Why can't pulmonary embolism patient take aspirin or any ibuprofen drugs?

I believe aspirin is an anticoagulant. I thought the problem with pulmonary embolism is blood clots traveling to the lungs. So wouldn't the priority here is to dissolve that clot? Why then the treatment is to not take aspirin, an anticoagulant?

One of the key points of anticoagulation therapy is patient SHOULD NOT take drugs containing aspiring (Iggy, Medical Surgical Nursing)

I'm confused

Is taking two asprin bad?

I'm having heart issues and I know they'll go away tomorrow(this happens rarely, but it always goes like this), can two aspirin hurt me?

Discontinue Aspirin Before Stent/CABG Surgery?

Step Dad is having a cardiogram with possible stent, possible bypass graft done Tuesday…

They forgot to ask the doctor about discontinuing his aspirin therapy before the procedure, but asked the medical assistant who was giving them their pre-op instructions, and he said “oh no you can keep taking that”.

This seems unusual to me… He's never had a heart attack or stroke, but is just taking the aspirin because his GP told him it might be good for him at 77.

I should think they would want better control over his clotting factors for a surgery like this.

Is this really wise? Anyone have any info/experience on this?

Common Characteristics of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease, is one of the most common ailments associated with getting older, and it is therefore most common in those parts of the world where people live the longest. More than 15 million Americans receive medical attention for osteoarthritis each year, and more than twice that many are affected by it to some degree. However, it rarely results in serious disability.

Osteoarthritis is essentially a “wear-and-tear” disorder. In typical cases, symptoms appear after the age of 50, and usually in the large joints that bear the most weight–the hips, knees, shoulders and spine.

Pain and stiffness are at their most uncomfortable upon arising in the morning and are likely to be intensified during damp, cold weather. (This does not mean, however, that symptoms are likely to disappear in a warm, dry climate.) Redness and swelling of the affected joints may also occur. Joints, particularly in the fingers, may become permanently gnarled by osteoarthritis, but this almost never interferes with their function. Painless bony bumps, known as Heberden’s nodes, may also appear symmetrically on the fingers of both hands or on toe joints as well.

Causes of Osteoarthritis

When a person is young and spry, the joints between the bones swing freely like efficient, well-oiled hinges. Stresses and strains are absorbed by the cartilage pads that provide cushioning and lubrication at the ends of the bones where they constantly come together as the parts of the body make their coordinated movements.

Over the years, these protective layers become eroded, lubricating fluids diminish and the result is a sensation often described as “creaking” at the joints. In addition to a decrease in smoothness of function, small growths, or spurs, may develop on the bones in the area of the joints. These are 10 times more prevalent among women than among men and are likely to aggravate an already uncomfortable condition.

Signs and Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

Since the weight-bearing joints are the ones most commonly affected, stiffness and discomfort in the knees and hips are likeliest to occur first, especially in the overweight person or in someone whose life style involves long stretches of standing or walking. A visit to the doctor for diagnosis normally includes close inspection of painful areas as well as X-ray examination of the joints in question. (when X-ray pictures are taken for diagnosis of some other condition in younger patients, they usually reveal the beginnings of cartilage erosion in the weight-bearing joints at a stage that does not yet produce associated symptoms.) Other than X-rays and visual examination, there are no other diagnostic tests for osteoarthritis.

Treatment of Osteoarthritis

Where overweight exists as a contributing factor, efforts should be made to lose the extra pounds and keep them off. Application of warm, moist heat, slow and gentle massage of the affected joints and a reduction (not a total cessation) of normal activities are ways in which patients can help themselves when there is an intensification of discomfort. Where pressure on the weight-bearing joints can be diminished through postural adjustments, special exercises may be recommended.

Drug Therapy

Although inflammation is not one of the initial symptoms of osteoarthritis, as the joint degeneration progresses, swelling, redness and other signs of inflammation may occur. When this happens, anti-inflammatory drug therapy may be recommended.

