Plavix and skydiving

[HorrorWriter 0]

I was wondering if there were any skydivers out there on the blood thinning medication, Plavix.

I'm 36 and recently had a brain angioplasty to open a blood vessel (was previously having stroke symptoms). The blood vessel is open with no symptoms since the procedure, but I have to remain on Plavix, which make bleeding very inconvenient when cut. I desperately want to get back to jumping but would like to know if other people out there are on the same medication or if it just isn't worth the risk.

Thanks!

[freefalle 0]

I'm sure you are not the only skydiver on anticoag. therapy It's not really an issue for most people. I would recommend simply contgacting your physican before skydiving again but I don't think he will recommend against it.

[HorrorWriter 0]

Yeah, I'm sure your right. Doctor said to just be cautious.

[cjsgrlsx3 0]

I have a blood disorder that does not allow my blood to clot like it is suppose to. My doctor doesn't see any reason why I shouldn't jump. But you should speak to your doctor.

[jumpdr 0]

Plavix, or clopidogrel to give it its generic name, is a platelet inhibitor. Platelets are the sticky components of blood that have some role in initiating clotting.
I guess the best way to think of it is something of a spectrum. Your blood is being held in a constant state of equilibrium - 'thin' enough to run through your blood vessels without blocking them, but 'thick' enough to clot when you cut yourself to stop you bleeding to death. Everybody is somewhere on the spectrum - some people on the right of the spectrum clot quicker or more easily than others and they're at risk of things like strokes/MI/DVT/thromboembolisms, other people on the left of the spectrum clot much less, and they're at risk of catastrophic bleeds from just about anywhere. Most of us are in the middle - or 'just right'.
The Plavix is simply pushing you slightly more to the left than you might otherwise be, because the 'defect' in the blood vessel in your brain could theoretically cause a clot there, chiefly by being attractive to those platelets.
Because Plavix only inhibits this particular clotting pathway, it's far less dangerous than warfarin (another blood thinning agent) which can leave people open to serious bleeding if their dose isn't right.
If you were my patient (which you're not, so do please check with your own doctor) I'd suggest skydiving would not be a problem - it's certainly far less of a risk than contact sports such as rugby, american football etc where you're quite likely to end up bleeding from somewhere. In many ways, I'd be more worried about the original problem and skydiving, than the medication itself as having a stroke in freefall would not be ideal. Obviously I don't know the full details, so I'd want to know if you had any other arterial stenoses (narrowed blood vessels) in your brain.

Skydiving is more than a sport and more than a job: skydiving is pure passion and desire which will fill a lifetime.

[Travman 6]

I'd talk to my doctor rather than rely on the advice of people I hadn't met.

[HorrorWriter 0]

Thanks so much for the detailed information, I really appreciate you taking the time. That helps a lot. I have spoke with the doctor who preferred other activities, but said to just be careful. I agree, still safer than most contact sports.

[GLIDEANGLE 1]

A reasonable precaution for skydiving when taking Plavix would be to WEAR/CARRY identification that indicates that you are on this medication. That way if you are injured and unable to tell this to your caregivers, they can act accordingly.

One option for this is http://www.medicalert.org .

The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

[HorrorWriter 0]

Great advice and my wife, always thinking WAY ahead of me, already has hooked me up with a medic-alert bracelet:-)