 Poster: A snowHead
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Does anyone have any experience of skiing whilst taking Clopidogrel - a blood thinner? I had a suspected TIA (mini- stroke) last Tuesday and have been prescribed a precautionary blood thinner. I feel absolutely fine and my ECG, MRI and blood tests have all come back clear. I am supposed to be going skiing this Saturday and have no idea wether to go or not. I have asked my consultant and am awaiting their response!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@REM1, It won't affect your skiing IMHO, the issue is if you cut a finger on an edge, or have a serious breakage then internal/external bleeding is harder to stop on a thinner. When I was on thinners I had a card I carried around in case of accident, so make sure the party you are with know what you are on and the consquences IMHO. The other thing is bruises are worse 
NOTE: I am not medically training so please go with whatever your consultant advises.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@REM1, I would be wary until you have some experience with how much minor injuries bleed. Mrs_mg is on anticoagulants (permanently) and for her, even really small cuts can bleed for a prolonged period. It's not necessarily a health problem on a small scale (although major trauma would be) but can be inconvenient and annoying e.g. with bloodstains on clothing. Every individual is different so you may be fine, but ideally you would have had longer to find out how your body copes with everyday knocks and scrapes before doing something like skiing which has a higher risk associated with it.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I'm on blood thinners, I was skiing last week - it's all about balancing risk. I'd be far more scared of having a stroke than of the risk of a major accident on a ski slope. It's a very personal decision - we all have different attitudes to risk, and our decisions are not necessarily very rational. I was more concerned last week about the risks of driving round the Aosta Valley in a rented car than about the prospect of a major accident on the ski slopes!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Clopidogrel stops platelets from clumping. Bear in mind that altitude and sport will increase your risk of stroke so will negate the effects of Clopidogrel to some extent. See what your consultant says although I suspect they will be overcautious.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@davidof, how does sport & altitude affect your chance of a stroke?
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| kitenski wrote: |
| @davidof, how does sport & altitude affect your chance of a stroke? |
higher heart rate and blood pressure - according to the NHS website.
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It has been a crazy week. I thought i’d had a bad migraine (loss of vision and speech) but the GP sent me to the hospital and they think it was a TIA (mini-stroke). I’m 38 and don’t have any major risk factors, don’t smoke, hardly drink, no high cholesterol, not overweight. They have referred me for some heart scans - which could take up two months. But I genuinely feel fine, so it’s hard to know what to do.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Clopidogrel is an antiplatelet and not a blood thinner (like warfarin). The drug itself does not preclude you from skiing (or travelling). You may bruise more easily. Its all a balance of risk. Given your age and lack of co morbidity the risks would appear to be low.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Mon 6-03-23 14:44; edited 1 time in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@REM1, I take it and have been skiing this season. None of us are medics and even if we were I doubt we would be offering any definitive advice via a forum. As has been said Clopidogerel is not a blood thinner but helps to prevent blood clots (which are what causes strokes & TIAs). I specifically asked about skiing and other forms of exercise and was told no issues (exercise being good). Have you told your travel insurance? You might find you have to pay an additional premium. You will also be banned from driving. The length of the "ban" varies from country to country here in Germany it is 3 months though the UK is (I believe ) only 1 month. It would have taken a lot to have stopped me from skiing and I am a good deal older than you though from what you have said there is not a definitive diagnosis which might be a concern. If your ski trip is important to you I would be inclined to pay to see a neurologist privately to get a quick decision.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Thanks everyone. I did ask if I could fly and the consultant said yes. But I forgot to say I was flying in order to ski!
I wasn’t thinking straight at the time as I was struggling to accept what they were saying.
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Yes, I’m prohibited from driving for 1 month! I am waiting for the referral letter for Cardiology. The neurologist said not to do anything different other than take Clopidogrel and come straight back if symptoms return.
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You know it makes sense.