Aspirin. Patients who can tolerate high doses of aspirin may be treated with this drug alone. However, patients on anti-inflammatory aspirin therapy, which may involve taking 16 or more tablets a day, should be aware of possible side effects, among which the most common are ringing in the ears, heartburn and other gastrointestinal upsets. To minimize gastrointestinal complications, the aspirin should be scheduled after meals. Acetaminophen, in smaller dosages, may be recommended as an alternative to aspirin.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents. These are relatively new drugs that relieve the pain and joint inflammation of osteoarthritis. It is the physician’s role to match the patient with the particular drug that will be most suitable and effective without adverse effects. Sometimes drugs are used in combination, but whatever the procedure, supervision by the doctor is usually indicated if maximum benefit is to be achieved.

Steroids. In those few cases where other measures fail, steroid drugs (cortisone) may be injected into the damaged joint for temporary relief. However, long-term treatment with steroids is not recommended for osteoarthritis.

Surgery

When an older person suffers such severe osteoarthritis that most normal activity becomes impossible, surgical replacement of the affected joints may be considered. Hip replacement, in which the entire hip joint or head of the femur is replaced, is the most common operation of this type. The replacement joint is made of plastic and metal parts and is held in place by special plastic cements. The artificial joints allow the previously immobilized patient to be relieved of crippling pain, and most activities can be resumed following physical therapy and regaining of muscle function.

More recent joint replacements include the knee–a joint that is more complicated than the hip and, consequently, poses more engineering problems in replacing. However, the newer artificial knee joints are providing good results, both in terms of pain relief and restoration of function.

Traumatic Arthritis

Closely related to osteoarthritis, traumatic arthritis is usually the result of excessive joint use combined with injury. It is commonly seen in athletes. Rest will usually resolve the problem, although in some instances, drugs or surgery may be required, particularly in the case of athletes who need to quickly regain the use of the injured joints.

Summing Up

For millions of people, osteoarthritis is an inevitable condition of aging. Most cases can be handled by rest and common sense. Anti-inflammatory drugs–both non-prescription painkillers such as aspirin or acetaminophen, or prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents–may be used during flare-ups.

Osteoarthritis rarely turns into a crippling disease, but as newer and more effective drugs are available for reducing aches and pains to a minimum, there is little reason for allowing this particular cause of physical discomfort to be a dominating factor in determining one’s life style in advancing years.

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I am the owner and author of Hoodia Gordonii Side Effects. You can find the original article here: Osteoarthritis. If you’d like to read more of my articles, please visit my site!

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Aspirin as some might call it is a blood thinner. This may lower your risk of heart attack and stroke, but aspirin taken daily isn’t for everyone. How can you determine if you are a candidate for aspirin?

Doctors may recommend daily aspirin therapy only if you’ve had a heart attack or stroke, or you have a high risk of either. An occasional aspirin or two is safe for most adults to be used for minor aches and pains but don’t be fooled side effects can be severe as serious as internal bleeding.

The medical term for aspirin is Acetylsalicylic acid. It is used primarily as a pain reliever, to reduce fever, and as an anti-inflammatory. It breaks down into salicylic acid twenty minutes after entering the bloodstream. Salicylic acid is responsible for the beneficial effects of aspirin as it in itself it too caustic to be taken orally. Acetylsalicylic acid has anti-clotting effect in the blood. Aspirin hinders blood’s clotting action. When bleeding occurs, your blood’s clotting cells, called platelets, develop at the site of the wound. The platelets helps form a plug that seals the opening in your blood vessel to stop bleeding. Clotting in the heart usually occurs within the vessels that supply your heart and brain with blood. If your blood vessels are already narrowed from the buildup of fatty deposits in your arteries the fatty deposit in your vessel can burst. This causes a blood clot that can quickly form and block the artery. This prohibits blood flow to the heart or brain and causes a heart attack or stroke.

Aspirin reduces the clumping action of platelets possibly preventing heart attack and stroke. It also aids in preventing harmful clots from forming in the blood vessels and preventing the clots from becoming larger and causing more serious problems. Aspirin is often prescribed to prevent first or recurrent stroke.

