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Concerned about my aspirin use.

maryb

iherb code TAK122
Messages
3,602
Location
UK
I think I've developed either an ulcer or something which is causing bleeding in my upper intestinal tract, stomach or elsewhere. The only thing that will shift my terrible headaches is aspirin, what on earth do I do if I have to stop taking it which I'm fearful of after I see a G/enterologist in the very near future. Nothing else touches the headaches, ibuprofen,paracetamol etc - they disappear within half an hour of taking aspirin though. I don't want to start on drugs from the GP - tramadol etc. Has anyone tried anything thats worked?
I wonder if its the anti/inflamatory aspect of aspirin together with the blood thinning components that makes it works so well for me?
 

Jenny

Senior Member
Messages
1,388
Location
Dorset
Hi mary

I've found tramadol very helpful, and I had no trouble getting off it after a year. My pain has been worse again recently and the doc suggested duloxetine. I've been on it a couple of months now and had virtually no headaches or pain anywhere else so far.

Over the counter drugs or supplements have never helped at all.
 

Dainty

Senior Member
Messages
1,751
Location
Seattle
Have you considered taking a natural form of aspirin instead? I hear those are easier on the stomach.

White willow bark is the most well known, though there are others as well - wintergreen berries come to mind, too.

Think of it as aspirin's great grandmother. Mostly the same ingredient, just not refined.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
I think there is other blood thinning things which could be tried.. my brains not working right now enough to say what but there is a spice which is blood thinning. Maybe you can take a combo of other various blood thinners along with a different form of pain killer.
 

caledonia

Senior Member
I've had good success with horrible headaches doing high dose pharmaceutical grade fish oil. It helps your body produce good eicosanoids (prostaglandins), your body's natural painkillers. In the 80's I think it was, somebody won a Nobel prize for figuring out how aspirin worked (after 100 years of use, nobody knew why it worked, just that it did). What it does is lower levels of all eicosanoids, both good and bad. So this is a clue that fish oil might be helpful for you, plus it doesn't burn holes in your stomach.

Read Barry Sears first book The Zone for a complete explanation of how it all works, and how to dose it correctly, and how diet ties in. Stop taking anything with GLA (evening primrose oil, borage oil, etc.) if you're doing that. A little is ok, but more than that will make you feel worse.

There are other benefits too, such as heart, brain, PMS, mood, etc.
 

WillowJ

คภภเє ɠรค๓թєl
Messages
4,940
Location
WA, USA
I think I've developed either an ulcer or something which is causing bleeding in my upper intestinal tract, stomach or elsewhere. The only thing that will shift my terrible headaches is aspirin, what on earth do I do if I have to stop taking it which I'm fearful of after I see a G/enterologist in the very near future. Nothing else touches the headaches, ibuprofen,paracetamol etc - they disappear within half an hour of taking aspirin though. I don't want to start on drugs from the GP - tramadol etc. Has anyone tried anything thats worked?
I wonder if its the anti/inflamatory aspect of aspirin together with the blood thinning components that makes it works so well for me?

I was going to ask what signs of bleeding you were having but then I saw that you were seeing GI, so you should be getting the right help there.

OTC medicine is not necessarily the best to take long term. They do have prescription NSAIDs, but these may not be better as far as bleeding risk; check with your doc or pharmacist. One can take a prescription acid reducer such as omeprazole to reduce the risk of bleeding but this can cause heartburn/GERD (paradoxically). Gum mastica is an herbal remedy which can also act as a stomach protectant. Again, talk to your doc or pharmacist.

There are lots and lots of headache medicines. It's possible that if aspirin works for you a migraine vascular headache medicine might also do the trick? I don't know what your headaches are like, but you might ask for a referral to a headache specialist. (do not let them brush you off with the stress theory. consider rebound headaches only if it seems reasonable for you.)
 

maryb

iherb code TAK122
Messages
3,602
Location
UK
Thank you for your reply Willow - its so hard when you become dependant on meds, knowing something is going to work means less stress when we have so much going on with this illness. I fear the headaches more than anything else, they will put me in bed and I am able to do absolutely nothing. Thanks for the tip about the specialist - I already have a referral to a pain clinic because of my back so maybe they can help.
I used to suffer from migraines and the migraine pills did help then, I lost them (migraines)when I developed ME?? changing my diet drastically probably.
I also suffered from rebound headaches years ago due to taking aspirin and codeine regularly (realised this when reading about how addictive codeine was) good to understand these things isn't it for the sake of your health.
 

alex3619

Senior Member
Messages
13,810
Location
Logan, Queensland, Australia
I have a friend who had a major gastric rupture due to aspirin, and had to undergo emergency surgery. If its causing bleeding then alternatives are very important asap.

