If you suffer from acid reflux as well as take the prescription blood thinner Plavix, you need to be aware that drugs like Nexiam and Prilosec could possibly greatly reduce the effectiveness of Plavix or clopidogrel as it is also known, leaving users at risk for a heart attack or stroke.

“Patients at risk for heart attacks or strokes who use clopidogrel to prevent blood clots will not get the full effect of this medicine,” the agency said in a statement.

Food and Drug Administration regulators state that key ingredients in Nexium or Prilosec block one of the essential enzymes that are produced by the body to break down the chemicals in Plavix.

“There’s not enough data to tell us how those drugs interact with,” the enzyme that activates Plavix, said Mary Ross Southworth, FDA’s deputy director for safety of cardiovascular products. “There are ongoing studies looking at those other drugs.”

The FDA states that Palvix is known to upset patient’s stomachs and there for should be taken with an acid blocker such as Mylanta or Zantac.

The Food and Drug Administration has added cautionary statements to Plavix stating that medications that are proton pump inhibitors such as Nexium or Prilosec should be avoided all together to reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke, this is based on a 150 patient survey produced by the FDA.

FDA says heartburn drugs can interfere with Plavix