Let's take a minute to talk about your medication. 

This is clopidogrel, and it helps prevent blood clots. It is used to treat people who have had either a stroke or a heart attack, or people who have chest pain from heart problems or poor circulation in the legs. Clopidogrel can help protect you from having another serious problem with your heart or blood vessels. 

This medicine is often taken once a day, at the same time each day. You should take it exactly how your doctor tells you to. 

Most people tolerate this medicine well. Common side effects include easy bruising or mild bleeding, like a nose bleed. You should call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of more serious bleeding, including: 
bleeding that is unexpected or that lasts a long time;
bruises without a cause or that get larger; 
blood in your urine or stools; or
stools that look like tar. 

If these or other effects become reasons you want to stop taking this medicine, please talk to your doctor or pharmacist. You should not stop taking this medicine unless the doctor who prescribed it says it's okay. 

As with any medicine, rare but serious side effects could occur. You should read the medication guide to know which symptoms to watch for and when to report them. To help keep this medicine safe for you, your doctor will follow your condition closely and may order blood tests. 

Clopidogrel can have serious interactions with certain medicines. You should always check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking other medicines, especially aspirin, NSAIDs and warfarin. 

Women should check with their doctors before becoming pregnant and before breastfeeding.
 
For best results with clopidogrel, take it for as long as your doctor recommends.