Aspirin

[Pollypuss]

I take an Aspirin every day to prevent blood clots presumably. However my father died of a brain haemorrhage . So I don’t quite know if there is any preventative medicine for his condition.

[Auiron]

If 75mg Aspirin is prescribed by a doctor long term then they will also prescribe Lansoprazole 15mg gastro-resistant capsules. My sister took Aspirin for a long time and this damaged the lining of her stomach. As this appears permanent she has to take a Gastric Mucosal Protective Agent. Lansoprazole costs about £7.00 for 28 days supply online.

nhs.uk/medicines/lansoprazo....

[Pollypuss in reply to Auiron]

Well unfortunately I cannot tolerate any of the “Prazoles” which was confirmed in hospital. I’m sorry this happened to your sister.

[bridgeit]

Hi Pollypuss. Based on life experience and not medical training (I have none), unless prescribed by your GP, I think you should be talking to a doctor to see if you really need to be on aspirin, especially given your family history of haemorrhage. Taking aspirin without medical supervision can cause bleeding, as well as gastro-intestinal and organ damage that far outweighs hoped-for or fear-based benefits.

If a GP or specialist prescribes aspirin for you, they will have weighed the risks to you. They are likely also to prescribe a proton-pump inhibitor, otherwise known as a PPI, to prevent gastric inflammation and ulcers. Two examples are lansoprazole and omeprazole.

Given your age and assuming you're in the UK, it's more cost effective for you to stick to prescription-based medication which will be provided free of charge.

Personally, I don't think it's wise to take aspirin with or without a PPI unless it's under medical supervision.

I think you'd do better just making sure you have a balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit, veg and oily fish (canned will do). A vitamin D supplement might also be a good idea, as might turmeric to help reduce inflammation (arthritis).

Again, I recommend speaking with your doctor before swallowing any medication or health-shop supplement.

Try not to worry. You've done well to get to 80, so you're doing something right!

[Pollypuss in reply to bridgeit]

Thank you for your reply. I was one of those people that could not tolerate any of the necessary drugs and strangely aspirin suited me , but not the antidote which prevents the damage that Aspirin can do. Therefore my post six week appointment after the op meant I was told to keep taking aspirin. I have always eaten a healthy diet and played tennis (I still do) and my weight and yearly blood tests are fine. However it took two years to diagnose the fact that I neededa triple bypass because all my tests came back negative . This is why I always tell people who have strange pains to insist on further examinations .. Before my op the cardio specialist told me that it was paramount that I was able to tolerate aspirin

[bridgeit in reply to Pollypuss]

Given the context you've provided Pollypuss, it reads to me that you're doing precisely as your specialist recommends.

Best plan of action, I think, is to carry on and not to worry about the possibility of a future brain bleed. In fact, try not to worry about anything at all to keep your HR and BP down. Stress can cause more problems than medication!

The benefits of aspirin for you clearly outweigh any risk.

[Pollypuss in reply to bridgeit]

Yes I would rate stress as number one personally regarding heart disease