is Aspirin safe to use with liver disease

[Dobielove]

Hi Guys

Not posted for a while I was just wondering if it safe to Aspirin my husband as NAFLD and is suffering with constant headaches he’s been prescribed paracetamol but they don’t seem to be helping so the GP gave him codeine which just made him sick. Any advice if anyone been prescribed aspirin?

Thanks in advance guys ❤️

[AyrshireK]

Aspirin acts as a blood thinner and can also be harsh on the stomach, certainly in advanced liver disease it gets lumped in with the Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatories that are contra-indicated due to high bleeding risk when a patient may also have low platelets, slow blood clotting and potentislly varices etc.

If the constant headaches are a new thing then they should be trying to identify what is causing them rather than just trying to mask the pain. Has he had a recent eye test for example?

Katie

[Dobielove in reply to AyrshireK]

Hi Katie

Thanks for your reply he started with these mirgraines early last year, then he started have blackouts in July due to very low blood pressure, thankfully the meds have stopped the blackouts up until now 🤞but he’s still suffering with the mirgraines and dizzines. He as appointment next week to see if the consultant will drain his tummy so I check with him about the taking the Aspirin, as his original consultant retired over 7 months ago and our Hospital trust as not replaced him so he’s only been see the Liver nurse.

Thanks Again

[Bikafella]

Dr's dont prescribe Aspirin for headaches since it can cause other problems. You would not be given it in hospital for pain relief either but you could be given Paracetamol (imperative that the dosage is checked and not exceeded) for mild pain relief or headaches for short period of time. But it's more important to get to the cause of the problem. After my transplant I was put on 1 × 75mg Aspirin as a mild blood thinner. It's very common.

[Dobielove in reply to Bikafella]

Thank you

[Roy1955]

Simple answer is no, asprin can not be used if someone has liver disease.

[Dobielove in reply to Roy1955]

Thank you Roy

[Grassroots112]

This is a question only your hep/GI doctor can only really answer. My own doctor when I left hospital around a year ago with what they considered was decompensated cirrhosis, said aspirin and ibuprofen is a no no and paracetamol should only be taken if absolutely nessacary. They didn’t want me taking codeine either. With me they just didn’t want me using anything that could potentially cause further damage to my already damaged liver which might have been a precaution while it was healing. Today now that it’s kind of healed I, not sure what I’m allowed to take or not, as a rule of thumb myself, I now don’t use any medicines unless I have to as prescribed by my doctors not even for a headache, I either suffer with it or try a homemade herbal tea remedy which often works. If you’re experiencing really bad headaches, however, that needs looked into further. Good luck!

[Dobielove in reply to Grassroots112]

Thank you he seeing as consultant on Wednesday so hopefully he be able to advise as like you said it a mine field knowing what’s safe and wants not

Cheers

[DB50]

As others have said, sudden onset of persistent headaches sounds like something that should be checked, rather than needing analgesics. They may help, of course, but the problem could be serious.

Please get it checked. I used to ignore things like this, hoping that they’d go away, and only found out about my liver because I lost my balance for a couple of days. A duty GP came out, looked at me, saw that I’d turned yellow, said that I had more pressing problems than dizziness and called an ambulance.

Check now, it might be nothing, but better to know if not and deal with things while they can stil be dealt with. They have a habit of not ‘going away’. Please ask for help.

Good luck,

Richard

[Dobielove in reply to DB50]

Hi Richard

Firstly thank you for your reply

His consultation knew about the headaches but didn’t do anything thing about them he had a bad one at his appointment and he wasn’t bothered the nurse was more concerned about him than he was so much so she wouldn’t let me drive home had to get my Mum to pick us up and neighbour to drive our car home. He as appointment on Wednesday with his liver nurse who’s arranged for a consultation to see him to see if he’ll drain his stomach

Cheers

[ThreeSmiles]

Hi Dobielove

I was prescribed 75mg of Aspirin by the hospital Liver Clinic a year before my Transplant. I still take it post TP (5 years). It was prescribed for my cerebrovascular disease.

Of course we are all different and you have to go with whatever your Liver Consultant advises.

Good luck - I hope your husband gets his headaches sorted out soon .

Miles

[Dobielove in reply to ThreeSmiles]

Hi Miles

Thank you for your reply he see a consultation on Wednesday to hopefully to get his stomach drained 🤞so I will ask him about taking aspirin

Cheers