<s>[INST] I had been on alt of medication for years and decided to stop taking it cold turkey. One of the medications was Plavix. I m not scheduled to see my doctor for a couple of months. So far I have not had any adverse symptoms. Am I taking a risk of recurring blood clots? I started on it 7 years ago after major surgery complications. It s just that I have had to take upwards of 20 pills everyday, and needed to see what affect not taking so much would have on my daily routine. It s been 3 days and I m functioning okay. What should I do? [/INST] Hello,the answer depends on important things, like why it was prescribed in the first place. If - for example - you had a coronary artery event or cerebrovascular disease then stopping it increases THE RISK of a new cardiovascular event. I've written RISK in capital to emphasize the fact that stopping plavix won't make any difference in symptoms or the way you feel. It just causes an increased risk for thrombosis (blood clots) which may cause the cardiovascular event. People with cardiovascular risk factors are already at increased risk for cardiovascular events, so if you're one of them, then plavix is - silently - protecting you.I hope you've found my answer helpful!If you'd like more information you can contact me again.Kind Regards! </s>