Brilinta: Uses, Side Effects, Composition & Dosages

Brilinta is a lifesaving saver drug. It is used to lower the risk of heart attack or stroke in patients.

Brilinta is a platelet aggregation inhibitor or antiplatelet medication. In simple terms, it prevents platelets in the blood from sticking together, or to injured tissues and blood vessels to form unnecessary clots, since they could then could block arteries and disrupt blood flow.

Along with aspirin, Brilinta is given to patients to lower the risk of having heart problems after a heart attack or an episode of chest pain (angina).

Composition and Nature of Brilinta:

Brilinta is available in the form of tablets. The tablets are moderately sized and round in shape. The primary active ingredient in the tablet is Ticagrelor with a chemical formula C23H28F2N6O4S.

With a hepatic mode of metabolism, the compound has a half-life of more than seven hours. It is only meant for oral consumption through the mouth.

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Uses and Benefits of Brilinta:

Brilinta is a platelet aggregation inhibitor and is used only for specific purposes.

It helps in the smooth flow of blood in the body. It is used for the following purposes:

• In prevention of heart attack
• In prevention of stroke
• After an episode of unstable angina, for further prevention
• After an episode of heart attack, for further prevention
• To prevent heart attack after heart surgeries
• After angioplasty
• After stent placement
• After coronary artery bypass graft

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Side Effects of Brilinta:

Ticagrelor, the active ingredient of the tablet, causes some side effects in the body, and these are likely to be experienced by those using the drug. Below is the comprehensive list of possible side-effects that may occur.

Not all of them occur at once. If any symptoms are observed, they must be reported to the doctor immediately.

The most common side-effects, as reported by patients, are:

• Labored breathing/ Difficulty in breathing
• A feeling of tightness in the chest
• Easy bruising
• Bleeding
• Uncontrollable bleeding in the nose or elsewhere

The less common side-effects include:

• Dizziness
• Blurred vision
• Nose bleeding
• Blood in stools or black stools
• Blood in vomit
• Blood in urine or dark-coloured/red urine
• Fainting
• Discomfort in the chest
• Sharp chest pains
• Confusion
• Headache
• Irregular heartbeat
• Increase in heartbeat
• Nervousness
• Loss of consciousness at times
• Pounding in the years
• Profuse and unusual sweating
• Fatigue and overall weakness
• Dizziness or lightheadedness when waking up from a lying or sitting position

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Common Dosage Brilinta:

The dosage for Brilinta should be strictly prescribed by the doctor. The doctor may change the strength of the medication based on the complaint of the patient. In most cases, the doctors prescribe a loading dose of 80 mg, once every day. This is followed by a maintenance dose twice a day for the duration of a year.  After a year, the maintenance dose is 60 mg, twice a day.

Brilinta is to be taken along with aspirin daily. The tablet should be taken as a whole and never crushed or broken. It should be taken orally. It can be taken with or without food, but for best results, it should be taken at a fixed time every day.

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How Brilinta Works?

Ticagrelor binds to P2Y12 subtypes of Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptors. Ticagrelor is not like the other antiplatelet drugs. The binding site of Ticagrelor is different from ADP. It does not bind to the active site of the enzyme ADP to disrupt the action. This makes Ticagrelor an allosteric antagonist and therefore, the blockage is reversible.

When the action of ADP is deactivated, the blood flow is smooth in the arteries. The platelets, which form a major component of the blood, do not assemble or cluster together forming a block.

Warnings and Precautions: When to Avoid Brilinta?

Brilinta must be taken with caution by people with some disorders and diseases. The precautions to be followed while consuming this drug are listed below.

• The drug should be taken with caution by people who have a medical history of bleeding, like haemophilia, frequent nosebleeds, etc.
• The drug should be consumed with caution by people with arrhythmia or irregular heartbeats.
• Brilinta may cause dizziness and hence should be avoided before driving and operating heavy machinery.
• Brilinta may be unsafe to use during pregnancy, and must be used only when needed.
• Brilinta should be used with caution in people suffering from any kind of liver ailments.
• Alcohol should be avoided when one is on this drug. It may cause more dizziness and also increases the chances of stomach bleeding.
• The drug increases bleeding and hence sharp objects like razors, knives, nail cutters must be handled with care by and around the patient.
• Brilinta must be discontinued temporarily before and after a surgical procedure or dental procedure.

Substitutes for Brilinta:

The following are the drugs that have the same compositions and functions as Brilinta, and hence can be used as a substitute. These medications also have antiplatelet activity.

• Axcer tablets by Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries Limited
• Effient
• Plavix
• Ticlid

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Brilinta Tablet Interactions with Other Drugs:

This drug interacts with some drugs which may either increase the risk of side effects or can make the drug less effective. Ticagrelor interacts with the following drugs:

• Antiviral medications that are prescribed to treat HIV or AIDS
• Blood Thinners
• Antifungal medicines
• Opioid medications
• Cholesterol medications
• Tuberculosis medicines
• Seizure medications

The particular brand names that this drug is known to interact with are:

• Phylin tablet
• Onimar Tablet
• Unicontin tablet
• Bronkasma tablet

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