This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

This stock medical exhibit describes the effect of heparin on the blood vessels. It includes three illustrations describing the normal anatomy and physiology involved in the clotting. Two additional illustrations compare the effects of a low and a high dose of heparin on the blood vessels.

http://www.smartimagebase.com/the-effec ... emID=11436

The Use of Coumadin in Preventing Venous Thrombus Formation - Medical Chart

http://www.smartimagebase.com/the-use-o ... temID=8014

On the right under content tools, there is a "Magnify" option that I found useful. I don't think Coumadin is commonly being used these days. I'll check for a Plavix one too.

Haven't found a Plavix chart but I did find this:
http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010 ... or-plavix/

A new boxed warning has been added to the anti-blood clotting drug Plavix by the Food and Drug Administration, who says the medication doesn't work well in people who have difficulty metabolizing the drug.

...

Plavix needs to be activated by the liver enzyme, CYP2C19. Patients that have reduced liver enzyme function can't activate the drug making it less effective for them. They're called "poor metabolizers" and this puts them at greater risk of heart attack, stroke and death.

"We want to highlight this warning to make sure health care professionals use the best information possible to treat their patients," said Mary Ross Southworth, a clinical analyst in the Division of Cardiovascular and Renal Products in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

The Agency says there are tests available to evaluate CYP2C19 and determine if you are a "poor metabolizer." They say patients should talk to their doctors to determine if they should stop taking the drug.

Thanks, Cece!

Re-posting on f/b. Valuable reminder for us all.

~Sandra

Yes, I've heard nothing about people getting tested for this before being put on Plavix. There are such large numbers of us, surely some of us are poor metabolizers. I feel that the docs may not be taking the situation seriously enough.

There are three parts to the procedure, as I understand them: first finding all the CCSVI (a challenge and a reason to go to an experienced doc); second effectively treating all the CCSVI (a challenge and a reason to go to a doc who uses the more aggressive ballooning methods); third keeping the blood flow open in the months post-procedure (a challenge and a reason to go to a local doc as well as a doc who prescribes adequate anticoagulation and who responds immediately with a follow-up doppler and second procedure if restenosis is found).

When I say the docs are not taking the situation seriously enough, I mean they are treating patients without having adequate follow-up in place. This puts patients at risk at having their jugular or azygous vein clot over and be lost. If it was the carotid artery and we dropped dead when it was lost, the docs would take that very seriously. They would not be treating and releasing the way they are. Since it's the jugular, it puts us at risk of long painful neurodegenerative decline if it clots over. These veins are important, you cannot embrace the CCSVI theory without embracing this too.

On a separate note, I found a Plavix animation, but can't tell the difference from it between Plavix and the Heparin chart linked above, even though one is antiplatelet and the other anticoagulant.

Here it is anyway, it's down on the left where it says, "Click here to see animation":
http://www.plavix.com/plavix-taken-with-aspirin.aspx

Thanks Cece!

hey cece and all, check out this post from this morning: platelet links!
http://www.thisisms.com/ftopicp-141337.html#141337