Many people take daily aspirin under the mistaken impression it will help their heart, or prevent a stroke. But taking the drug every day can actually increase the risk of heart attack and strokes, as well as uncontrollable bleeding, irreversible organ failure and excessive fluid build up in the lungs.
Aspirin is another name for acetylsalicylic acid, a common pain reliever (also called an analgesic). The earliest known uses of the drug can be traced back to the Greek physician Hippocrates in the fifth century BC. He used powder extracted from the bark of willows to treat pain and reduce fever.
For many years, healthcare providers have recommended the daily use of aspirin to help prevent heart attacks and stroke in people who have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Because aspirin is available over the counter, it’s tempting to think it’s safe. However, the side effects are deadly and it’s possible to easily overdose on it, even if this is unintentional.
Please read the following warnings and dangers of Aspirin, whilst also considering the fact that naturally occurring treatments like Immunotherapy GcMAF and cannabis oil are not given a licensed and are banned from use.
Aspirin related deaths
Each year, a grossly underestimated 7600 deaths and 76,000 hospitalizations occur in the United States from use of aspirin and other NSAIDS like Motrin, Aleve, and Celebrex.
But, the FDA states that only about 10% of deaths caused by NSAIDS are reported.
Doctors aren’t willing to acknowledge aspirin as the deadly culprit. Death by the drug is usually attributed to the side effect itself, or simply being too old. Therefore, the body count is much higher than we are told.
As time past, Bayer got excited about the pain killer. This laid the groundwork for the eventual isolation and synthesis of a molecule known as salicylic acid – one of many ingredients found in white willow bark.
To their distress, the industry couldn’t market the natural ingredient as their own. (You can’t patent Mother Nature, yet.) In order to have a monopoly, they had to alter it a bit.
Chemist Carl R. Gerhardt was the first to do so in 1853.
Starting with the parent compound, Gerhardt performed a series of laboratory reactions. This yielded a molecular cousin. The newly devised willow bark-fake was named ASA (acetyl-salicylic acid). It marked one of the earliest and most profitable thefts from Mother Nature. Bayer trademarked it as “Aspirin” in 1889. Some say the name was derived from St. Aspirinius, a Neapolitan bishop who was the patron saint against headaches.
As aspirin popularity grew, the inherent risks surfaced. The small molecular change made for big dangers.
Identifying Aspirin Actions Gets Nobel Prize
It was pharmacologist John Vane who discovered the good and bad actions of aspirin. On one hand, he found that it blocks the production of an enzyme known as COX (cycloxygenase). Downstream, this prevents inflammation, swelling, pain and fever. But, he elucidated a risky trade off.
Aspirin also stifles the formation of healing compounds. Crucial for physiological support, they protect the stomach from damage by hydrochloric acid, maintain kidney function and stop internal bleeding. Vane won the Nobel Prize for his work.
Bayer wasn’t concerned about the details and ignored Nobel Prize winning science.
Expanding their market reach, they pushed “baby” aspirin to protect against heart attack and stroke. But, the “little bit” is still harmful.
Writing for The New York Times, Dr. Neena S. Abraham said, “If your physician has suggested you take aspirin to reduce your risk of heart disease, it is important to remember that even small doses of daily aspirin — including “baby aspirin,” at a dose of 81 milligrams daily — can increase your risk of ulcers and bleeding.”
In 1986, Dr. Otis R. Bowen, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, issued a warning reminding parents that children and teen-agers with flu symptoms “should not be given aspirin.” Using it for the flu or Chicken Pox, aspirin puts users at risk for Reyes Syndrome, a disorder that causes organs to shut down, and large amounts of bloody, watery liquid to accumulate in the lungs.
In 2009, historian and researcher Dr. Karen Starko showed that mortality rates were increased during the 1918 flu epidemic due to aspirin use.
At the time, massive amounts of the drug were purchased by the military and given to soldiers. The “always pharmaceutically compliant” Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) suggested a dose of 1,000 milligrams every three hours. That’s the equivalent of almost 25 standard 325-milligram aspirin tablets in 24 hours – twice the daily dosage generally considered safe today!
Minus the aspirin, it’s predicted that death rates wouldn’t have been so tragically high.
New Research
And now new research from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has found that millions of American adults still take aspirin every day, regardless of whether their physician recommends it, or not.
These findings contradict the current American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology guidelines, which explicitly state that adults older than 70 who haven’t had a heart attack and people who have a higher bleeding risk shouldn’t take aspirin.
