Safety of Antiplatelets agents for PVD in Stomach Ulcer patients

Dear Ask The Doctor: My father is 71 and has been a diabetic for nearly 30 years which is reasonably well controlled on tablets. He also suffers from Peripheral Vascular disease because of which he is getting pains in both calves when he starts to walk but then starts to get better as he continues to walk. In august 2009 he had an endoscopy for abdominal discomfort which showed a stomach ulcer for which he was started on Omeprazole 40m twice a day. His PERSANTIN was stopped at that time. Now he is getting those pains in his calves as described above. He is quite symptom free from his ulcer point of view as he is not getting an pain and also maintaining his Haemoglobin. Can he be started on any antiplatelets drugs? Which one will be the safest in my father's scenario? He is still on OMEPRAZOLE 20mg twice a day. Thank you very much for your expert opinion.

Dear Fraz: The risks and benefits for the concomitant use of an anti-platelet medication in patients with stomach ulcer or risks of GI bleeding, needs to be weighed in individual cases. The decision to use an anti-platelet medication and its dose and type would be best determined by the treating doctor (who is best aware of the medical history of his patient). However, a low dose aspirin would be a better option along with the continuation of omeprazole to reduce the risk of bleeding from stomach ulcer.