Switching to aspirin for pain relief? Beware its risks, too

Vance · 01-17-2005, 12:25 PM

Now that painkiller Vioxx is off the market and Celebrex and Bextra face questions, consumers may be tempted to use one of the oldest and most trusted painkillers of all: aspirin.

Drugstore.com, the nation's No. 1 online pharmacy, has seen aspirin sales increase about 15%, more than would be expected in recent months, although it's too early to draw conclusions about why that's happening. But doctors and pharmacists say more people are asking about pain alternatives and should remember that aspirin carries dangers, too.

"My guess is that if aspirin was launched in 2004, it would not be an over-the-counter drug," says pharmacist Harold DeMonaco, senior editor for Harvard Health Publications. "People have the misunderstanding that if you can simply buy it without a prescription, that it is completely safe to use. But every drug has side effects."

More than 100 billion aspirin tablets are consumed worldwide each year, says the Aspirin Foundation. The more-than-100-year-old drug is commonly used to treat pain and inflammation associated with headaches, toothaches, minor arthritis and muscle or soft tissue injuries. It is also often recommended in small doses for people at high risk of heart attack because it helps prevent blood clots.

But aspirin also is believed to help cause gastrointestinal bleeding and stomach irritation. It has been around so long it never went through the stringent tests today's drugs do to become non-prescription drugs, DeMonaco says.

Chronic pain sufferers need to be the most wary, says rheumatologist Michael Stevens of San Mateo, Calif. Aspirin is fine for the occasional headache or minor pain, he says. Plus, it's cheap: 120 tablets cost less than $7 recently on Drugstore.com. But Stevens doesn't recommend it for chronic pain suffers, because they'd have to take so much of it, potentially increasing their risks.

For a long time, aspirin was the only pain reliever available without a prescription. Then others came along, including ibuprofen and naproxen, sold in non-prescription form as Advil and Aleve, respectively.

Even Aleve has been linked to heart risk in one recent study. DeMonaco says that study needs to "be taken with a large grain of salt," as it contradicts others. Stevens says he's more likely to switch patients who cannot use COX-2s to other anti-inflammatory drugs such as Aleve or ibuprofen than to aspirin.

Pharmacologist Steven Weisman, a paid scientific adviser to Bayer, says consumers and doctors who shunned aspirin for newer medications may try it as the risks of newer medications become more known.

"We may see a little bit of the turning of the tide," Weisman says. "They will look back to what they trusted in the past."

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/money/indust...-aspirin_x.htm

It is interesting to know that aspirin alone sent 70,000 people to hospital and causes approx 7,000 deaths per year. I found it odd that they criminalized the use of marijuana which never cause any death in history yet they ok'ed the use of aspirin.

Go figures.

Peachy Lady · 01-17-2005, 12:43 PM

Aspirins can be dangerous if taken wrong or for too long. Can you tell us ADers what to take instead for our headaches, stomach ache, and any other aches that will not harm our health? Making sure that we sleep enough hours, drink plenty of water, not to drink too much alcohol, less caffeine and eating healthy meals will help. What else?

Fly Free · 01-17-2005, 12:49 PM

it seems to me that the Bayer asprin brand has the best repuation and its been around for like CENTURIES (i know its not like centuries but damn its been around long before i even existed in this lifetime LOL)

Magatsu -- ur thoughts abt the Bayer asprin brand qq its reputed to be the brand recommended by docs for keeping heart attacks at bay along with other ailments

if i EVER do take asprins which is RARE -- i would be taking a couple extra-strength tylenols

01-17-2005, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peachy Lady

Aspirins can be dangerous if taken wrong or for too long. Can you tell us ADers what to take instead for our headaches, stomach ache, and any other aches that will not harm our health? Making sure that we sleep enough hours, drink plenty of water, not to drink too much alcohol, less caffeine and eating healthy meals will help. What else?

Dont forget about avoiding stress if possible and if not possible, do stress management

Fly Free · 01-17-2005, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meg

Dont forget about avoiding stress if possible and if not possible, do stress management

ALSO VERY TRUE Meg!!! *nodding* in absolute agreement!

Reba · 01-17-2005, 12:57 PM

My hubby is strongly allergic to aspirin. He took an aspirin and had to go to the ER because he had a bad reaction. He takes Tylenol when he has a headache.

