Bad news about NSAIDS -- YeeYikes!

[normofthenorth]

1) NSAID use associated with future stroke in healthy population, September 8, 2010 | Sue Hughes, http://www.theheart.org/article/1119849.do
2) Even short-term NSAID use risky in cardiac patients, May 9, 2011 | Megan Brooks, http://www.theheart.org/article/1223565.do .

Maybe technically neither study is exactly precisely relevant to our group -- #1 is for people who haven't seen a hospital, and #2 is for people who've had MIs, which most of us haven't -- but still. . . I also don't see Aspirin/ASA listed specifically, at least in the #1 study.

The studies linked at the bottom of both pages are also interesting, and generally scary -- e.g., one linking NSAIDS with increased A-Fib risk!

Yikes!

There's also a new meta-study out showing pretty marginal/wimpy CV benefits from daily "baby" Aspirin, reinforcing the notion that it's not a good prescription for the healthy general public because the side-effects are worse than the benefits. My cardiologist thinks everybody -- at least all "fully grown" males -- should take one daily. It would be nice if the benefits were bigger and clearer. . .

 

[Bryan B]

Double whammy for me as I take both. I take a baby aspirin daily. I am sure they are talking about the side-effects of possible GI problems, but I have a hard time believing that 81mg of aspirin a day is going to cause GI problems unless that person already has GI problems (this is only my opinion and I am not a medical professional).

I also take Naproxen (Aleve) 220mg once a day for my hip/back (btw not on coumadin). I do take Zantac 150mg twice a day as a preventative measure although I don't know if that does anything to help or not. Interesting article though, thanks for posting.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Did the studies differentiate between ENTERIC (coated) Aspirin and NON-Enteric?

I would expect quite different results with regards to GI issues between those two options.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Jkm7]

This is on my 'speak with my cardio about this' list.

 

[Michellemar]

Guys, I am so sick to my stomach. AVR a month ago, it's great but my heart was run so long with backup pressure, now I have a perfect, huge new valve, my RIGHT heart remains (so far?) with a high BNP...tricuspid valve, I think. My electrolytes are all over the place, I have really fun elephantiasis (not) but mostly I am just sick to my stomach. Anybody know anything I can take??? It's so bleeping miserable. Taking Amiarode, Torsomething (water retention), always been big with vit C, coenzymeQ10, omega 3's. But this is just awful. Seeing Cardio on Mon, oh, I forgot, have water in (low) my lungs...pleural effusion. Was drinking Ginger, root beer...is there something stupidly simple I could do? Really this sucks. Michelle
Oh, found out today my kidneys are not working so well, whatever that means....attributed to NSAIDS.....

 

[normofthenorth]

I only read the two articles quickly, and not the studies themselves, but I don't remember GI effects or bleeding being a concern. I think they just reported the outcomes mentioned in the titles -- strokes (and maybe mortality) in #1 and heart problems (and maybe mortality) in #2. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

In the discussion around the recent meta-study -- discussing whether or not baby aspirin should be prescribed to the general population -- there was certainly some discussion about GI effects, but I don't recall any in the two articles on the scary effects of NSAIDs. My impression is that the GI side-effects of aspirin are pretty well known, and what the recent meta-study ADDED to the discussion was the precise size of the CV benefits, which were somewhere between modest and wimpy, IMHO.

 

[CanoeBob]

My GP and Cardio warned me a year ago not to take them so I haven't. Tylenol, meditation and keeping busy keeps my mind off the pains associated with rhuematoid arthritis.

 

[pem]

Guys, I am so sick to my stomach. AVR a month ago, it's great but my heart was run so long with backup pressure, now I have a perfect, huge new valve, my RIGHT heart remains (so far?) with a high BNP...tricuspid valve, I think. My electrolytes are all over the place, I have really fun elephantiasis (not) but mostly I am just sick to my stomach. Anybody know anything I can take??? It's so bleeping miserable. Taking Amiarode, Torsomething (water retention), always been big with vit C, coenzymeQ10, omega 3's. But this is just awful. Seeing Cardio on Mon, oh, I forgot, have water in (low) my lungs...pleural effusion. Was drinking Ginger, root beer...is there something stupidly simple I could do? Really this sucks. Michelle
Oh, found out today my kidneys are not working so well, whatever that means....attributed to NSAIDS.....

Michelle,

The best remedy I have found for stomach upset is candied ginger. It has helped me with nausea and sour stomach. The effects are almost instantaneous for me. I think the interaction with saliva helps (just my own unscientific view, so I chew it for a while before swallowing it). I have also taken Carafate solution in the past for severe heartburn, which helps too. For nausea, though, candied ginger - bar none. Your mileage may vary of course Good luck and I hope you feel better.

pem