Other people have told me that an Aspirin each day is just as good. What do you think?
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I think your eye problems are more likely caused by a mini-stroke or embolism. This is a blood clot that travels from somewhere else in the body and gets stuck in a small blood vessel.
In this case, the clot probably ended up in the visual cortex. As the loss of sight was only temporary, the clot must have shifted or dissolved.
Have your doctors looked into the cause of the mini-stroke? Do you have any leaky heart valves or an irregular heartbeat or atrial fibrillation?
Often the culprit is a buildup of plaque inside the carotid arteries in the neck. There is a test that can be performed to see if you have this problem, and if it is, there is surgery that cleans out the affected artery. However, it is not without risk. It depends on your age and general state of health.
Plavix, whose generic name is clopidogrel bisulphate, is a medication that helps to prevent blood clots in people who have poor circulation or who have a previous history of clots or embolisms. It works by stopping the platelets in the blood from sticking together in clumps and forming clots.
The main side-effect is bleeding and you should not take it if you have any stomach ulcers or similar conditions.
A rare side-effect is a certain type of anemia, so you should get regular blood tests.
In drugs trials comparing the efficacy of Plavix to Aspirin, researchers found Plavix only slightly better than Aspirin.
If you feel better taking Aspirin, you should discuss this with your family doctor. You should not take a regular dose of Aspirin every day because this will lead to problems. There is a special quarter dose of 80 mg available without prescription, which is used for daily prevention of blood clots, heart attacks and strokes.
