Purpose of aspirin

[kfay]

Can anyone tell me exactly what the purpose is of the aspirin that most of us are put on after our surgeries? If it is for anti-clotting, does it basically have the same effect as warfarin? I have always had issues taking other NSAIDS, but had never really taken aspirin. Now, I am having those same sensitivity/allergic issues with the aspirin and really don't think I should keep taking it. Am I going to be good with a tissue valve and not taking aspirin?

Kim

 

[Ross]

Yes it's used as an anticoagulant, but it works differently then Coumadin. Let me get you a link that explains it better.

http://www.warfarinfo.com/aspirin&warfarin.htm

Your probably fine without it, but most doctors now insist on it as an extra insurance policy following heart surgeries.

 

[marie]

Check with your cardio having said that I have a tissue valve and I too have problems with NASID and I do not take aspirin nor do I take coumadin.

I am 7+ months post surgery from AVR. Now certainly just because I don't take coumadin now doesn't mean I'll never have to but so far so good.

It was my choice not to take aspirin but both my surgeon and cardio know I don't and neither one had a problem with it. I think I'm the exception however as everyone else seems to be on aspirin. Only time will tell if I made the right decision not to take it.

[/I]

 

[sue943]

Have you tried the coated aspirin which do not dissolve until after they leave the stomach?

 

[Duff Man]

Have you tried the coated aspirin which do not dissolve until after they leave the stomach?

I've tried it and I still get wicked ulcer flare ups.

If it's causing you symptoms, I wouldn't take it. There's alternatives that act as an anticoagulant if I'm not mistaken.

 

[kfay]

I take the coated version. My problem is not stomach related. It causes me to get a little tachy and some tightening in my chest.

Kim

 

[Duff Man]

I take the coated version. My problem is not stomach related. It causes me to get a little tachy and some tightening in my chest.

Kim

sounds like bad news

 

[catwoman]

I take an 81mg aspirin daily on cardiologist's orders. (He seems to think it's helpful -- kinda like carrying an elephant gun to scare away elephants in my town, I guess.)

I once knew a woman who could not take aspirin due to swelling (fingers, airways, face, etc.). After one episode, she could barely dial for help. She was rushed to a hospital and her doctor said she could die if she ever took aspirin again.

Here's something about allergic reactions to drugs:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/drug-allergy/HQ00582

 

[Bina]

Post op I took a daily low dose coated Aspirin for 2 years. It affects the platelets in your blood.
Simply put: it makes your blood a bit more slippery.
No effect on INR and my super sensitive stomach was fine.
Maybe you can just enjoy more of the "naturals" like garlic. We have a thread on this somewhere...

 

[Adrienne]

I once read that having a cup of pure cocoa a day acts as an anti-platelet drug. I think I have read that Omega 3 capsules also do.

 

[Bonzo Dog]

kfay, thank you. These Q's are often a catalyst to discovery of interesting facts.

I read 'Today, aspirin is one of the most widely used medications in the world, with an estimated 40,000 metric tons of it being consumed each year.' !!!! Also one of the possible adverse drug reaction is tinnitus.

 

[kfay]

Ross, thanks for that link...it does a very good job of explaining it.

Kim

 

[Dina]

Maybe you can just enjoy more of the "naturals" like garlic. We have a thread on this somewhere...

When I had a.flutter I wanted to be on herbals instead of coumadin so I
brought in a list of anti-coagulant herbs. My cardio kind chuckled at me
and gave me a look like "nice try". Most of the herbal meds are anti-plate
-lettes like aspirin. The only true anticoagulant I found was cloves,but there
hasn't been enough testing on it,so no one knows how much to take ,etc.
Garlic was promising but the effect doesn't last long enough. I think it
causes blood thinning for at most 1-2 hours- so you would need to take
it 12 times a day!But this was with an arrhythmia and the guidelines are strict
-you must take heparin or coumadin. But for those who take aspirin there are
many herbal alternatives.

 

[kfay]

After talking to my local cardio, who really had no opinion one way or the other about what I might need to do since I can't do the aspirin thing, I sent an e-mail to my cardio at the Mayo. She e-mailed me back and told me that although they recommend aspirin therapy for all of their tissue valve patients, it is not universally done that way and she felt comfortable with me doing nothing in its place. She then forwarded my e-mail onto my surgeon who second her opinion.
It's really unbelievable to me how responsive those guys can be considering the work they are doing there. You can get some local yocals that you can chase and chase and just don't seem to care.

Kim

 

[Ross]

You can get some local yocals that you can chase and chase and just don't seem to care.

Kim

Tell me about it. I'm in the process of being shoved all over and getting no where with any of them.