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I'm posting this up in hopes that it might save someone else from needless pain, suffering, and even death.
If you or someone you love are on Plavix or may be in the future (could be any of us, really), you need to Google Plavix TTP.
My dad went into the hospital in Virginia on with a mild heart attack on Monday, October 3rd. They unblocked a small artery with angioplasty and gave him drugs to clear some other partially blocked arteries. Afterward, he was in good spirits, having laughs with family members in the ICU.
They also gave him a drug called Plavix which is supposed to help prevent strokes and heart attacks. On Tuesday he went from being lucid to confused, slurring his speech, and showing other signs of stroke. The hospital staff tried to ignore it. One nurse told another "he was like that when he came in here." Just getting oxygen for him was like pulling teeth. Finally, a neurologist showed up, ran some tests, and confirmed he'd had several small strokes--hopefully transient, meaning the effects would pass.
On Wednesday, my dad began slipping into a coma, but the hospital staff seemed unaware of this, and downplayed his condition. He could talk some, but couldn't open his eyes. At one point he said "I should go be with Jesus." It wasn't until Thursday night that they said he might be slipping into a coma.
On Friday he was diagnosed with TTP (thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura), caused by Plavix. TTP is an autoimmune disorder in which the body destroys its own red blood cells. Clots and hemorrhaging can result. This, we were told, was the cause of his strokes.
The prescribed treatment on Saturday morning was plasma transfusions--out with the old, in with the new. The hospital misplaced the transfusion machine, and then misplaced the plasma. He didn't get the first transfusion until late Saturday night. They found that the right side of his brain was swelling. Sunday morning he was given another transfusion.
Later on Sunday, he was transferred to another hospital. On Sunday night, the neurosurgeon broke it to my mom (who had hardly left his side for almost a week) that the right side of my dad's brain was dead, and the left was dying. He'd had a massive stroke and hemorrhaging. Nothing they could do would reverse it, and he probably wouldn't last another day. His heart stopped beating on Monday night, the 10th.
TTP is supposedly a very rare disorder--only a few cases per million. A couple days after my dad's passing, I learn that my cousin's mother-in-law had died of Plavix-induced TTP less than a month ago.
A couple things. First, don't trust your life or that of someone you care about to a hospital any more than you have to. The quality of care can vary greatly depending on particular staff members, the hospital's "culture," and various circumstances. I found this out when my first son was born, and I never forgot. His mother nearly died because the nurses were downplaying her complaints and symptoms. Don't be afraid to be a pain in the ass if you have significant concerns. Raise hell if you have to.
Second, do some research on Plavix and TTP. There are those arguing it is no more effective than aspirin, but a lot more dangerous. Doesn't seem worth the risk to me, but that drug makes the pharmaceutical companies that produce it $6 billion/ year, so don't expect it to go away anytime soon. The ongoing litigation will no doubt have a negligible affect on their profits.
If you or someone you love are on Plavix or may be in the future (could be any of us, really), you need to Google Plavix TTP.
My dad went into the hospital in Virginia on with a mild heart attack on Monday, October 3rd. They unblocked a small artery with angioplasty and gave him drugs to clear some other partially blocked arteries. Afterward, he was in good spirits, having laughs with family members in the ICU.
They also gave him a drug called Plavix which is supposed to help prevent strokes and heart attacks. On Tuesday he went from being lucid to confused, slurring his speech, and showing other signs of stroke. The hospital staff tried to ignore it. One nurse told another "he was like that when he came in here." Just getting oxygen for him was like pulling teeth. Finally, a neurologist showed up, ran some tests, and confirmed he'd had several small strokes--hopefully transient, meaning the effects would pass.
On Wednesday, my dad began slipping into a coma, but the hospital staff seemed unaware of this, and downplayed his condition. He could talk some, but couldn't open his eyes. At one point he said "I should go be with Jesus." It wasn't until Thursday night that they said he might be slipping into a coma.
On Friday he was diagnosed with TTP (thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura), caused by Plavix. TTP is an autoimmune disorder in which the body destroys its own red blood cells. Clots and hemorrhaging can result. This, we were told, was the cause of his strokes.
The prescribed treatment on Saturday morning was plasma transfusions--out with the old, in with the new. The hospital misplaced the transfusion machine, and then misplaced the plasma. He didn't get the first transfusion until late Saturday night. They found that the right side of his brain was swelling. Sunday morning he was given another transfusion.
Later on Sunday, he was transferred to another hospital. On Sunday night, the neurosurgeon broke it to my mom (who had hardly left his side for almost a week) that the right side of my dad's brain was dead, and the left was dying. He'd had a massive stroke and hemorrhaging. Nothing they could do would reverse it, and he probably wouldn't last another day. His heart stopped beating on Monday night, the 10th.
TTP is supposedly a very rare disorder--only a few cases per million. A couple days after my dad's passing, I learn that my cousin's mother-in-law had died of Plavix-induced TTP less than a month ago.
A couple things. First, don't trust your life or that of someone you care about to a hospital any more than you have to. The quality of care can vary greatly depending on particular staff members, the hospital's "culture," and various circumstances. I found this out when my first son was born, and I never forgot. His mother nearly died because the nurses were downplaying her complaints and symptoms. Don't be afraid to be a pain in the ass if you have significant concerns. Raise hell if you have to.
Second, do some research on Plavix and TTP. There are those arguing it is no more effective than aspirin, but a lot more dangerous. Doesn't seem worth the risk to me, but that drug makes the pharmaceutical companies that produce it $6 billion/ year, so don't expect it to go away anytime soon. The ongoing litigation will no doubt have a negligible affect on their profits.
is doing me wonders, but I still can't sleep through the night. My poor pregnant sister was there and it was traumatic for her. When one doctor broke some bad news to her over the phone, she went into labor. My nephew was born about the time that the neurosurgeon was giving the bad news to my mom. My dad had been talking about "trading places" with the baby. He's named in honor of my dad.
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