Plavix Dosage/Direction for Use

Adults & Elderly: 75 mg as a single daily dose. Clopidogrel can be administered with or without food.
Clopidogrel 300 mg is intended for use as a loading dose in patients suffering from acute coronary syndrome.
Non-ST Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome (Unstable Angina or Non-Q-Wave MI): Initially, a single 300-mg loading dose and then continued at 75 mg once a day (with ASA 75-325 mg daily). Since higher doses of ASA were associated with higher bleeding risk, it is recommended that the dose of ASA should not be higher than 100 mg. The optimal duration of treatment has not been formally established. Clinical trial data support use of up to 12 months, and the maximum benefit was seen at 3 months (see Pharmacology: Pharmacodynamics under Actions).
ST Segment Elevation Acute Myocardial Infarction: 75 mg as a single daily dose initiated with or without a loading dose in combination with ASA and with or without thrombolytics (see Pharmacology: Pharmacodynamics under Actions). For patients >75 years, clopidogrel should be initiated without a loading dose. Combined therapy should be started as early as possible after symptoms start and continued for at least 4 weeks. The benefit of the combination of clopidogrel with ASA >4 weeks has not been studied in this setting (see Pharmacology: Pharmacodynamics under Actions).
Atrial Fibrillation: 75 mg as a single daily dose. Acetylsalicylic acid (75-100 mg daily) should be initiated and continued in combination with clopidogrel (see Pharmacology: Pharmacodynamics under Actions).
Pharmacogenetics: CYP2C19 poor metaboliser status is associated with diminished antiplatelet response to clopidogrel. A higher dose regimen (600-mg loading dose followed by 150 mg once daily) in poor metabolisers increases antiplatelet response (see Pharmacology: Pharmacokinetics: Pharmacogenetics under Actions). Consider the use of higher clopidogrel doses in patients who are poor CYP2C19 metabolisers. An appropriate dose regimen for this patient population has not been established in clinical outcome trials.