Trental vs. Plavix

• Are Plavix and Trental the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Trental?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Plavix?
• What is Trental?
• What is Plavix?
• What Drugs Interact with Trental?
• What Drugs Interact with Plavix?
• How Should Trental Be Taken?
• How Should Plavix Be Taken?

Trental (pentoxifylline) and Plavix (clopidogrel bisulfate) are used to treat vascular disease (disease related to veins and arteries).

Trental is used to improve blood flow.

Plavix is used to treat patients with acute coronary syndrome, myocardial infarction (MI), peripheral vascular disease, and some stroke (ischemic type) patients.

Trental and Plavix belong to different drug classes. Trental is a hemorrheologic agent and Plavix is an anti-platelet drug.

Side effects of Trental and Plavix that are similar include headache.

Side effects of Trental that are different from Plavix include nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, bloating, belching, gas, diarrhea, dizziness, blurred vision, and flushing (warmth, redness, or tingly feeling).

Side effects of Plavix that are different from Trental include increased bleeding, nosebleeds, itching, and bruising.

Both Trental and Plavix may interact with blood thinners.

Trental may also interact with theophylline, aminophylline, dyphylline, and oxtriphylline. Tobacco may worsen your condition or decrease the beneficial effects of Trental by narrowing your blood vessels.

Plavix may also interact with aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), armodafinil, modafinil, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, gemfibrozil, isoniazid, cancer medications, stomach acid reducers, antifungals, HIV medications, or seizure medications.

Common side effects of Trental include:

• nausea,
• vomiting,
• gas,
• bloating,
• belching,
• upset stomach,
• diarrhea,
• dizziness,
• headache,
• blurred vision, or
• flushing (warmth, redness, or tingly feeling).

Tell your doctor if you have serious side effects of Trental including:

• chest pain,
• fast or irregular heartbeat,
• easy bruising or bleeding,
• feeling like you might pass out,
• red or pink urine,
• bloody or tarry stools, or
• coughing up blood or vomit.

Common side effects of Plavix include:

• easy bleeding and bruising;
• pain, redness, warmth, irritation, or skin changes where the medicine was injected;
• itching of your feet; or
• bluish-colored skin.

Thrombocytopenia, Eliquis-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) and Eliquis-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (HITT) are serious side effects of Eliquis.

Trental (pentoxifylline) is a hemorrheologic agent (an agent that affects blood viscosity) used to improve blood flow. Improved blood flow helps reduce leg cramps and other symptoms of vascular disease (disease related to veins and arteries).

Plavix (clopidogrel bisulfate) is a thienopyridine class of drug that inhibits platelet aggregation and thus inhibits aspects of blood clotting used to treat patients with acute coronary syndrome, myocardial infarction (MI), peripheral vascular disease and some stroke (ischemic type) patients. Plavix is available in generic form.

Trental may interact with blood thinners, theophylline, aminophylline, dyphylline, and oxtriphylline. Tobacco may worsen your condition or decrease the beneficial effects of Trental by narrowing your blood vessels. Talk to your doctor if you use tobacco. Tell your doctor all medications you use. During pregnancy, Trental should be used only when prescribed. This medication passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.

Plavix may interact with other blood thinners, aspirin, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Plavix may also interact with armodafinil, modafinil, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, gemfibrozil, isoniazid, cancer medications, stomach acid reducers, antifungals, HIV medications, or seizure medications.

The usual dosage of Trental in extended-release tablet form is one tablet (400 mg) three times a day with meals. It is recommended treatment is continued for at least 8 weeks.

Plavix is supplied as 75 and 300 mg tablets. For acute coronary syndrome with a non-ST elevation MI, the initial recommended dose is 300 mg, followed by a 75 mg dose per day; for ST elevation MIs, the initial and continuing dose is 75 mg per day. The recommended dose is 75 mg per day for patient with a history of MI, stroke, or peripheral vascular disease. Many doctors may choose to add an aspirin per day along with the Plavix dose in both non-ST elevation and ST elevation MIs as well as to stroke and peripheral vascular disease patients.