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That is a preventation page. We are talking about someone who has had a mild stroke, is on medication and wants to do sport at altitude. I stick with my advice to ask his consultant rather than an IT bloke off the Interwebs.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@davidof, yup that's exactly what I said, but also interested in where the NHS advise not to exercise?
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Poster: A snowHead
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| kitenski wrote: |
| @davidof, yup that's exactly what I said, but also interested in where the NHS advise not to exercise? |
I'm sure exercising as a general rule is excellent advice for health and I wouldn't want to discourage anyone.
In the case of the OP it depends how and where he is skiing - I'm just wary about doing a physical activity at 2500+ meters after a stroke without seeking medical advice. On the NHS travel page they say don't go over 1700m after a stroke but that is maybe after a major stroke.
This from stroke.org
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| Activities at higher altitudes such as skiing, hiking, bicycling or climbing can place too much stress on the heart and blood vessels due to lower levels of oxygen and fluctuations in air pressure, temperature and humidity. |
at 2700 meters you've got 30% less oxygen. I assume the OP lives around sea level and doesn't have any adaptions. Flying (which the consultant said was ok, is similar to 2500 meters) but you are sitting.
and from humanitas.net
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| The normal compensatory mechanisms put in place by those who are healthy could be more difficult for those with acute or chronic diseases: among these there is the increase in heart and respiratory rate, the rise in blood and lung pressure, the number of red blood cells to enhance the transport of oxygen in the blood. Precautionary advice from doctors is that those patients who have had a stroke should not exceed 1,500 meters above sea level in the first three months after the episode and should not exceed 2,000 between the fourth and sixth months |
it could all be over precautionary of course.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@REM1, you will need to inform your insurance ...you might not be covered
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Thanks everyone. I can get insurance for the trip. It is reassuring to hear from people who have skied on the same medication. I’m still weighing up wether to go or not and hoping to hear back from the hospital consultant ASAP.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Interesting question.
Clopidogrel increases risk of bleeding primarily, as others have said, by making platelets less sticky so they clot slower. A small cut would inconveniently take longer to stop bleeding and you may bruise more significantly from minor trauma.
I would stop clopidogrel for all but emergency surgery.
There is some published work where levels of anticiagulation is varied to lessen it for sports.
Your physician would need to quantify the risk of stopping for the week of a ski trip.
There are some situations where a bit more bleeding than normal could be dangerous, that includes intra cranial bleeding ( inside the skull). This could be precipted by trauma. It’s difficult to prove a helmet would reduce that risk but I’d be sure to wear a helmet at all times skiing.
Some of the risk is very difficult to quantify.
Perhaps the SH Community on anticoagulants could tell us. We’d need to tot up 1000 skier days between us and count the number of instances of minor bruising/ bleeding, moderate and s vet problems.
That could be compared to risk of injury which is about 3/1000 skier days.
In short there is some risk with major trauma and brain trauma being of most concern. Stopping would also have risk.
Jonathan Bell
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I cannot see any evidence based guidelines
A quick google (not a systematic review of the literature ) suggests the risk may be low for people on clopidogrel.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25710435/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28424132/
One thing if you were recommended to stop it (which at a glance may not be advised) you should probably stop it 5 days before you start skiing as the duration of action is quite long.
Personally I stop my anticoagulant when I'm skiing but it's for DVT prevention and I reckon the risk of DVT for me is probably lower when exercising regularly I restart it for travel.
I can't say I've discussed it with my doctor.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Let your Consultant tell you and if they tell you not to go then you can claim on your insurance.
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| T Bar wrote: |
Personally I stop my anticoagulant when I'm skiing but it's for DVT prevention and I reckon the risk of DVT for me is probably lower when exercising regularly I restart it for travel.
I can't say I've discussed it with my doctor. |
@T Bar, you said you should probably stop it 5 days before you start skiing as the duration of action is quite long. So do you stop taking it 5 days before you travel out for your ski trip then restart it after your last day of skiing?