The study was published last year in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Yet not many people got to hear about it. Profits of this drug are very high.
Millions of people take aspirin without their doctor’s knowledge
To understand just how widespread aspirin use is, the researchers looked at the health data of 14,328 adults from the 2017 National Health Interview Survey.
The team assessed the participants’ responses for three questions:
- if a doctor or health professional ever recommended they take low-dose aspirin each day to manage heart disease
- if they’re now following this advice
- if they’re taking low-dose aspirin on their own to prevent or control heart disease
The study found that about 23 percent, or 29 million people, reported taking daily aspirin to prevent heart disease.
Of them, nearly 23 percent, or 6.6 million, take the pills each day without a physician’s recommendation.
On top of that, about half of U.S. adults 70 and older who don’t have heart disease reported they take aspirin daily.
Aspirin use is widespread and risky
Seeing as so many people across the United States are taking aspirin without their doctor’s input, healthcare practitioners need to ask their patients if they use aspirin, the researchers suggest.
In addition, they should educate their patients about the benefits and risks of aspirin use, especially with older adults and those who’ve had peptic ulcer disease.
In addition to bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, daily aspirin use can increase the risk of a bleeding stroke. It can also cause a severe allergic reaction in some people.
This is especially worrisome for people who are 70 and older, health experts say.
“Elderly patients are at a higher risk of bleeding and peptic ulcers. The risk of these side effects increases significantly if patients are concomitantly taking other blood thinners (such as warfarin, clopidogrel), NSAID painkillers (like ibuprofen or naproxen), or steroids,” Bharadwaj said.
Aspirin poisoning
According to WebMD, for a variety of reasons, some people intentionally ingest poisons or poison others.
Aspirin poisoning can also be accidental and was once the most common cause of accidental poisoning of children. Safety precautions such as child-resistant packaging has helped make it less common.
Inappropriate dosing in both children and elderly people is one of the reasons accidental aspirin poisonings continue to happen. Hundreds of medications — both over-the-counter and prescription medicines — contain aspirin or aspirin-like substances. Unintentional poisoning can result if these medications are taken in combination, in inappropriate doses, or over a long time period. This is especially likely to occur in older people with chronic health problems.
The earliest symptoms of acute aspirin poisoning may include ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and impaired hearing.
More clinically significant signs and symptoms may include rapid breathing (hyperventilation), vomiting, dehydration, fever, double vision, and feeling faint.
Later signs of aspirin poisoning, or signs of more significant poisoning, can include drowsiness or confusion, bizarre behavior, unsteady walking, and coma.
The abnormal breathing caused by aspirin poisoning is usually rapid and deep. Vomiting may occur 3-8 hours after taking too much aspirin. Serious dehydration may occur from hyperventilation, vomiting, and fever.
When to Seek Medical Care
If you have been taking aspirin and begin to have ringing in your ears, call your doctor to see if the medication should be stopped or the dosage reduced..
For all other symptoms, call 911 (or the local emergency phone number) immediately.
Like deflating a tire, aspirin depletes the body of life-saving nutrients. These include folic acid, iron, potassium, sodium and vitamin C. Symptoms associated with such depletion include:
- Agitation, fever, convulsions, collapse, confusion, coma
- Low blood pressure
- Rapid heart rate
- Rapid breathing
- Wheezing
- Nausea and vomiting
- Bleeding
- Hallucinations
- Drowsiness
- anemia
- birth defects
- heart disease
- elevated homocysteine (a risk factor for heart disease)
- headache
- depression
- fatigue
- hair loss
- insomnia
- diarrhea
- shortness of breath
- pale skin
- suppression of the immune system.
- Internal bleeding is one of the biggest risks. Studies show that aspirin users die sooner compared to those not taking it.
In March 2019, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association issued new guidelines regarding the popular over-the-counter drug, labeling its benefits “low-value medical care,” according to PBS.
The guidelines declared that for healthy adults, taking aspiring daily has no overall health value and may even increase the risk of internal bleeding. According to researchers at the University of Florida Health, the new rules about aspirin follow on the heels of a large clinical trial last year by the National Institutes of Health, which found that daily aspirin did not prolong the lives of healthy, independent older people who did not have a prior cardiovascular event.
The UF cardiologists say they have long been aware of this danger and recommend that patients should consult with their physicians before stopping aspirin cold turkey, or starting a regimen.
This downgrade of aspirin’s health benefits shocked millions of people, but not doctors who have been aware of the potential dangers involved.