Before deciding that daily aspirin use is right for you, you need to consult with a health professional or doctor. Your medical history is important to consider. The risks involved if you are taking other medications, including prescription and over-the-counter. Combining other products, such as dietary supplements, including vitamins and herbs with aspirin. Consider allergies or sensitivities, and the side effects of aspirin. Examine the benefits to be derived from the use of the medicine. Proper dosage and what directions for use are best for you is important. They will determine whether this medicine is workable or not.

Being knowledgeable is of paramount importance but the final diagnosis and decision lies with the professionals. Now armed with the necessary information consult your doctor today.

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If someone could come up with a “miracle drug” which could save 100,000 premature deaths annually, and costs only pennies to produce surely this would indeed be miraculous. Well the truth is that this drug has been with us for many decades and is available over the counter everywhere.

It is good old common aspirin, one of the lowest cost pain relievers around. It also has the miraculous property of thinning the blood, which prevents clotting–a prime cause of stroke and heart disease. This beneficial function of aspirin has been known for some time but more recently it has been shown that thousands of lives can be saved every year by simply taking an aspirin a day.

Medical professionals now recommend that anyone who has had a heart attack,a stroke or bypass surgery should take an aspirin every day. In addition to this people who have had an angina (chest pain) problem can also benefit from the same regime. Any one who is at risk for stroke such as atrial fibrillation patients or those who have had transient ischemic attacks should also take aspirin every day.

Aspirin keeps the blood from becoming sticky, and forming clots which can block arteries and lead to a heart attack or stroke. It has also been found that taking a baby aspirin of 75mg size is just as effective as taking a full size 325mg aspirin. This helps to avoid the stomach problems some people encounter with aspirin. Those who have had a previous heart attack would probably be well advised to take the large aspirin however.

With this kind of protection should everyone take aspirin daily then? The answer is definitely not. Healthy people with no record of stroke or heart problems should not start taking aspirin. The possible side effects, in the long term, do not warrant healthy people taking this drug. Only if you have had previous heart or stroke problems should you talk to your doctor about daily aspirin therapy. He can study your personal history and advise you on this.

John Mowatt writes on many subjects.He has written many articles which have been widely published on the internet. See his website at black womens wigs and also at microwave ovens countertop

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Vioxx, Celebrex, and Bextra were expected to be blockbuster drugs: improving clinical results and reaping in huge profits for the drug companies. Instead, after learning about the side effects linked to these drugs, many patients have been leaving these drugs behind, and turning to over-the-counter medicines for a safer option. Many have turned to aspirin. At one point after the news, the nation’s No. 1 online pharmacy, Drugstore.com, saw a 15 percent increase in aspirin sales. And it’s no wonder, aspirin has been around for over 100 years. It is one of the oldest, and must trusted painkillers. Interestingly, because it has been around for so long, it never had to undergo the rigorous testing most new drugs undergo before hitting the market as an over-the-counter drug.

Headaches, toothaches, arthritis symptoms, soft tissue or muscle injuries, aspirin is effective in reducing pain from a variety of sources. Over 100 billion tablets are consumed each year on this planet, and although occasional use is mostly side-effect free, reliance on aspirin does carry risks. Long-term use may result in serious problems such as gastrointestinal bleeding, so doctors usually do not recommend it for chronic pain sufferers. In fact, some pharmacists believe that if aspirin were a new drug today, it would not be given ‘over-the-counter’ status. Just because something is sold over the counter, people tend to think it is safe. This isn’t always the case. Some facts might help shed light on this discussion. Research shows that of patients that are taking low-dose aspirin in an attempt to prevent a heart attack, over 10 percent develop peptic ulcers.

Peptic ulcers may have no symptoms. Using endoscopy, researchers from the University of Western Sydney in Australia studied 187 patients taking between 75 milligrams and 325 milligrams of aspirin daily for at least one month. They discovered that 10.7 percent of the patients developed ulcers at least 3 millimeters in diameter, but only 20 percent of them experienced symptoms of the ulcers. Three months later, they repeated the endoscopy for the 113 people who did not have ulcers when the study began and found that over 7 % had developed an ulcer during this period. This increased the annual ulcer rate to 28 percent! These researchers concluded that the possible adverse health risks of aspirin should be carefully considered before long-term use begins, especially for patients that are at low heart attack risk to begin with.