Vance · 01-17-2005, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fly Free

Magatsu -- ur thoughts abt the Bayer asprin brand qq its reputed to be the brand recommended by docs for keeping heart attacks at bay along with other ailments

Honestly, I don't know anything about Bayer or Tylenol. Whenever I have a headache (which is very, very rare), I usually let it run and rest on my bed because I believe it is a sign of not enough sleep or rest.

But other than headache like pains, etc.. again I usually let it run, our bodie (mostly brains) have the wonderful pain killers 'serum' (Endorphin, it has a pain-relieving effect 6.5 times that of manmade morphine). Eat well and rest well usually 'cure' these kind of pains.

Peachy Lady, drink few glasses of milk too, it seem help with pain-relieve.

All in all, see your doctor about these pains will be the probably best choice. Tell them that you don't want to take the aspirin, they may have other recommendations for you to take for pain-relieve. Wish I can help any on this issue

jazzy · 01-17-2005, 01:28 PM

Aspirin caused ucler in my husband so we never bought them. He takes ibourpine for mirgraine and take pain killer narco for his shoulder which has less aspirin than others.

Reba · 01-17-2005, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magatsu

...Whenever I have a headache (which is very, very rare), I usually let it run and rest on my bed because I believe it is a sign of not enough sleep or rest.

I wish that was possible but most of us can't rest in bed when we have a headache; we have to go to work.

Liebling:-))) · 01-17-2005, 02:18 PM

Interesting!

I alway take effervescent tablets. It´s harmless tablet and do not affect our healthy.

Headache - cover ice cubes in hand towel to put on my forehead.

Stomach ache - cover the towel on hot rubber bottle to put on my stomach.

Vance · 01-17-2005, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reba

I wish that was possible but most of us can't rest in bed when we have a headache; we have to go to work.

That's true. I usually take the time off when I had a headache. I rarely have one.. if minor or tolerable, I will go to work and shrug it off... but if I couldn't, I usually stay and rest on my bed.

ravensteve1961 · 01-17-2005, 02:55 PM

If Aspirn causes me to go deaf im going to take tylenol to court and get millions from them.

Reba · 01-17-2005, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ravensteve1961

If Aspirn causes me to go deaf im going to take tylenol to court and get millions from them.

Aspirin and Tylenol are not the same product.

***VamPyroX*** · 01-17-2005, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ravensteve1961

If Aspirn causes me to go deaf im going to take tylenol to court and get millions from them.

Oh... puh-leeze! Get a life! It didn't make you deaf. You would do anything to find anyone to blame for your deafness. You're deaf. God made you deaf. Deal with it!

***VamPyroX*** · 01-17-2005, 04:03 PM

I'm not surprised that this happened. It's like most drugs. When used rarely, they are good for you. When used too much, they are bad for you. Drinking a glass of wine a day is good for your health. Drinking too much daily is bad for your health. Smoking a joint of marijuana from time to time helps relieve stress. Smoking every single day causes cancer and mental problems. Taking asprin from time to time, only when you have a headache (not daily)... and you're fine. Taking asprin daily will keep your blood flowing, but stopping after long-term use... can lead to strokes within weeks after stopping.

