My husband's scared.
By margeryann
@margeryann (1845)
United States
January 30, 2011 12:21am CST
Last year in February my husbands heart kept stopping so the hospital had to put 2 heart stents in his heart and they told him that no matter what you take plavix. You don't go without it or you will die. You will have to be on it for the rest of your life. Well, this week I called for a new prescription of the plavix and the nurse called my husband and told him that he didn't need to be on it no more because the kind of stents he has he only needed to be on it for a year but they will give him a year more of it then he doesn't need to me on it no more. He has been doing research on the internet for some time and it says that people that have stents need to be on it for the rest of their life because there has been studies of people stopping it and dying within a year of not taking it no more.I'm scared too.
5 people like this
10 responses
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
30 Jan 11
I am Gabs friend on here.
I have 2 stents in my heart since 2008 I stopped takingit and went to Chia seed drank in my coffee.
still not sure if it worked good or not BUT I just had stents put in for my legs in MOv.
and they put me back on plavix dont remeber them ever tell me I had to take it for life.
It is a med to keep arteries clear of plaque.
All I hear from this heart Doc if I dont stop smoking I will loose my legs .
ANd thats surpose to scare me!/
am 70 years old not much can scare me now lolololol
Rake up the money have him go to another doc.
I have to go next week to this doc so he can read the CTA scan I just had done If I think about it I will ask him if plavix is for life.
and I dont think htre is any differnts in the stents just out long they are is all I can read on my info from the hospital.
amybe plvix compnay dont want to give out free any more this could be that very thing.
Its all in the money even tho I have a co-pay for it it has gone up!
good luck and energies going to your hubby that all is well with him
1 person likes this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
31 Jan 11
your most welcome and I will tell GAbs what I find out and she can tell you.
Might be a little while looked at my money and right now not sure I have co-pay for that Doctor.
Its ashame that people cant get up money to go to Doctors used to be they all chharged the same price and helped people I even remeber DOctor comeing to the house to treat me.
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
31 Jan 11
Thank you for responding.Hopefully everything turns our for you two. It is bad that if you don't got the money you don't get help. Thank you for caring and trying to see what you can. Have a good week!
@yogeshdhusa (2236)
• India
30 Jan 11
Hi Margeryann, i think, why to take risk if the doctor is saying you have to take that plavix to stay alive. I would have taken it. What if we consult another doctor? If the other Dr. say that "yes, plavix is necessary." then we have to take.. what you feel?
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
30 Jan 11
What is strange is the doctor that told him he needed to be on it for the rest of his life is the same doctor that is telling him that he doesn't need it nomore and what is awful is he doesn't have insurance to see doctors. So, he doesn't have the money to go to other doctors. He hasn't seen that doctor since the heart surgery because of not being able to afford to buy insurance and not being able to afford to see doctors. This doctor we've been communicating by phone and me just going to the desk to pick up his medicine because he can't afford this medicine it is $100 a month to pay for it your self so he got a years worth free through the plavix company that is mailed to that doctor. It came time for the doctor to fill out the form again so he could try qualifying again and then the nurse said that the doctor said that he they have a year supply there then he doesn't need it no more because of the kind of stent he has that's all he needs it for. I'm scared for him.
@yogeshdhusa (2236)
• India
30 Jan 11
have faith! i will pray for you both and if i have done a single good thing in life, god will guide you.
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
30 Jan 11
That's what I'm doing is praying and hoping that everything turns out okay. I told him that when they stop giving it to him to try not getting scared because that's not good for him just pay attention to any heart attach sighn and if you get them to go to the emergency room.
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
31 Jan 11
Thank you for responding. Lol, no he doesn't know. He is a real private person butI see it this way no one on here knows him so he isn't going to have to hear people talk about what they heard. I just had to let me feelings out.
@ravinskye (8237)
• United States
30 Jan 11
Wow that is scary. Have you talked to his doctor to see what the doctor has to say about it? Research is changing all the time and maybe it changed to the understanding that he wouldn't need to be on it anymore. If you are getting another year of it, that will give you enough time to really look into it. I would suggest getting a second opinion from another doctor.
