Two years ago I (woman, age 74) was sitting on the couch, legs on the table. I got up, but my right leg didn’t want to go all the way: it was a bit dragging. After that I cycled four kilometers and when I got off I had the same feeling. Then it never came back. The doctor suspected a TIA. Nothing was found at the hospital, but I have been taking the blood thinner clopidogrel ever since. I doubt it was a TIA. Can I stop?
Joris Bartstra, journalist with a medical degree.
Well, I actually find the story rather suspicious. If the cause lies in the muscles, there is damage there and you cannot burden them with the pain. A pinched nerve (as with a sleeping foot) gives a very special feeling; you would have recognized this. A TIA is the most logical explanation. Whether you should continue taking clopidogrel for life is highly questionable. The protective effect is greatest in the first weeks. After that, the risk of a recurrence of a TIA or the occurrence of a real stroke decreases rapidly, and with it the ‘usefulness’ of taking a drug such as clopidogrel. It does make sense to have clopidogrel or aspirin on hand so that you can take it immediately if you see signs of another TIA or stroke.
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