01-17-2005, 12:25 PM	#1 (permalink)
Vance Registered User Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 4,280	Switching to aspirin for pain relief? Beware its risks, too Now that painkiller Vioxx is off the market and Celebrex and Bextra face questions, consumers may be tempted to use one of the oldest and most trusted painkillers of all: aspirin. Drugstore.com, the nation's No. 1 online pharmacy, has seen aspirin sales increase about 15%, more than would be expected in recent months, although it's too early to draw conclusions about why that's happening. But doctors and pharmacists say more people are asking about pain alternatives and should remember that aspirin carries dangers, too. "My guess is that if aspirin was launched in 2004, it would not be an over-the-counter drug," says pharmacist Harold DeMonaco, senior editor for Harvard Health Publications. "People have the misunderstanding that if you can simply buy it without a prescription, that it is completely safe to use. But every drug has side effects." More than 100 billion aspirin tablets are consumed worldwide each year, says the Aspirin Foundation. The more-than-100-year-old drug is commonly used to treat pain and inflammation associated with headaches, toothaches, minor arthritis and muscle or soft tissue injuries. It is also often recommended in small doses for people at high risk of heart attack because it helps prevent blood clots. But aspirin also is believed to help cause gastrointestinal bleeding and stomach irritation. It has been around so long it never went through the stringent tests today's drugs do to become non-prescription drugs, DeMonaco says. Chronic pain sufferers need to be the most wary, says rheumatologist Michael Stevens of San Mateo, Calif. Aspirin is fine for the occasional headache or minor pain, he says. Plus, it's cheap: 120 tablets cost less than $7 recently on Drugstore.com. But Stevens doesn't recommend it for chronic pain suffers, because they'd have to take so much of it, potentially increasing their risks. For a long time, aspirin was the only pain reliever available without a prescription. Then others came along, including ibuprofen and naproxen, sold in non-prescription form as Advil and Aleve, respectively. Even Aleve has been linked to heart risk in one recent study. DeMonaco says that study needs to "be taken with a large grain of salt," as it contradicts others. Stevens says he's more likely to switch patients who cannot use COX-2s to other anti-inflammatory drugs such as Aleve or ibuprofen than to aspirin. Pharmacologist Steven Weisman, a paid scientific adviser to Bayer, says consumers and doctors who shunned aspirin for newer medications may try it as the risks of newer medications become more known. "We may see a little bit of the turning of the tide," Weisman says. "They will look back to what they trusted in the past." Source: http://www.usatoday.com/money/indust...-aspirin_x.htm It is interesting to know that aspirin alone sent 70,000 people to hospital and causes approx 7,000 deaths per year. I found it odd that they criminalized the use of marijuana which never cause any death in history yet they ok'ed the use of aspirin. Go figures.

01-17-2005, 02:18 PM	#10 (permalink)
Liebling:-))) me in Springfield, IL '07 Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Germany Posts: 23,800	Interesting! I alway take effervescent tablets. It´s harmless tablet and do not affect our healthy. Headache - cover ice cubes in hand towel to put on my forehead. Stomach ache - cover the towel on hot rubber bottle to put on my stomach. __________________ sniffing you Last edited by Liebling:-))); 01-17-2005 at 02:23 PM.

01-17-2005, 04:03 PM	#15 (permalink)
*VamPyroX* bloody phreak from hell Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Hell Posts: 25,511	I'm not surprised that this happened. It's like most drugs. When used rarely, they are good for you. When used too much, they are bad for you. Drinking a glass of wine a day is good for your health. Drinking too much daily is bad for your health. Smoking a joint of marijuana from time to time helps relieve stress. Smoking every single day causes cancer and mental problems. Taking asprin from time to time, only when you have a headache (not daily)... and you're fine. Taking asprin daily will keep your blood flowing, but stopping after long-term use... can lead to strokes within weeks after stopping. __________________ Check out my city... CLICK HERE! (If you already visited yesterday, visit again today!)

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01-17-2005, 12:43 PM	#2 (permalink)
Peachy Lady Not from Georgia. Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 2,044	Aspirins can be dangerous if taken wrong or for too long. Can you tell us ADers what to take instead for our headaches, stomach ache, and any other aches that will not harm our health? Making sure that we sleep enough hours, drink plenty of water, not to drink too much alcohol, less caffeine and eating healthy meals will help. What else?

01-17-2005, 12:49 PM	#3 (permalink)
Fly Free Just me Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Wherever i want to be LOL Posts: 9,100	it seems to me that the Bayer asprin brand has the best repuation and its been around for like CENTURIES (i know its not like centuries but damn its been around long before i even existed in this lifetime LOL) Magatsu -- ur thoughts abt the Bayer asprin brand qq its reputed to be the brand recommended by docs for keeping heart attacks at bay along with other ailments if i EVER do take asprins which is RARE -- i would be taking a couple extra-strength tylenols

01-17-2005, 12:57 PM	#6 (permalink)
Reba Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 15,406	My hubby is strongly allergic to aspirin. He took an aspirin and had to go to the ER because he had a bad reaction. He takes Tylenol when he has a headache.

01-17-2005, 01:28 PM	#8 (permalink)
jazzy Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 2,902	Aspirin caused ucler in my husband so we never bought them. He takes ibourpine for mirgraine and take pain killer narco for his shoulder which has less aspirin than others.

01-17-2005, 02:55 PM	#12 (permalink)
ravensteve1961 Banned Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Here Posts: 3,940	If Aspirn causes me to go deaf im going to take tylenol to court and get millions from them.