I’ve been doing this for at least three years.
No problems with the stomach, and I take the higher dosage of aspirin, because of migraines, but I was wondering if taking a blood thinner ( aspirin or RX) does it cause more bruising in people?
Anyone? Buellar?
I would not recommend that everybody take an aspirin a day. A big British study showed that healthy people who take aspirin have a slightly increased chance of stroke that probably outweighs the cardiac benefit of a decrease in non-fatal heart attacks.
Howver, people with cardiac risk factors – family history of MI before 60, high cholesterol, obesity, blood clots – might well gain some benefeit from taking aspirin regularly.
Diabetics and people who have personally had heart problems should be taking aspirin regularly and several studies show a very clear benefit IN THE ABSENCE OF OTHER RISK FACTORS addressed in Qadgop’s post. Often with these risk factors there is still benefit, but you would be wise to discuss this with your doctor.
The next question is how much aspirin and how regualrly? No clear answer exists; one aspirin tablet can inhibit platelets for a week. Side efeects may be dose related, but a single, low dose of aspirin can still cause peptic ulcer. 81mg a day or even every other day seems reasonable to me – but the OP question is quite complicated, making it hard to give general advice.
For the experts: If someone in generally good health decides to take low-dose aspirin for its potential preventative effects, is there a best time and method to take the pill? With food or without, morning or bedtime, etc? I usually take a multi-vitamin and vitamin C at breakfast (I dunno if C is good for me, but I figure it can’t hurt). Would aspirin and vitamins interfere with each other?
I forgot to mention that when I was taking aspirin during my pregnancy, my doctor had me stop taking it about a week before my labor was scheduled to be induced. He said it could cause problems with doing the epidural and, if it was warranted (which it was), a c-section. I guess all that free-flowing, thin blood doesn’t work well during surgery.
Sooo, make sure your doctor knows you’re taking aspirin if he/she wasn’t the one to tell you to take it.
(Am I the only one who keeps sticking a “g” on the end of aspirin when I type it? Highly annoying.)
My father came THIS close to bleeding to death from aspirin. We had to drag him to the doctor, where we learned that some unbelievable volume of blood was missing from his circulation because it had been pouring out his stomach.
Granted, my dad was using aspirin daily for pain management, and taking quite a bit, but still. Be careful.