Aspirin

 

Recently a patient made a passing comment to me that “I guess one baby aspirin can’t hurt anything” in regards to their mother.At the time I didn’t say anything at all.Rather, I thought I’d show you all how I scrutinize meds like some scrutinize car salesmen.

If you perform a search for aspirin on WebMD you’ll first be greeted with a Target Pharmacy ad followed by a disclaimer that includes a statement about generics and a warning to take the right type of aspirin for your situation.Now none of us are MDs so how are we to know?It sounds to me like you need to see your doctor for an over the counter medication as well as prescription.Yet these pills are marketed as not needing a prescription or over the counter.What does over the counter really mean?And HOW DO we know if we are taking the right one.

To illustrate that point there are fifty-two (52!) different types of aspirin.Aspirin isn’t aspirin anymore.There’s children’s aspirin and adult aspirin.Some are oral; some are tablet, liquid, or injected.Some are extra strength (how American, if the smaller stuff doesn’t work, hit it harder), others are Aspirin-Free.Aspirin-Free Aspirin?Some have codeine (#3 or #4?!!!) or hydrocodone (for the really bad headache there’s nothing like an addictive narcotic).There’s aspirin for arthritis (how does it know where the arthritis is?).Some aspirin is formulated with calcium in it (I guess that is for the people with pain and osteoporosis).There’s buffered aspirin (to pass through the stomach without digesting) and Tri-buffered (in case the stomach did what it is supposed to do and digests its contents).Some aspirin is coated with caffeine (so is it the aspirin or the caffeine that relieves your headache?).One is marked as having an anti-acid (so much for absorbing the calcium…and…isn’t that what the buffered stuff is for?).But I think my favorite is the PM variety (because aspirin knows what time of day it is?!)

Are you aware the only conditions that aspirin is certified to treat are pain and fever. Yet what is the most common treatment other than pain for?

I linked on some of the aspirins and browsed through the listed side effects: bruising/bleeding; infection; serious (possibly fatal) liver disease: persistent nausea/vomiting, yellowing eyes/skin, dark urine, stomach/abdominal pain, extreme tiredness; rash; itching; swelling; severe dizziness; trouble breathing.What is difficult breathing often diagnosed as?

I like this quote: “Children and teenagers should not take aspirin if they have chickenpox, influenza or any undiagnosed illness.” (emphasis added)Sounds to me like you should have a doctor’s prescription to take aspirin, but do you think they would listen or just say, go ahead and take it?One warning states: “Carefully read the product label,” and another, “do not lie down for at least 30 minutes after you have taken this drug” why do you think this is?

“If you are taking this medication for self-treatment of headache, seek immediate medical attention if you also have slurred speech, weakness on one side of the body, or sudden vision changes.”These are all signs and symptoms of stroke.Are there billboards or testimonials on the news alerting us to the risk of stroke due to aspirin? Are you aware aspirin can lead to a stroke?Will you stop taking it now that you are?

All of that to relieve pain.Would you rather pain or liver disease?Pain or a stroke?How will you know if you have an “undiagnosed illness” that contradicts the use of aspirin, which is found “over the counter?”It seems to me that Big Brother Pharma (ceutical Company) has done a great job marketing its wares to us.But just like the Apple Computer commercial…you can put all your dollars into marketing; it doesn’t change the problems with the system.

The key is to deliberately and logically scrutinize everything in healthcare the same way we have learned to read food labels or scrutinize a car salesman.These pills can have helpful effects, but by and large they create more problems that are often worse than what we are taking them for.

Chiropractic has one side effect…better health.Give glory to the Almighty (and what you have been given on the inside.)Not the almighty pharma.After all, who knows more about the body, the one who created it or the one who studies it?

“The purpose of Chirorpactic is to unite man the physical with man the spiritual.”

– BJ Palmer, DC