Stroke Patients: Ticlopidine hydrochloride tablets are recommended to help reduce your risk of having a stroke, but only for patients who have had a stroke or early stroke warning symptoms while on aspirin, or for those who have these symptoms but are intolerant or allergic to aspirin.

Stent Patients: Ticlopidine hydrochloride tablets are recommended with aspirin for up to 30 days in patients who have had a stent implanted in their coronary arteries to reduce the risk of blood clots forming inside the stent.

Ticlopidine hydrochloride tablets are not prescribed for those who can take aspirin to reduce the risk of stroke because ticlopidine hydrochloride tablets can cause life-threatening blood problems. Special Warning for Users of Ticlopidine Hydrochloride Tablets/Necessary Blood Tests:Getting your blood tests done and reporting symptoms to your doctor as soon as possible can avoid serious complications.

The white cells of the blood that fight infection may drop to dangerous levels (a condition called neutropenia). This occurs in about 2.4% (1 in 40) of people on ticlopidine. You should be on the lookout for signs of infection such as fever, chills or sore throat. If this problem is caught early, it can almost always be reversed, but if undetected it can be fatal.

Another problem that has occurred in some patients taking ticlopidine is a decrease in cells called platelets (a condition called thrombocytopenia). This may occur as part of a syndrome that includes injury to red blood cells, causing anemia, kidney abnormalities, neurologic changes and fever. This condition is called TTP and can be fatal.

Things you should watch for as possible early signs of TTP are yellow skin or eye color, pinpoint dots (rash) on the skin, pale color, fever, weakness on a side of the body, or dark urine. If any of these occur, contact your doctor immediately.

Both complications occur most frequently in the first 90 days after ticlopidine hydrochloride tablets are started. To make sure you don’t develop either of these problems, If detected, neutropenia and thrombocytopenia can almost always be reversed. It is that you keep your appointments for the blood tests and that you call your doctor immediately if you have any indication that you may have TTP or neutropenia. If you stop taking ticlopidine hydrochloride tablets for any reason within the first 3 months, you will still need to have your blood tested for an additional 2 weeks after you have stopped taking ticlopidine hydrochloride tablets. your doctor will arrange for you to have your blood tested before you start taking ticlopidine hydrochloride tablets and then every 2 weeks for the first 3 months you are on ticlopidine hydrochloride tablets.essential

Rarely, decreases in the white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets can occur together. This condition is called aplastic anemia and can be fatal.

Things you should watch for as possible early signs of aplastic anemia are feeling of excessive weakness and tiredness, paleness, bruising, and bleeding from areas such as your nose or gums. You may also develop signs of infection such as fever. If any of these occur, contact your doctor immediately.

A few people may develop jaundice while being treated with ticlopidine hydrochloride tablets. The signs of jaundice are yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes or consistent darkening of the urine or lightening in the color of the stools. These symptoms should be reported to your physician promptly. Other Warnings and Precautions:

If any of the symptoms described above for neutropenia, TTP, aplastic anemia or jaundice occur, contact your doctor immediately.

Ticlopidine hydrochloride tablets should be used only as directed by your doctor. Do not give ticlopidine hydrochloride tablets to anyone else. Keep ticlopidine hydrochloride tablets out of reach of children!

Some people may have such side effects as diarrhea, skin rash, stomach or intestinal discomfort. If any of these problems are persistent, or if you are concerned about them, bring them to your doctor’s attention.

It may take longer than usual to stop bleeding when taking ticlopidine hydrochloride tablets. Tell your doctor if you have any more bleeding or bruising than usual, and, if you have emergency surgery, be sure to let your doctor or dentist know that you are taking ticlopidine hydrochloride tablets. Also, tell your doctor well in advance of any planned surgery (including tooth extraction), because he or she may recommend that you stop taking ticlopidine hydrochloride tablets temporarily.