Cox-2 inhibitors were developed to avoid this but they can cause other dangerous effects. The most famous of these was Vioxx which is now banned.

Sears is partly right, but what he recommends is not, I think, fully applicable to ME. We have something wrong with our eicosanoid regulation due to other mechanisms that he does not research. Fish oil does indeed provide some alternative, and combining this with higher protein lower carb diets (which Sears does in a later book) might have some impact.
 
Messages
15,786
Fish oil (high DHA and EPA) have been my headache miracle cure too. I take 2-3 grams per day, and the headache stays away. If I stop taking it, it comes back after a day or so. It takes a day or so to start working once you start on it.
 

Chris

Senior Member
Messages
845
Location
Victoria, BC
There is some evidence that taking fish/krill oil together with aspirin lowers the danger of stomach damage, and the combo has been shown to have quite powerful antiinflammatory effects--via the production of resolvins and other recently discovered particles--you can look up resolvins (lead researcher Servan) in either PubMed or Google--you may be surprised at what you find! Good luck, Chris
 

maryb

iherb code TAK122
Messages
3,602
Location
UK
Thank you so much - useful information re the fish oil and resolvins, I feel more confident now about being able to discontinue aspirin if I have to. I'll start on the fish oil tomorrow, just hope with my sensitivities it doesn't bring on a headache:eek:

I missed your posts Jenny Dainty and Tania, too much brain fog and trying to speed down the thread = thank you for the info, all helps to give me some further options to try.

You're a wicked bunch on here with your knowledge.
 

Sparrow

Senior Member
Messages
691
Location
Canada
Be warned that fish oil can have a mild blood thinning effect as well, so if you find out that you are indeed bleeding from somewhere, you may not want to be taking that either. I would talk with your gastro and get their advice. They'll know better how bad the issue is, and what your body might still be able to tolerate.
 

caledonia

Senior Member
I would just like to emphasize that if your doing grams of fish oil per day, that's high dose, and it should be pharmaceutical grade or at least molecular distilled, due to toxins in fish, and the fillers used in lesser brands.

I use Sears Omega Rx brand. I've tried Carlson's to reduce the cost, but it's not as effective.

There was a video link someone posted on here fairly recently about methylation and migraines. I've looked, but can't find it.

Anyway, certain mutations are prone to migraines. There were two migraine case studies in the video. One poor person had migraines every time they ate. The solution was to do a low sulfur and low histamine diet, in addition to some supplementation. Spinach (which you would think would be healthy) was one of the offending foods.

If anybody knows or can find this video, please post a link.
 

Dreambirdie

work in progress
Messages
5,569
Location
N. California
Hi Maryb-- I don't know if your situation has any similarities to mine, but for what it's worth, here's what worked best for me.

I used to have really bad migraines, with all night vomiting. It happened every time I ate animal protein, which I really needed but could not digest. So 3-4 hours after my animal protein meal, I would start getting a headache and nausea, which would eventually blow up into a full scale migraine, with vomiting well into the dry heaves. I'd spend all night hugging the toilet. It was hellish. This went on for about 10 years, on a weekly basis. None of the brilliant health professionals I was consulting at that time figured out what was causing the problem.

Then ONE DAY a friend of mine gave me some HCL and Bitters (a Metagenics product). This was exactly what I needed. As soon as I started taking it, my migraines and vomiting stopped. I gained 10 pounds and kept it on. And I have not had a migraine since.

I wish the other parts of my illness were as simple to solve as that was. :rolleyes:
And I hope you find an answer that works for you.


PS As for the ulcers, I have read that deglycyrrhizinated licorice works well to heal those. You might check that out.
 

maryb

iherb code TAK122
Messages
3,602
Location
UK
Thanks everyone, given me a lot of stuff to think about, need to see the consultant now and get booked in - really not looking forward to that, fingers crossed it may be better news than I expect.
Dreambirdie - I used to take HCL regularly but dropped off lately?? as you do, but I suppose now isn't a good time to re-start as more acid if it is an ulcer is not a good thing. I have some DGL so worth taking that.

