Skip to main content

Aspirin: The first NSAID


 Aspirin: The first NSAID

 


Post by Marietta LeDonne.





The origin of aspirin can be traced back to the era of Hippocrates, where historical records indicate the use of extracts of willow bark and spirea for relief of headache, pain and fever.
Many years later, in the mid to late 1800s, chemists in France and Germany identified and then synthesized the active component of these extracts: Salicylic acid.  Hence, modern day aspirin was born!

In the years that followed, aspirin gained popularity in use for pain and fever reduction. In the late 1950s, acetaminophen became a popular alternative for pain and fever, while aspirin gained popularity as an anti platelet agent for prevention of heart attack and stroke. In later years, other NSAID(Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug) and the COX- 2 inhibitors came onto the marketplace for treatment of pain, fever and inflammation. Aspirin is still widely used for prevention of clot formation by many patients, and chronic pain patients are no exception to the rule. While we all are familiar with aspirin, some examples of NSAIDs include ibuprofen, naproxen, and diclofenac. Currently the only COX-2 inhibitor on the US marketplace is celecoxib.

It is important to keep this in mind-- that there are three general side effects of aspirin that are of concern. It is perfectly fine to use aspirin for a clot prevention when taking NSAIDs or COX-2 drugs for pain, but the side effect profiles are are very similar and taking both drugs simultaneously will increase the risk of those side effects.  It is probably best to use NSAIDs or COX-2 drugs as needed, keeping in mind that "less is more."  Here are the three main reasons of concern:

1) Gastrointestinal issues: All NSAIDs including aspirin are capable of causing GI disturbances.  In addition to upset stomach, more serious issues, such as ulcers, can occur.
COX-2 drugs are gentler to the GI tract than the other classes of drugs.

2) Bleeding issues:  All NSAIDs ,including aspirin and COX-2 inhibitor drugs can cause bleeding issues because they all have some anti platelet activity.

3) Kidney and Liver issues:  All NSAIDs, including aspirin, and COX-2 inhibitor drugs have the potential to cause kidney or liver damage.  This is especially important for people who have hypertension, heart disease, or preexisting kidney or liver damage.

Sources: Wikipedia, Drugs.com,Nursing Times

Post by Marietta LeDonne.






Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Living with Chronic pain hits the big screen!

Been to the movies lately?  Jennifer Aniston is on the big screen in a recent release titled "Cake." Her character, Claire is a victim of chronic pain...she belongs to a support group, where all of the members are coming to terms with the suicide of one of their members.  Of course, she also takes pain medication and addiction is another of her problems...and of course there's more! I guess I am writing this post just to bring readers' attention to the fact that Hollywood has become aware of the crisis that is chronic pain.  This movie is a testament to that. People that don't have to live with this kind of pain don't fully understand the whole story.  Maybe this movie will shed some light on the issues. Here is the official trailer for the movie: Sources: prweb;NorthJersey.com;YouTube
Post a Comment
Read more

Effectiveness Of Ozone Injections Is No Longer Up In The Air

Most of us know someone who has osteoarthritis, if we don't have it ourselves.  Joint replacement surgery is a pretty common remedy when the joint becomes severely damaged and the patient is in a lot of pain.  With risk of complications from such a surgery, perhaps an alternative treatment should be tried first. One such remedy is the injection of a synthetic version of collagen(e.g. Synvisc®) into the affected joint.  This procedure restores the cushioning to a joint that has degenerated over the years. It can diminish the pain substantially and help put off joint replacement surgery for months to years.  The biggest drawback is that these products are expensive.   GoodRX , a web site that can be used to estimate the cost of medications, estimates the cost of these products to be over $1,000 each. Here's another example--and I am not sure how widely accepted this protocol has become since study authors introduced it in November 2015.  Are you ready for this? Inject
Post a Comment
Read more

Beware Of The Tick!

It's tick season, everyone! And while we all know about Lyme Disease and its lingering effects, a new problem has entered the scene. According to the CDC, the Powassan virus is another tick-borne disease that has recently been recognized. The CDC says symptoms become apparent anywhere from one week to one month after infection. Symptoms include vomiting, weakness, confusion, loss of coordination, problems with speech and seizures. Approximately half of those infected by this virus have permanent neurological symptoms, which can include muscle wasting, problems with memory, and recurrent headaches. Many people who have been infected with Powassan virus required hospitalization and sometimes even respiratory support (i.e., a respirator). Treatment is focused on supportive measures. In the meantime, preventive measures are the best way to avoid Lyme disease, Powassan virus , or any other tick-borne virus.  You can read more about preventive measures by clicking here . Sour
Post a Comment
Read more