Medication for Mesenteric Ischemia

Some dangerous blood clots require fast-acting, clot-busting medications called thrombolytics. These medications help restart blood flow to prevent damage to the intestines in people with acute mesenteric ischemia. 

Because thrombolytics can cause severe bleeding, they are usually only given to people with life-threatening symptoms.

Anticoagulants, or blood thinners, are used to prevent blood clots from forming after surgery to treat mesenteric ischemia. Because these medications can cause bleeding, your doctor monitors you closely using regular blood tests.

Vasodilators relax the arteries, helping to prevent them from narrowing. This helps increase blood and oxygen flow to the intestines. Side effects can include rapid heartbeat and chest pain.

Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to prevent sepsis, a potentially life-threatening complication of an infection. In people with mesenteric ischemia, infections may occur as a result of gangrene, which is cell death in the bowel.