Background: Ticagrelor is a frequently prescribed platelet aggregation inhibitor used in patients with acute coronary syndrome. A rare side effect is severe dyspnoea.
Case description: A 76 year old woman experiences severe shortness of breath three weeks after percutaneous coronary intervention because of acute myocardial infarction. Physical examination and additional investigation showed no pulmonary or cardiac explanation for her complaints. Shortly after cessation of ticagrelor, her complaints disappeared.
Conclusion: Ticagrelor-related severe dyspnoea in post-myocardial infarction patients is a diagnosis by exclusion of other reasonable causes of dyspnoea. Unfamiliarity with this side effect can lead to excess diagnostics and unnecessary referrals.