“What amazes me is that these umbrella organizations are just finally getting it,” Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum M.D., author of many best-selling books including, “Real Cause, Real Cure,” and an expert in complementary medicine tells Newsmax. “The research has been clear for many years that the risk of bleeding from taking an aspirin a day completely counteracts its benefits.”
“These cause side benefits instead of side effects while markedly decreasing your risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.,” says the author of “From Fatigued to Fantastic.” “Two excellent choices for this include Energy Revitalization System and Clinical Essentials. In the meantime, cut down on sugar intake and go for long walks outside. Eliminate sodas and fruit juices and switch to vegetable juices instead.
“Don’t underestimate the heart and health benefits of enjoying your life. Reduce stress and let go of any anger that is holding you hostage. Carrying anger and hostility not only causes depression, its been associated with a dramatically increased risk of heart attack.”
Medications that contain aspirin include:
Alka-Seltzer
Excedrin
BC Powder
Pepto-Bismol and oil of wintergreen also contain salicylates. They can lead to overdose if taken in addition to aspirin.
Children under the age of 12 shouldn’t take aspirin in any amount. Aspirin increases their risk for a condition called Reye’s syndrome.
In addition, because children weigh less, they don’t have to take as much medication to overdose.
Suicide prevention
If you think someone is at immediate risk of self-harm or hurting another person:
- Call 911 or your local emergency number.
- Stay with the person until help arrives.
- Remove any guns, knives, medications, or other things that may cause harm.
- Listen, but don’t judge, argue, threaten, or yell.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, get help from a crisis or suicide prevention hotline. Try the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.
When should you seek immediate medical care?
If you think you or a loved one has experienced an aspirin overdose, seek immediate medical attention.
You can also call Poison Control at 800-222-1222. They’re open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you aren’t sure if you took enough to be considered an overdose, it’s best to go to the emergency room anyway. You could otherwise miss valuable time to begin treating the poisoning.
Diagnosing an aspirin overdose
A doctor will begin by asking you or your loved one about how much aspirin was taken. Taking empty pill bottles may help a doctor understand how much may have been consumed.
The doctor may order blood and urine testing to determine how severe the levels of salicylates are in your blood and how much the aspirin has affected your body. Examples of tests include:
plasma salicylate levels
blood gases
basic metabolic panel
urinalysis
Aspirin can have a delayed absorption in the body. As a result, your doctor may take repeated blood level tests to make sure aspirin levels aren’t getting higher over time.
If you aren’t sure how much you took, a doctor will try to rule out other causes. Some of the other conditions that may have similar symptoms to an aspirin overdose include:
diabetic ketoacidosis
ethanol poisoning
ethylene glycol poisoning
iron poisoning
sepsis
However, if salicylate levels are high, a doctor will likely proceed with treating an aspirin overdose.
How is aspirin poisoning treated?
Aspirin poisoning treatments depend on your overall health as well as the level of aspirin in your blood. In severe cases, treatments may include the following:
Activated charcoal
This substance will reduce the rate aspirin is absorbed in the body. This may help decrease blood levels and reduce the risks of severe problems associated with an aspirin overdose.
Dialysis
If you’re having life-threatening symptoms or have a plasma salicylate level greater than 100 mg per deciliter of blood, you may require dialysis. This is a method of cleansing the blood of unwanted toxins.
A doctor must gain special intravenous access to be able to provide dialysis.
Gastric lavage
This is a method of ridding the stomach contents of excess aspirin. However, you can only have gastric lavage if it’s been about four hours or less since you took the aspirin.
A doctor or nurse will usually place a tube through the nose that goes to the stomach. They can suction this tube to remove gastric contents. They may also instill fluid into the stomach and suction this out to remove more gastric contents.
Intravenous (IV) fluids
IV fluids, particularly 5 percent dextrose with sodium bicarbonate added, can help reduce the level of acidity in the blood and urine. This helps the body release more aspirin quickly.
Sometimes, a doctor will add potassium to the fluids. This is because low potassium can cause more problems in the body.
On rare occasions, a person may require intubation (a breathing tube to support the airway) and ventilation during treatment.
Always carefully read medication labels to determine whether they contain aspirin. Ask your doctor how much aspirin is a safe amount if you have chronic health conditions, such as kidney failure.
Medications should always be stored out of reach of children. It’s also important to teach children that medications aren’t candy.
If you’re worried you or your child took too much aspirin, call Poison Control and seek emergency medical attention.
Source: The Peoples Chemist, WebMD, Healthline, Newsmax, healthline
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