stopping aspirin temporarily

[Harefieldfan]

hi. I’m suffering from really bad sciatica. The orthopaedic surgeon wants to give me a branch block steroid injection (whatever that is) but only if I can come off aspirin (75mg) for a few days. This is because he’s afraid I might bleed into the sciatic nerve, which could be disastrous. I’m seeing my cardiologist next month and will ask him if that’s possible. My question: has anyone had to stop taking aspirin etc for a few days? I also take Ticagrelor but am pretty sure I’ll be taken off that as I’ve been on it for two years. I’m afraid to stop the aspirin so was wondering if anyone else has had this experience. Thanks!!

[10gingercats]

I got rid of' long time ' Sciatica with Hydro therapy .I had it pretty much permanently for 3 years.In 3 months of hydro. it had gone and did not come back. Thought it worth a mention.

[Harefieldfan in reply to 10gingercats]

Thank you! Sounds worth a try if I can find it.

[10gingercats in reply to Harefieldfan]

Your GP can probably refer you.Most hospitals have a hydro. pool.I was refered by a consultant who was considering sending me for back surgery but reckoned the hyro therapy would work out cheaper!

[Harefieldfan in reply to 10gingercats]

Thanks so much 10gingercats!

[AlfredV]

Only your cardiologist can say for sure. I've been off aspirin for 18 months now (despite advice to the contrary) and feel all the better for it.

I do know that aspirin doesn't stay in the blood for long (maybe 20 minutes), but its effect on platelets lasts for 7 days or a little longer. Therefore, if there is a risk present, stopping aspirin for say 2 days doesn't increase your risk by 100%, but instead by two sevenths or thereabouts. I hope that makes sense.

[Harefieldfan in reply to AlfredV]

Thanks AlfredV. Very interesting! And encouraging.

[Hidden]

Stopping antiplatelets for planned surgery is pretty routine, and I suspect your doctor will give you the all-clear on that. Arterial thromboses do not grow in seven days, which is about how long aspirin stays in your system.

I was in a broadly similar position, and was concerned about long term antiplatelet therapy so I looked for authoritative research. There are no trials on dual antiplatet therapy (DAPT) that I could find (and my cardiologist later confirmed) so taking aspirin and ticagrelor together for more than 12 months is completely uncharted territory. Nobody knows what might happen, although it's pretty clear the longer you take antiplatelets, the greater chance of a haemorrhage, so you should talk to someone asap about stopping one or the other. Maybe stop the aspirin as it has more dangerous effects. Clopidogrel also has all the benefits of aspirin and lower bleeding risk, so raise that question too with your doctor.

This study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed no benefit of 12 months DAPT over a shorter duration, when all risks and benefits were pooled: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/312...

[Harefieldfan in reply to Hidden]

Thank you! I will stop half the Ticagrelor (take one a day for a week) until I see the cardiologist. Sometimes I forget the second dose anyway — nothing happens. I’ve had two cardiologists. The one who inserted the second stent via rotablation said take it for a year. The other one, who’d referred me and whom I’ll be seeing, said take 60mg instead of 90 for two years as per NICE guidelines. I’m sure the two years must be up.

[Carercmb in reply to Harefieldfan]

I would do nothing until you speak to your medical team. They have experience of what’s worked in the past .

Some good advice from others and good luck going forward.

[BeKind28-]

Hello

For a short time with medical supervision it is not going to harm you as they have asked you to stop them and you have to get this done and they have all your History so they know what they are doing

Different scenario but I am struggling with my stomach and really bad indigestion and only today my Doctor told me to stop my aspirin for a few days like a little experiment to see if it makes difference so sometimes as long as you are been overseen by your Doctors stopping them is ok it is just never wise of course to stop without having medical supervision

So please try not to be afraid and get your other health issues sorted

Let us know how you get on x

[Dollywow1999 in reply to BeKind28-]

All the info I'm heating now is aspirin therapy is not fir most people and the side effects outweigh the benefits ....look up aspirin dr ken berry

[BeKind28- in reply to Dollywow1999]

Hello

I will look it up

Thank You x

[NannyPat1]

I’ve got a trapped nerve in my back. Had to come off aspirin for about 8 days for steroid injection which unfortunately didn’t work so now off it for 10 days for decompression surgery. Both times I’ve been assured by GP and BHF that it is safe to do so as it stays in your system at least 8 days.

[NannyPat1]

Ps I also had appendicitis early last year but as I was on Ticegralor at the time, they wouldn’t operate. I had massive antibiotics instead. Then when it recurred 6 months later, I was off Ticegralor so they whipped it out straightaway! So I think the Ticegralor is probably more of an issue than the aspirin, I mean just look at the bruising you get on a daily basis.

[Harefieldfan in reply to NannyPat1]

Thank you. And yes, the bruising. It’s been agreed that I’ll stop Ticagrelor.

[Ascb]

Hi, I'm on apixaban (anticoagulant) and had to stop it for 3 days before spinal surgery and 2 days after. It worried me but it's just necessary. One thing is certain, it's not possible to have the surgery unless you stop the medication so it isn't a decision you can make, it's the medics decision. I think it's really hard as we get older as we get different ailments and sometimes they conflict. The joys eh?