In some conventional medical circles, aspirin is considered a useful tool in lowering cardiovascular risk at just one dose a day. But let’s not forget that aspirin is a drug, and all drugs can be both beneficial and harmful. Once you have a firm grasp on natural medicine principles, it’s clear to see that no drug is the best solution for a chronic, degenerative disease. Even though short-term use can give wonderful benefits, long-term use can bring a combination of side effects greater than the benefits.

Consider Vioxx. Tens of thousands of hopeful users lost their lives in an attempt to temporarily solve their pain problems. If you read the studies on the safety and efficacy of aspirin, you too can see that it carries potentially greater risks than benefits. Other than peptic ulcers, chronic users may develop: kidney damage, gastric bleeding (including possible life-threatening levels of blood loss), and increased risk of pancreatic cancer. Women especially are at increased risk for pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is a particularly quick and deadly form of cancer. Research has shown that women taking more than 1 aspirin each day for twenty years increased pancreatic cancer risk by almost 60 percent! Women who took more than two aspirin per day had an 86 percent greater risk than controls. While pancreatic cancer affects only 31,000 Americans per years, most patients don’t make it past their third year after diagnosis.

Regarding taking aspirin to avoid cardiovascular events, a British research trial of 5000 men showed that while those men that previously had a heart attack clearly benefitted from taking long-term, low-dose aspirin; the results for men without a history of heart attack were not a rosy. It seems that men with high blood pressure don’t derive the same benefit from aspirin therapy, while those with low blood pressure had a modest benefit. All had an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. In those men with high blood pressure, controlling that high blood pressure should offer more benefit than taking aspirin.

So what are the alternatives? Simple lifestyle choices such as exercising, and taking an omega-3 rich fish oil supplement can have huge benefits. For relief from arthritis, sore muscles and joints, and back pain, try Biofreeze. It’s a deep penetrating, long-lasting gel or spray. Formula 303 offers natural relief from muscle spasm, tension, and stress. For minor pain & inflammation, Inflavinoid can offer great relief.

Even though these natural alternatives to aspirin are effective, you need to ask yourself a few questions: What’s the reason I need an anti-inflammatory or pain-reliever? Why isn’t my body healing and repairing itself like it should? What changed in my life when these symptoms began?

The best way to answer those questions is with a foundational blood analysis. It provides a window into your body’s systems, to see where they have gone off track. When you are lacking nutrients, or your eating habits are reducing your ability to heal, or you are dealing with toxin build-up in your body, it shows in your test results. Recommendations based on your test results, including diet, lifestyle, and supplements can propel you to reach your health goals.

Federal Law requires that we warn you of the following:

1. The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only.

2. Your individual health status and any required health care treatments can only be properly addressed by a professional healthcare provider of your choice.

Remember: There is no adequate substitution for a personal consultation with your chosen health care provider. Therefore, we encourage you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.

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Dr. Jonathan McClaren, through his clinic, Allergy & Asthma Wellness Center, provides natural, non-drug therapies for allergy and asthma patients in the greater Portland, Oregon metro area.

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People who have experienced a heart attack should take aspirin in order to help prevent another attack from occurring according to the American Heart Association. Studies have concluded that aspirin can help to prevent a heart attack and it’s also effective for people who have been determined by their doctor to have a high risk of having an attack. Before you begin aspirin therapy you should consult with your physician.

Effectiveness of Aspirin

Aspirin is effective at preventing a person from having a heart attach by preventing clots from forming that can block the flow of blood to the heart. People who have already had an attack can usually be helped by using an aspirin therapy program and people who have not had an attack but are at high risk due to diabetes, high cholesterol and other factors can get some protection with an aspirin therapy program. However taking aspirin on a daily basis can thin out your blood and can produce side effects such as bleeding.

There is a risk of experiencing sever bleeding by taking too much aspirin. A study has concluded that using more than 100 mg of aspirin per day significantly increases the possibility of bleeding from your nose as well as severe problems such as bleeding in your brain also called a stroke. One study has shown that serious bleeding happens in just a little more that one percent of patients who have heart disease and are involved in aspirin therapy with dosages of around 80 mg of aspirin per day.

