| 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. |