Brilinta (Ticagrelor) is a prescription drug used for lowering the risk of heart attack, stroke, blood clots, and other cardiovascular illnesses.
Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or those with one or more heart blood arteries stented are prescribed to take Brilinta. Stents are tiny metal devices that keep the blood vessels in your body open so that blood can flow through easily.
Brilinta is also recommended for those with coronary artery disease (CAD) who are at higher risk for a heart attack or stroke and also those who have already experienced a stroke caused by a blocked blood vessel or a transient ischemic attack (TIA).
Use of aspirin with Brilinta
When taking Brilinta, patients should refrain from consuming more than 100 mg of aspirin each day. Brilinta’s effectiveness will be decreased if you take more than 100 mg of aspirin daily. Hence, it is vital to be mindful of your daily aspirin dosage.
Brilinta side effects
The adverse effects of Brilinta can range from minor to severe. Some of its negative impacts on patients include the following:
- dizziness
- nausea
- diarrhea
- slow heartbeat rate
- rash
- allergic reactions, including swelling of the face, throat, lips, tongue, hands, or feet
Call your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following while using Brilinta:
- Severe bleeding or uncontrollable bleeding
- Pink, red, or brown urine
- Vomit that is bloody or looks like coffee grounds
- Red or black stool
- Coughing up blood or blood clots
Note: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) monitors the adverse effects of medications they have approved. Through MedWatch, you can notify the FDA about any Brilinta side effects you may have experienced.
Who should not take Brilinta?
Do not take Brilinta if you:
- Have a history of bleeding in the brain
- Are bleeding now
- Are allergic to ticagrelor or any of the ingredients in Brilinta
Alternatives
Some alternatives to Brilinta are the following:
- clopidogrel (Plavix)
- prasugrel (Effient)
- dipyridamole (Persantine)
- dipyridamole/aspirin (Aggrenox)
- ticlopidine
- eptifibatide
- warfarin (Jantoven)
- heparin
- rivaroxaban (Xarelto)
- apixaban (Eliquis)
- dabigatran (Pradaxa)
- edoxaban (Savaysa)
- enoxaparin (Lovenox)
- fondaparinux (Arixtra)
Note: Some of the drugs on the list are used off-label. Off-label use is when a medication licensed to treat one condition is used to treat another.