Baby Aspirin

However a serious bleeding condition happens to about five percent of people who have heart disease and are using 200 mg or more of aspirin on a daily basis in order to prevent a heart attach from occurring. When the study reviewed all the bleeding that occurred due to being involved in aspirin therapy, including simple bleeding, taking 100 to 200 mg a day of aspirin caused bleeding in eleven percent of the people. People who were taking baby aspirin showed a rate of slightly more than one percent for bleeding.

There is some disagreement in the medical community about the proper dosage of aspirin for people who are taking it to prevent a heart attach. However studies have shown that taking a baby aspirin can be effective and is safer than taking a higher dosage on a daily basis. There are some situations where a patient might begin taking a higher dosage and then decrease it as time goes by such as a patient who had stents placed in his arteries. Stints are very small flexible types of coils that are utilized to open up blocked arteries; however stints increase the possibility of acquiring blood clots.

Dr. Robert Bonow of the University Feinberg School of Medicine believes that taking low dosage of aspirin is the best choice for the prevention of your first heart attack and should also be used for the prevention of subsequent heart attacks. According to a new research review, the most commonly prescribed aspirin dose for heart health in the United States is 81 milligrams per day. If you had a heart attach or at risk for having one you might want to consult with your doctor about taking aspirin as a preventive measure.

David Cowley has created numerous articles on heart disease. He has also created a Web Site dedicated to heart disease and how to treat them. Visit Heart Disease

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Will folic acid and “baby” aspirin really help prevent miscarriage?

I am considered to be high risk because I have had three consecutive miscarriages. I was put on 4 folic acid tablets (1000mg), one baby aspirin (81mg), and a regular prenatal at my appointment a month ago. So far so good, still pregnant and saw a heartbeat at 7 weeks (10 1/2 now). Just wondering if this stuff has actually been proven to prevent miscarriage? Has anyone else here been on this combo? And if it does prevent miscarriage, why is that so?

We now know that daily aspirin therapy helps lower the risk of heart attack and clot-related strokes. Aspirin interferes with the blood’s clotting action. If blood vessels are already narrowed from accumulation of fatty deposits and/or and scar tissue, a blood clot can quickly block the artery. This prevents blood flow to the heart or brain and causes a heart attack or stroke. Aspirin therapy reduces the clumping action of the platelets — thereby possibly preventing heart attack and stroke.

Analysis has shown that the minimum dose of 75 mg plain aspirin is the lowest effective dose for heart protection, though most cardiologist are now recommending a daily full-dosage 325 mg aspirin.

Increased aspirin use, however can increase the risk of bleeding and can lead to stomach upset in some people. In order to avoid stomach upset, some people on aspirin therapy are taking the enteric form; the coated aspirin that is supposed to save sensitive stomachs from irritation by dissolving in the small intestine instead of the stomach where most prescription medications are dissolved.

Unfortunately, some new research shows that enteric coated aspirin is not as bioavailable as plain aspirin. This means that enteric aspirin is not absorbed into the blood stream as well as is regular aspirin, which makes it less effective at preventing heart attack and/or stroke. A recent study by Dermot Cox, PHD, at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland, published in Stroke, showed that levels of thromboxane, a substance that contributes to blood clots, were substantially higher in people who took enteric aspirin compared with people who took regular aspirin.

The study by Cox suggests that poor absorption from the high PH environment of the small intestine may be the reason that enteric aspirin is not as effective as regular aspirin. Cox’s study found that this was particularly true in subjects who were heavier.

Thus, people who are on aspirin therapy to prevent heart attack and stroke who may want to consider enteric aspirin to prevent upset stomach or GI bleeding, may find that the enteric aspirin delivers inadequate protection for the heart and brain.

Anyone on aspirin therapy should absolutely not change either the dose or the type of aspirin they are taking without first talking to their physician. But it is important, particularly if the patient is heavier, to pursue discussion with their doctor. You want to be certain that the aspirin regimen you are using is the most effective regimen for you.

Bob is a staff writer for [http://www.heart--disease.org/] and [http://www.cholesteroldrugreviews.com/]

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