Hello Everyone,
I have been on blood thinners since may 22 wheb i had a pipeline stent put in. Monday my ns told me i was ok to stop thr brilanta and only needed to take 1 baby aspirin 81mg daily. I am a bit nervous about stopping the medication. Has anyone else stopped taking blood thinner i was wonderi g what were experiences when u stopped. Side effect good or bad. What should i be on the lookout for or cautious about
I went off Brilinta before (about to again tomorrow). I experienced absultely nothing. You will notice less bruising soon after. I believe it stays in your system for about 5 days, then you’re back to the old you. Of course youll stay on the 81 mg aspirin. Other doctors may question that from time to time, but stick to it always unless protocols in neurosurgery change, and that would come straight from your neurosurgeon. Don’t let anyone else try to change that.
Good luck, but i dont think you’ll notice anything. I breathe a bit better off Brilinta.
Stopped Plavix which was a great thing for me, no more bleeding because I bumped into something and bruising reduced dramatically. I’m in the 81 mg aspirin for life group.
My wife has stopped taking Plavix recently per her neurosurgeon as it has been 6 months since her last coiling. Just like Moltroub less bruising and 81asprin for life.
@Angela3225
I was off Plavix after six months and my Aspirin was lowered to 375mg daily. One year later I was allowed to go down to 81 mg Aspirin daily which will be for life.
My neurosurgeon told me that if there is any complications with the stent, it usually happens during the first six months after the procedure, after that it is very rare that anything happens. I had no problem reducing the medication. Remember that 81mg Aspirin is still a potent blood thinner ( anti platelet medication) and it does its job.
Thank you. I started on plavix then theybswitched me to brilanta 90mg 2x daily for six months at the sox month mark i said i was unsure and asked to extend meds ankther six months. Whichbwas mknday. All has been well this week. I am just always what if what if what if.
My best friend is a “what if” type of person, so I’ll ask you the same question - “What if you stop worrying and start enjoying, what happens then?”
Im making that into a sign and hanging it in my house. Ty.
I’m still new here and my aneurysm was discovered last Nov. in the hospital while searching for a blood clot that may have caused a sudden onset partial blindness in my left eye. No clot and the aneurysm was unrelated to the eye issue. I was put on very high doses of steroids to halt the diagnosed blindness caused by my immune system, AION. They took me off 81mg Aspirin, which my heart doctor had me on for 20 years already. I’m 76. Last visit with new heart doctor told me to not take any form of aspirin, but I can take a Tylenol if I need one.
So, I’m confused after reading this thread. Should I be back on 81 by now? I haven’t been able to get an appointment with the Radiology Interventionist, but I’ve pretty much decided against coiling anyway.
Should I call my PCP about the 81 mg Aspirin?
@Shirlgirl
In my opinion, your physician is the only one who can give you medical advice. This person has the knowledge and expertise what is the best for you.
We are only laymen who have experienced aneurysms, ruptured and un ruptured.
I will try to straighten out your confusion of the post,
For people with brain aneurysms that have their aneurysm coiled, no blood thinners are recommended. For us who has a stent of some sort to close off the aneurysm, dual anti platelet medication is recommended a few weeks before and six months after the procedure. Then we often get a lower dose of Aspirin, some a bit higher for about one year, and others a baby Aspirin. We have to stay on a baby Aspirin, 81 mg for life.
This has only to do with the intracranial stent.
No blood thinners needed for clipping, which is an open surgery of the skull.
I hope this helps.
Hello
I stopped blood thinners after a year following the pipeline also and switched to baby aspirin. I was fine with no side effects. A year after that I also stopped the baby aspirin. I was taking nothing for a long time with no problems. I had angiogram and scanners first every 6 months, then once per year and now every 2 years. So far so good!
Only recently I had to go back to blood thinner with getting a lot of bruising so my doctor switched me again to baby aspirin but it is for a heart problem and just as a precaution.
I have a 3.6cm (36mm) unruptured aneurysm that has had a pipeline stent installed. I was taken off the blood thinners and put on baby aspirin and then now am on a full 326 aspirin a day. The pipeline allows the blood to flow into and out of the aneurysm and to slowly clot and then the body slowly absorbs the clot shrinking the aneurysm.
It has been 5 years this month that I had the pipeline installed and am told that, after yearly ct scans, my aneurysm has a 100 percent chance of NO RUPTURE!
It is also shrinking a little each year. If your neuro surgeon is the one giving you the information then Listen to him.
And for the “What If” man,
Forget about the What If’s,
Focus on the Positives!”
