Clopidogrel oral tablet dosage: A detailed guide

This article describes clopidogrel oral tablet’s dosages and strength and gives details on how to take it. You’ll also find information on cost savings and coupon options for clopidogrel. If you want to know more about clopidogrel oral tablet, see this overview article. It covers details about the drug’s uses, side effects, and more.

Clopidogrel oral tablet is a generic version of the brand-name drug Plavix.

Boxed warning: Risk of drug metabolism problems

Clopidogrel has a boxed warning for the risk of drug metabolism problems. This means the drug may not be effective in people whose bodies have difficulty breaking down certain drugs. A boxed warning is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

See the end of this article for more information about this warning.

Form and strengths of clopidogrel

Clopidogrel oral tablet comes as follows:

• Form: tablet that you swallow
• Strengths: 75 milligrams (mg), 300 mg

Dosage of clopidogrel

This article describes the recommended dosages for clopidogrel oral tablet. The drugmaker provides these dosages.

If your doctor prescribes this medication, you should follow the dosage they prescribe. Your doctor will determine the dosage that best meets your needs. Do not change your dosage of clopidogrel oral tablet without your doctor’s recommendation.

Usual recommended dosages of clopidogrel in adults

Clopidogrel oral tablet is approved to help prevent heart attack and stroke in certain adults. These adults include those who:

• have acute coronary syndrome
• have had a heart attack recently
• have had a stroke recently
• have peripheral arterial disease

These conditions are related to either the heart or blood vessels or both.

Dosage if you have acute coronary syndrome

The recommended dosages to help prevent heart attack and stroke in adults who have acute coronary syndrome are:

• Starting dosage: 300 milligrams (mg) as a single dose
• Maintenance dosage: 75 mg once per day

A maintenance dosage is what you’ll take throughout your treatment, usually after a starting dosage.

Dosage if you’ve had a heart attack or stroke recently or have peripheral arterial disease

The recommended dosage to help prevent heart attack or stroke in adults is below. Specifically, it’s for adults who’ve had a heart attack or stroke recently or have peripheral arterial disease.

• Typical dosage: 75 mg once per day

Missed dose of clopidogrel

Talk with your doctor or pharmacist right away if you realize you forgot to take a dose of clopidogrel oral tablet. They may advise you to take the missed dose. Or they may advise you to skip it and take your next dose as scheduled.

For tips on how to plan your doses of clopidogrel oral tablet and avoid missing a dose, read this article. You could also try:

• downloading a reminder app on your phone
• setting an alarm
• putting a note where you’ll see it, such as on your calendar, bathroom mirror, or bedside table

Frequently asked questions

Below are answers to some commonly asked questions about clopidogrel oral tablet and its dosage.

Is there a best time of day to take my clopidogrel dose?

No, clopidogrel can be taken any time of day. To help you remember to take it, it’s best to take clopidogrel at the same time every day. Doctors usually prescribe it to be taken once per day.

If you have more questions about this, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

How does the dose of clopidogrel compare with the dose of aspirin?

The doses of the two are similar. After you’ve had a heart attack or stroke, doctors usually prescribe medications to help prevent another. For this purpose, they commonly prescribe clopidogrel and aspirin. In fact, doctors sometimes prescribe clopidogrel and aspirin for treatment together. (Aspirin is available over the counter.)

While clopidogrel is approved to help prevent a heart attack or stroke, aspirin isn’t. But aspirin may be used off-label to help prevent heart attack or stroke. With off-label use, doctors prescribe a drug for a purpose other than what it’s approved to treat or help prevent.

The recommended dosage of clopidogrel to help prevent heart attack and stroke is 75 milligrams (mg) per day. The recommended dosage of aspirin typically is between 75 mg and 100 mg per day.

To learn more about which treatment is right for you, talk with your doctor.

What is the lowest dosage of clopidogrel recommended?

The lowest dosage of clopidogrel recommended is 75 mg once per day. This dosage:

• helps prevent heart attack and stroke in adults with acute coronary syndrome
• helps prevent heart attack and stroke in adults who’ve had a heart attack or stroke recently or have peripheral arterial disease

If you have questions about the right dosage for you, talk with your doctor.

Do older adults need to take a lower dose of clopidogrel?

No, older adults ages 65 years and older don’t need to take a lower dose of clopidogrel. In studies, clopidogrel had similar effects on older and younger adults. So the recommended dosage of clopidogrel is the same for all adults.

You can talk with your doctor if you have questions about your dose of clopidogrel.

Is clopidogrel taken long term?

Yes, doctors typically prescribe clopidogrel oral tablet as a long-term treatment. If you and your doctor determine that it’s safe and effective for your condition, you’ll likely take it long term.

If you have questions about how long you should take clopidogrel oral tablet, talk with your doctor.

How clopidogrel is taken

You’ll swallow clopidogrel oral tablet once per day. You can take it with or without food.

Your doctor may advise that you take this medication around the same time each day. This helps keep a consistent amount of the drug in your body. And that can help the drug work more effectively.

The drugmaker doesn’t specify whether you can split, crush, or chew clopidogrel tablets. If it’s hard for you to swallow tablets, view this article. It provides suggestions on how to swallow medications that come in pill form.

Also, be sure to talk with your doctor or pharmacist if you’re having difficulty taking your medication. They can offer recommendations about taking it.

Clopidogrel coupon

Visit this page to access Optum Perks coupons and get price estimates for clopidogrel when you use the coupons. These coupons can provide significant savings on your prescription costs. 

Note: Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with insurance copays or benefits.

Overdose of clopidogrel

It’s important that you do not take more clopidogrel oral tablet than your doctor prescribes. Doing so can lead to harmful effects.

Symptoms of clopidogrel overdose

Symptoms of an overdose include serious bleeding problems.

What to do if you take too much clopidogrel

If you think you’ve taken too much clopidogrel, call your doctor or pharmacist right away. Or you could call 800-222-1222 to speak with someone at America’s Poison Centers. You can also use its online resource. If you have severe symptoms, call 911 or a local emergency number immediately. You can also go to the closest emergency room.

What to ask your doctor

This article describes the usual recommended dosages for clopidogrel oral tablet. If your doctor prescribes this medication, they’ll determine the dosage that’s best for you.

Do not change your dosage of clopidogrel oral tablet without your doctor’s recommendation. You should take clopidogrel oral tablet exactly as your doctor prescribes it. Let your doctor know if you have concerns or questions about your treatment plan.

Here’s a list of some questions you may want to ask your doctor:

• Does my dosage of clopidogrel need to change if I’m taking other drugs with it?
• Will a higher dosage of clopidogrel raise my risk of side effects?
• Can I cut the clopidogrel tablets in half?

Boxed warning for clopidogrel

Clopidogrel has a boxed warning for the risk of drug metabolism problems. This means the drug may not be effective in people whose bodies have difficulty breaking down certain drugs. A boxed warning is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

For clopidogrel to work, it needs to be activated (metabolized) by a specific enzyme in your liver. Your genes can affect how well this liver enzyme works. A specific gene difference can keep the enzyme from working and adequately breaking down clopidogrel. In turn, the drug won’t be effective.

Due to this risk, doctors may test your blood for this specific gene difference before prescribing clopidogrel. If you have this gene difference, they’ll typically prescribe an alternative medication.

Talk with your doctor to learn more about this boxed warning.

Disclaimer: Optum Perks has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.