Ticlopidine should be taken with food. This increases the amount of medicine that is absorbed into the body. It may also lessen the chance of stomach upset.

Take this medicine only as directed by your doctor. Ticlopidine will not work properly if you take less of it than directed. Taking more ticlopidine than directed may increase the chance of serious side effects without increasing the helpful effects.

Dosing

Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following dose was used, and found effective, in studies. However, some people may need a different dose. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so:

• For oral dosage form (tablets):
  • For prevention of strokes:
    • Adults 1 tablet (250 mg) two times a day, with food.
    • Children It is not likely that ticlopidine would be used to help prevent strokes in children. If a child needs this medicine, however, the dose would have to be determined by the doctor.
  • For prevention of strokes or heart attack following heart stent procedure:
    • Adults 1 tablet (250 mg) two times a day, with food together with your doctor's recommended dose of aspirin for up to 30 days following the procedure
    • Children It is not likely that ticlopidine would be used to help prevent strokes or heart attack in children. If a child needs this medicine, however, the dose would have to be determined by the doctor

Missed dose

If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage

To store this medicine:

• Keep out of the reach of children.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• Do not store in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the medicine to break down.
• Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of children.

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For ticlopidine, the following should be considered:

Allergies Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to ticlopidine. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy Studies with ticlopidine have not been done in pregnant women. This medicine did not cause birth defects in animal studies. However, it caused other unwanted effects in animal studies when it was given in amounts that were large enough to cause harmful effects in the mother.

Breast-feeding It is not known whether ticlopidine passes into the breast milk.

Children There is no specific information comparing use of ticlopidine in children with use in other age groups.

Older adults This medicine has been tested and has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.

Other medicines Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking ticlopidine, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Anticoagulants (blood thinners) or
• Aspirin or
• Carbenicillin by injection (e.g., Geopen) or
• Clopidogrel (e.g., Plavix) or
• Dipyridamole (e.g., Persantine) or
• Divalproex (e.g., Depakote) or
• Heparin (e.g., Hepalean, Liquaemin) or
• Inflammation or pain medicine, except narcotics or
• Low molecular weight heparin (ardeparin [e.g., Normiflo], dalteparin [e.g., Fragmin], enoxaparin [e.g., Lovenox], nadroparin [e.g., Fraxiparine]) or
• Pentoxifylline (e.g., Trental) or
• Plicamycin (e.g., Mithracin) or
• Sulfinpyrazone (e.g., Anturane) or
• Ticarcillin (e.g., Ticar) or
• Valproic acid (e.g., Depakene) The chance of serious bleeding may be increased

• Phenytoin (e.g., Dilantin) Ticlopidine may increase the amount of phenytoin in the blood and increase the chance of side effects from phenytoin
• Xanthines such as theophylline (e.g. Theo-Dur) Ticlopidine may slow the elimination of theophylline and increase the chance of side effects from theophylline

• Blood clotting problems, such as hemophilia and von Willebrand's disease, or
• Liver disease (severe) or
• Stomach ulcers The chance of serious bleeding may be increased

• Blood disease The chance of serious side effects may be increased

• Kidney disease (severe) Ticlopidine is removed from the body more slowly when the kidneys are not working properly. This may increase the chance of side effects

Also, tell your doctor if you have ever had a problem called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). This problem could reoccur if you take ticlopidine.