I went from 325 Plavix to 81 mg daily (baby) aspirin. It was quite a shock and I contacted them twice to make sure there wasn’t a step down dose. I thought they were looking at somebody else’s chart. I thought I would have some sort of reaction but I didn’t notice any side effects or difference. And I had been on blood thinners for thrombosis, then changed to another blood thinner for a blocked carotid artery. And while I was on the blood thinners, I ruptured. It will be fine, I don’t understand it but it hasn’t caused me a bit of trouble.
Same thing for me. Off Plavix then aspirin 375mg daily then down to 81mg which I still take everyday. It’s been 7 years. I bruise easily but much less when I went off Plavix.
Isn’t that the truth about the Plavix! My primary care doctor told me nobody on blood thinners has hands that don’t usually look like beat up tennis balls.
That is so strange. When i was on brilanta i did not bruise often unless i bumped into something. Im rather clumsy. I am also a 81 club member. Thank you to everyone for your stories and sharing your expeiences regarding coming off bloodnthinners. I discovered this group 2 years after my rupture. Wish i had found earlier. It’s been about 2 weeks off the brilanta and i also have noticed so changes and all seem well. Thank you
I thought my hands and arms had permanently turned red, blue, purple, green and yellow, depending on the point of healing I was at. My hands were the worse and I just contributed that to they were used most often so they got the most abuse. The odd part was after I stopped the Plavix I developed a horrible rash on my hands. A lot of possible reasons. One was I found a tick on my foot. I didn’t think a lot of it. I’ve had a bunch of ticks on me in my life. This was one of these new itty bitty ticks. I had a hard time getting him to let loose and he hurt like heck. I forgot about it until the rash was about 6 months old then had a tick panel done and nothing there. That was months… I was on month 9 when my hand developed blisters. Eczema? Could be, there’s one that is water blisters. They burst and my skin peeled off my fingers and I have marked my calendar and it should be over next week. I am on schedule and it should be gone within a week. Never had it before the aneurysm so I threw it in the aneurysm aftermath. Then I am starting to think I have fibromyalgia. My muscles hurt so bad all the time. Especially my neck and shoulders. My legs hurt but I got PAD, thank you, Annie. My right femoral artery is 100% blocked so they are going to have to do a Fem-Pop. Cute name for an absolute horrible surgery. My vascular surgeon is going to let me “ride this horse” as long as I want. We keep track of my pressure to be sure we don’t have any danger of amputation but it hurts soooo bad to walk. But the chances that they will bypass my femoral and find a good functioning vein below my knee are about 1%. So it hurts but I am riding that horse.
Oh my do I hate ticks. Developed Lyme’s disease back in the 90’s when it wasn’t common here in NC. The rash was where it got hold of me. There’s a business here in NC that treats clothing that really works in keeping ticks off me. I’ve used their socks which was what they sold in the beginning. I really need to send in my work in the yard clothes to be treated. You can find them here https://www.insectshield.com/
I’m not sure a ruptured aneurysm can cause peripheral artery disease since it’s a build up of plaque as I understand it. Of course I’m not a doctor…When my Neurosurgeon goes into my arteries, she always notes “no stenosis” which means basically my arteries are clear and not narrowed. I’ve only had endovascular procedures.
Are you going to a Dermatologist for your skin issues? I was diagnosed with Dermatomyositis and one of my issues is with my skin. There’s also a bit of muscle pain involved. It took a biopsy for the diagnosis and I was sent to a Rheumatologist. I don’t have the usual symptoms for DM that others get so I’m a conundrum once again. The Rheum suggested CeraVe cream and not lotion the PA Derm said to use (I burned horribly with that one. There’s a little line that says may cause sunburn. So despite the sunblock I use religiously I burned bad.)
A few days ago, I just had my first post rupture diagnostic angiogram (6 months after my Endovascular treatment). Similar to a lot of others, I was put on Plavix and baby aspirin for the 6 months after the treatment to prevent in stent thrombosis.
After the angiogram my neurosurgeon said everything looked good in my head and told me I could completely stop both the Plavix and baby aspirin right the way. I was a bit surprised to hear that to be honest. But who am I to argue with the neurosurgeon? Haha… So I decided to check this forum what others’ experiences were. I know everyone and our circumstances are different. And while I’m happy I no longer have to “suffer” from the crazy bleeding while on Plavix, I’m also worried about suddenly stopping all blood thinners. So far, I haven’t seen any adverse effects… Just worrying…
If there is a way for me to stop worrying, I would. It’s always easier said than done. 
Piko
Thanks for the update! I think it’s a great thing your MRI told him all he needed to know and you can go about living life and not worrying about the blood thinners! Remember to do relaxation breathing when you find the worries are overwhelming. When we breathe correctly, it provides more oxygen to our bodies and your brain will appreciate it.