Aspirin

"Baby aspirin:"

by AgentX86 - 2018-09-17 09:37:39

Low dose aspirin is typically 81mg. Full dose is 325mg.

Aspirin isn't considered sufficient for Afib either.  It seems it falling out of favor fast. It's about time they change their mind about water, too.

low dose

by ROBO Pop - 2018-09-17 13:18:12

As Maxwell said, low dose is 81mg. I've taken one along with Plavix for the past 11yrs 7 mos, 16days and 3hrs and still haven't died. Guess I'll just keep on until the next study claiming a daily aspirin is good for you comes out which should be in 6 to 9 months

Do the elderly take too many drugs ??

by IAN MC - 2018-09-17 14:41:11

It is easy to become cynical about ever-changing medical opinions but it seems to me that there is an increasing awareness of the questionable benefits of taking certain drugs when you are in your seventies or older,

Here in the UK in the last 15 years the number of prescriptions issued by GPs has increased three-fold.  Polypharmacy reigns !

There has been a MASSIVE increase in the medicalisation of the elderly and aspirin is an example of this,

Aspirin, warfarin, the newer blood-thinners, blood pressure tablets, statins etc are all being consumed routinely by more and more of the elderly population.

Isn't it interesting that in the last 10 yrs there has been a massive increase in elderly admissions to hospitals because of minor falls . This used to be far more uncommon

Could it just possibly be happening because on top of age-related loss of balance .....statins can cause muscle-weakness , drug-induced low BP can cause dizziness and impaired balance and worse still if you take aspirin or other blood-thinners a minor bang to your head can cause bleeding into the brain. This can lead to death !

I believe that we will see more and more studies which question the benefits v the risks of the many drugs routinely taken by elderly people

Ian

Aspirin

by DAVID H - 2018-09-17 15:29:16

Ian's note is "noteworthy!"  In the past, I've had a few "dizzy" spells but, not what I'd label "severe."  A cardiologist suggested I try Entresto for my heart failure. I did so, and this event occurred about 2 weeks later: Drove down the Interstate Hwy @ 75 MPH, pulled off at my exit and continued driving for about 5 more minutes. I pulled into my clinic's parking lot, headed for the spot to park and shut the engine off, and I could tell immediately a he-man "dizzy" event was beginning.  Within a minute, I dared not stand. The world was not spinning, I just had no equillibrium. Wife went to fetch a wheelchair (no help was given by staff at the clinic) and wheeled me into the waiting area. I was slowly recovering. Afterward, wife drove us home and I trashed the Entresto. I then called my pharmacy and was told to wait 35 hours before beginning lisinopril use.  Pharmacist must have alerted Entresto Reps 'cuz beginning the next day, I was bombarded by agitated Entresto Reps wanting to know why I stopped it's use - and I clued them in. I haven't had a "dizzy" spell like that one since. 

Just asked my Internal Medicine Doctor about Aspririn today

by loblolly - 2018-09-17 20:32:18

I have Heart Block, not actual heart disease. My doctor said that the new study says aspirin may not benefit me.  However she said she  is inclined to recommend I continue taking it ( a baby aspirin, 81 mg a day) because I have an autoimmune disease that can cause inflamation and plaque buildup, and aspirin does help prevent that, and that the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding is very low.

Aspirin

by DAVID H - 2018-09-17 21:54:04

To Loblooly: RE: Your autoimmune issue --------------------- is it that you've tested positive for the antiphospholipid antibody and the Lupus anticoagulant antibody? - Both autoimmune issues.

Do the elderly take too many drugs ??

by AgentX86 - 2018-09-17 23:37:15

Being hospitalized for "minor falls" is nothing new.  Both my grandmothers died from "minor falls".  Old people fall.  When old people fall, they break.  When they break, they don't heal well and become (even more) sedentary and what was left of organ function deteriorates quickly.  With more older people it's no surprise that admissions are up.

As far as anticoagulants causing death if yo ubang your head... Sure, it's clear that a bleeding stroke is no fun but an ischemic stroke isn't a picnic.  It's a matter of risk assessent.  I'll take my meds, thank you.  (which reminds me  - I'm on a business trip and SWMBO isn't here to nag me ;-)

Agent

by IAN MC - 2018-09-18 05:13:16

Of course old people have  always fallen and of course there are more old people around, but recent statistics in the UK have shown that the number of admissions for falls are surprisingly high even after taking those facts into account.

One suggestion to explain this data is the side-effects from taking cocktails of drugs !  Falling is never good , falling when you take a blood-thinner is definitely bad.   This fact alters the risk/ benefit equation for taking blood-thinners in many old people IMHO.

Ian

Admissions

by AgentX86 - 2018-09-18 09:35:45

The number of admissions, by itself means absolutely nothing. Doctors are far more likely to admit the elderly after a fall than they were fifty years ago.  And, yes, more have AFib and are on anticoagulants,  which would lead to more admissions. Are you saying that those in Afib shouldn't be given anticoagulants? That would cut down on the number of admissions.  A good percentage would be dead.

Agent

by IAN MC - 2018-09-18 13:36:07

If you fall and break your leg don't come running to me for help !

What Drs did 50 yrs ago is totally irrrelevant to anything being discussed here.    Also nowhere have I said that patients with a-fib should not be given blood-thinners. Maybe patients suffering from polypharmacy imagine that things are written which aren't ( hmm , I feel another published paper is possible )

BUT  I would question whether it is a clearcut decison to give blood-thinners to a 90 yr old  ex-afib patient who has probably been over-medicated with blood pressure tablets and  statins ( causing him dizziness , postural hypotension and an increased risk of falling  )

Risks of taking medications change as you get older and that is the point which David drew to our attention regarding aspirin.

Ian

Aspirin

by DAVID H - 2018-09-18 15:13:42

My experience noted above would have made front page headlines if that "dizzy spell" struck 5 minutes earlier while I was cruising at 75 mph on a crowded interstate!