[Mountwood]

When I had excruciating sciatica and my GP was useless I found a wonderful chiropractor. She has kept me pain free since.

[Harefieldfan in reply to Mountwood]

I went to a chiropractor who said he didn’t think he could treat me as I have spinal stenosis and he can’t expand the bones. Sigh. Saved money, though.

[Mountwood in reply to Harefieldfan]

I have spinal stenosis too and I don't know how she does it but she keeps me on my feet and mobile. Good luck 😀

[Harefieldfan in reply to Mountwood]

Do you know what she does?

[Mountwood in reply to Harefieldfan]

I can't say exactly what she does but I'll be seeing her again soon so I'll pay more attention and let you know.

[Ridham]

I am having a Hernia operation on Monday week and at the pre-operation assessment, they have advised me to stop taking Asprin 7 days before the operation and Irbesartan 24 hours before the operation.

Like Harefildfan, I haven’t done this before, so will have to wait and see.

[Lowerfield_no_more]

Taking aspirin to inhibit blood clotting just reduces the risk of having a stroke or a heart attack caused by a blood clot. So if you have to stop aspirin for a few days to undergo any form of medical procedure the risk will slowly increase to where would have been without taking the aspirin. But that doesn't mean you will have a stroke or heart attack only that you are more likely to for a few days. So it doesn't really make a great deal of difference stopping aspirin for a few days to your overall lifetime heart risk but it is important for your wellbeing during and immediately after any procedure where you have been instructed to temporarily stop.

[Harefieldfan in reply to Lowerfield_no_more]

Thanks!

[Silvertail]

I shouldn't think stopping aspirin for a few days would hurt, but please ask your doctor. We can't advise you what to do.

[Harefieldfan in reply to Silvertail]

Thanks!

[TMeditation]

I wouldn’t worry too much about this. My surgeon put me on aspirin after my AVR saying I should stay on it for life. However after being diagnosed with MS a year after my heart op I had so many falls my cardiologist took me off it. My falls often caused excessive bleeding as a result of taking the aspirin. Actually since then I’ve heard many doctors be rather dismissive of the use of aspirin these days. I sometimes wonder what the real story on aspirin truly is. I wish you good health, take care. Sue 🙏

[Harefieldfan in reply to TMeditation]

That’s really interesting. To add to the confusion!

[Jem64]

As an ex Nurse and having a diagnosis of severe coronary artery disease this year I was prescribed aspirin along with other meds. I çame off it owing to bruising etc.I had blocked carotid arteries in both sides of my neck and had extreme pain when I yawned even.

After finding out that cayenne pepper was useful I bought some and take half a teaspoon in a glass with a tablespoon of water each morning....My neck pain has gone...

My GP confirmed it is a natural vaso dilator and also seals any small fissures in the blood vessels.

Aspirin has been overprescribed for many years, and the gastric side effects also have to be counteracted.

[Batoutofhell in reply to Jem64]

I was told by my vascular surgeon to take a 75gm aspirin every day. This was fine for several years then all of a sudden, after taking for such a long time, I suddenly started to get massive, bigger than a egg, hematomas everytime I so much as brushed past something. It was so biazzare. I have stopped taking the aspirin now and the bruises have stopped.

Can anyone explain this?

Haematoma

[Harefieldfan in reply to Jem64]

Wow! I’m afraid it would hurt my stomach, though, as I’ve got chronic gastritis.

[Jem64 in reply to Harefieldfan]

I have IBS...it hasn't troubled me at all.

[Dollywow1999 in reply to Jem64]

Yes I watch a natural healer woman on YouTube she talks a lot about cayenne pepper and castor oil......I've even heard you should put some castor oil in your belly button for lots of things!!!!

[Jem64 in reply to Dollywow1999]

You mean Dr Barbara O'Neill?...She lectures all over .I think she has upset Big Pharma with her protocols.

Ì have found ìt helpful personally and my GP agreed ....so Im happy.

[Qualipop]

Your ticagreor is more l ikely to cause bleeding that aspirin so I wonder why he didn't also want that stopped? Did he even know what it was? I'd be asking a lot more questions. I got rid of sciatica by an osteopath who didn't do big adjustments. justgentle massage to release muscles.

[Harefieldfan in reply to Qualipop]

Oh yes— Ticagrelor is going to be stopped. No problem about that. The cardio wanted me to take aspirin during the injection. Will sort it out. Lots of great advice here!

[Lizbeth61]

Hi there. I had steriod injection and only stopped my meds on the day of the procedure Ticagrelor, aspirin and was fine. Sadly the injection didnt work for me. Hope it helps you. Good luck 🤞

[Harefieldfan in reply to Lizbeth61]

I’m really afraid it will be the same for me. Still, worth a try. They want me to have a couple of days off aspirin, and the advice from this group is that that’s not a problem. Thanks.

[Lizbeth61 in reply to Harefieldfan]

Ive known quite a few people who have had great pain relief after so hopefully it will work for you. Good luck

[Harefieldfan in reply to Lizbeth61]

Fingers crossed!

[Harefieldfan]

Thank you everyone for your well-thought out responses. Lots I didn't know; lots to digest. Very, very helpful and useful.