Caledonia have looked at the Sears stuff -seems high quality which we really need, we have enough toxins:( and you're right who'd have thought spinach?? I went through a phase of eating it 3 times a week a couple of years ago and my iron levels went through the roof, am back on broccoli, cauliflower carrots and green beans now, I do get stuck in a rut veg wise. It takes too much energy to think about shopping sometimes.

Having problems with the fish oil though , I guess thats why I don't take it regularly, repeats on me immediately and continues to do so for a few hours, anyone else??
 

dannybex

Senior Member
Messages
3,561
Location
Seattle
Then ONE DAY a friend of mine gave me some HCL and Bitters (a Metagenics product). This was exactly what I needed. As soon as I started taking it, my migraines and vomiting stopped. I gained 10 pounds and kept it on. And I have not had a migraine since.

My doc recommended bitters a couple of months ago, but I was hesitant, as bitter foods tend to make me cold, plus being an herb, it probably has salicylates, but sheesh, my digestion is and has been terrible, so I'm going to bite the bullet and try some chinese bitters (gentian and bleuperum)…add that to the 7 HCL's I take. I'd kill to gain 10 pounds. Thanks DB.
 

undcvr

Senior Member
Messages
822
Location
NYC
I think I've developed either an ulcer or something which is causing bleeding in my upper intestinal tract, stomach or elsewhere. The only thing that will shift my terrible headaches is aspirin, what on earth do I do if I have to stop taking it which I'm fearful of after I see a G/enterologist in the very near future. Nothing else touches the headaches, ibuprofen,paracetamol etc - they disappear within half an hour of taking aspirin though. I don't want to start on drugs from the GP - tramadol etc. Has anyone tried anything thats worked?
I wonder if its the anti/inflamatory aspect of aspirin together with the blood thinning components that makes it works so well for me?

If asprin works for you keep taking it, it has done wonders for me too whenever I am on it. It just makes me feel better all around. I used to take 1000-2000mg at one point daily in the winter but don't anymore. Nowadays I take less.

Here are somethings to take with the Asprin to reduce or stop its ulcer side effects:

- Tums basically Calcium Carbonate to neutralise it as it sits in the stomach and waits to pass into the gut where it is then neutralized
-DGL DeGly-something-something Licorice, makes the stomach and gut produce more mucus to coat the Asprin so it does not actually make contact with the stomach wall
-Mastic Gum: same thing, makes your gut and stomach more mucousy
-take the asprin with about a tbps of oil, oil will line the stomach walls too
and finally
-cabbage juice i bet u know this already but always worth repeating. It soothes almost every stomach issue I can think of.

*Do not take medication that reduces stomach acids. Stomach acids is critical to gut health and for pple with CFS we usually have less stomach acid than more.
 
Last edited:

undcvr

Senior Member
Messages
822
Location
NYC
@caledonia
You say you use Sears omega ? That contains soy oil in it too. Have you tried to find out if it is the EPA or the DHA or both that is more helpful to you ?(Ratio of EPA to DHA in Sears is 2:1) Something like Lovaza wud be completely pharmaceutical grade, any thots on that ?
How much of Carlson's were you taking to conclude that it was not as effective ? I am asking this cos I am taking 1-2 tbsp a day and am not sure if I am feeling anything.
 

maryb

iherb code TAK122
Messages
3,602
Location
UK
I tried the Sears omega - not for me - repeated for hours and felt sick, I gave it to my son.
I have some high EPA - I'm going to try it when I get in a good place. - hopefully soon....
I don't use as much aspirin now - maybe once a week - think its like a securty blanket for me -

I never got to see the g/enterologist my gp wouldn't refer me.....I had a colonoscopy on the NHS because of the blood in my stools but it came back okay - my stomach feels better in general - but don't think it ever gets 100% with this illness.
 

caledonia

Senior Member
@caledonia
You say you use Sears omega ? That contains soy oil in it too. Have you tried to find out if it is the EPA or the DHA or both that is more helpful to you ?(Ratio of EPA to DHA in Sears is 2:1) Something like Lovaza wud be completely pharmaceutical grade, any thots on that ?
How much of Carlson's were you taking to conclude that it was not as effective ? I am asking this cos I am taking 1-2 tbsp a day and am not sure if I am feeling anything.

I looked at my label, and it does contain soy. Did not know that...

I don't know about your other questions.

I was taking twice as much Carlson's as Sears, which would have the equivalent amounts of EPA and DHA, and it still wasn't as effective.