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
31 Jan 11
Thank you for responding. He doesn't have insurance or the money to go to the doctor or what you are saying about the second opinion would definitely be what we would do. These conversations are through the phone and the only reason why this doctor is through the phone is because he did the surgery so he knows my husbands situation. Have a good week.
@yoyo1198 (3641)
• United States
30 Jan 11
Hi,margeryann...I can understand both you and your husband's confustion about the medication. Since he has been doing the online searches why don't you have him do further searches; not about the medication but about the stents. See if he can find out about studies that have been done on patients with stents + Plavix vs studies done with stents - Plavix. It is good that for now he has the medication. A lot can happen in a year's time and by then there may be further data available to recommend that he stay on the Plavix. Most physician's are quite reasonable and if your husband's anxiety about having the medication discontinued will be detrimental to him, I think the physician with authorize the continued use.
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
31 Jan 11
Thank you for responding. Hopefully everything turns out and your right you never know if the doctor will change his mind in a year and we do need to do more research.Have a good week.
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
30 Jan 11
Maybe a second opinion is in order. Anytime you don't feel good about what a doctor says ask another one. At least that way you have two doctors saying stop or two different opinions. If that is the case...a third would be my option. I might even call an ask a nurse too just to get their input. I am very hard to get along with when it comes to doctors.
I know it sounds extreme, but with something that serious...I think it's justified to suggest it to you.
There is also the fact that no matter what you say if you stick to that one opinion and the doctor stops prescribing..then what...at least a doctor that thinks he needs it will be there to prescribe just in case.
Good luck and keep us updated on what you find out. I am curious to know if he keeps taking it or not.
I know it sounds extreme, but with something that serious...I think it's justified to suggest it to you.
There is also the fact that no matter what you say if you stick to that one opinion and the doctor stops prescribing..then what...at least a doctor that thinks he needs it will be there to prescribe just in case.
Good luck and keep us updated on what you find out. I am curious to know if he keeps taking it or not.@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
31 Jan 11
I do understand the money situation. I read that in a previous response after I had posted mine. It's a really tough situation. Tose ask a nurse lines are free though. Maybe you can look up one of those and just see what they have to say. At least that way you can have an outside opinion.
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
31 Jan 11
Thank you for responding and for the good advice. I definitely think the second and the third opinion is the smartest thing to do but he doesn't have insurance or the money to go to the doctor. This doctor can only be reached through the nurse there and the only reason he has him is because he is the same one that did the surgery, so he knows his situation.He charges too if he was too see him and he can't afford to go to him either.
@djbtol (5493)
• United States
30 Jan 11
You can talk with the doctor (if you can get in) and see why he disagrees with the published information. It might be easier to get another opinion from a second doctor.
On the other hand, I find it typical that the medical community gives you certain instructions one day, and then later they will casually change their mind. Meanwhile, they expect that you do not have brain generating reasonable questions, and that you will just do what the instructions of the day are. That can be frustrating.
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
31 Jan 11
Thank you for responding and caring. Yes, it can be very frustrating.
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
31 Jan 11
Thank you for responding and caring! Getting a second opinion is definitely a good opinion.We would definitely do that if he had insurance to do that. Have a good week.
@visavis (5934)
• Philippines
30 Jan 11
You cannot disregard such emotion or scare feeling that once removed the plavix his heart will stop. So I think better to go through a doctor for second opinion and make a confirmation the safety of removing that. I hope he can handle his scare feeling and overcome such... see you around
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
30 Jan 11
Thank you for commenting. See you around too. Yeah, it is scary. He has learned to control his being scared more then he used to before his heart attack.
@raj7shot (838)
• India
30 Jan 11
Don't worry.. Be cool and don't loose your faith.Your prayers and love will not go in vain.Let me wish for your husband, he will become well soon..
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
30 Jan 11
Thank you for commenting. I hope everything turns out well too.I will definitely be praying. I told him that when they stop to try not to worry about it because that's not good on his heart.
