According to Drugs.com, Prilosec, or omeprazole, is a proton pump inhibitor used to reduce acid in the stomach. Plavix or clodiprogrel is antiplatelet drug used to prevent heart attack and stroke in patients with certain heart conditions. An adverse effect of Plavix is abdominal bleeding. Prilosec is prescribed in patients taking Plavix order to reduce the risk of stomach bleeding. However, use of Prilosec and Plavix together may result in adverse side effects.
Heart Attack
According to the U.S Food and Drug Administration website, patients at risk for heart attack or stroke who use Plavix to prevent blood clots should avoid taking Prilosec. Prilosec reduces the effectiveness of Plavix by about half by blocking liver enzyme CYP2C19, which converts Plavix to its active form. Patients taking a combination of Prilosec and Plavix are more likely to have a second heart attack, which could lead to stroke and death.
Common Side Effects
According to Drugs.com, common side effects of Plavix are excessive tiredness, headache, dizziness, nausea, itching, stomach pain and diarrhea. Common side effects of Prilosec include headache, stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation, cough and back pain. Common side for both Plavix and Prilosec may go away during treatment as the body adjusts to the medicine.
Adverse Effects
Drugs.com states that, Plavix may cause unusual internal bleeding because it prevents clotting of blood. Signs and symptoms of internal bleeding include coffee ground vomit, black tarry stool, red or purple patches under the skin, nose bleeding, weakness and dizziness upon standing. The FDA warns that continuous use of Prilosec may cause bone fractures of the hip, wrist and spine. The risk of bone fractures is higher in patients over 50 years of age who have been taking Prilosec for a longtime. Other adverse side effects of Prilosec include liver damage, inflammation of the pancreas, irritable colon, growth of fungi in the esophagus and growth of cancerous polyps in the stomach.