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| Alastair Pink wrote: |
| T Bar wrote: |
Personally I stop my anticoagulant when I'm skiing but it's for DVT prevention and I reckon the risk of DVT for me is probably lower when exercising regularly I restart it for travel.
I can't say I've discussed it with my doctor. |
@T Bar, you said you should probably stop it 5 days before you start skiing as the duration of action is quite long. So do you stop taking it 5 days before you travel out for your ski trip then restart it after your last day of skiing? |
No, I'm on a different medication with a short duration of action (Apixaban) I stop it the morning I start skiing and restart it the evening I stop.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I've been on Apixaban but now switched to Edoxoban to save the NHS money. I have permanent atrial fibrillation which is a major stroke risk and I never routinely stop it. Minor cuts (sort of thing you do with over enthusiastic onion chopping) are no problem. I have a mortal fear of a rather-less-than-fatal stroke. A fatal one wouldn't bother me at all (obviously....).
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I would not risk it.
Accidents easily happen on slopes. Trauma, bruising, etc. Plus the weather looks to be crap.
If you can walkaway mostly financially unscathed or claim off insurance, then do that.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Other half has been on clopidogrel for years and still happily skis. Bruises perhaps a bit more easily, but nothing too serious. But we may be talking about different doses. Think the issue is more the recent proximity of a stroke / TIA, and if it might happen again.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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The weather isn’t looking great for Mayrhofen! The immediate risk factors for a TIA to happen again have been ruled out. But they don’t why it happened yet, there is a chance they may never know. But the clopidogrel (75mg) should prevent any further clots forming.
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I'm on Eliquis (Apixaban to you guys) and my cardiologist agreed with my request to go off it for ski season and resume in April. (I live in a ski town.) He just told me to have a full aspirin every day. Apparently, though, I'm in some gray area for the medicine at this point solely for being female and over 65, neither of which I can change. I had a-fib and it was theoretically fixed, altho it could return.
I was afraid of falling and smacking my head as I've done it more than once. I wear a helmet but you can still get a good hit sometimes.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@ecureuil, clopidogrel is taken as a 75mg dose for all indications.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@REM1, good luck with it, had the consultant given you their
view?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I'm pretty convinced my cardiologist would not agree I should stop the anti-coagulants except for surgical procedures. When I first went to a GP feeling unwell and was told I had tachycardia and atrial fibrillation he gave me a prescription for beta blockers and anti-coagulants and told me to dash round to the pharmacy immediately, before they closed, and take one of each before I walked home!! Subsequently, with all the medications, and feeling a lot better, I have been told I should do any kind of exercise I fancy, except heavy weight-lifting, and let myself be guided by how my body feels.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Thanks for everyone’s response, I really appreciate them.
I am a 38 year old, generally healthy, female. It has been one week today and no further TIA’s and no negative reaction to the Clopidogrel.
I won’t stop taking Clopidogrel to go skiing unless advised. Still waiting to hear back from the Consultant. But I’m sure a question about skiing won’t be top of their to do list!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| pam w wrote: |
| I'm pretty convinced my cardiologist would not agree I should stop the anti-coagulants except for surgical procedures. |
Totally agree it completely depends on the indication fro which the anticoagulant was prescribed.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@REM1, out of interest when you had your investigations done after the possible TIA did they do a carotid Doppler scan on your neck? Just wondered.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@REM1, do you have the consultants secretary info? When I was going thru various heart issues I found a phone call to the secretary to explain (in your case) the looming Saturday deadline helped expedite some answers!
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No I don’t have the secretaries e mail. I emailed the generic email for the department - FAO the two Consultants. I will call the department and ask for it! Thanks.
Yes my Doppler scan came back clear.
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@REM1, cool.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@REM1, having a TIA at your young age must have been a shock. Good luck with your complete recovery.
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@pam w, scary isn’t it, mind you I know of a lady who had a stroke whilst she was giving birth to twins and she was only about 30.
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