aspirin therapy

I'm a 40 yr old man on a variety of meds - Lipitor, Tricor, Amlodipine and Metformin (I am not diabetic, I was prescribed the Metformin to help with a weight loss program).

I also take 3000 mg of fish oil a day along with 1 baby aspirin.

With the meds my numbers have all been good - I've also lost a total of 35 lbs since January - lost 25 in the 6 months between Jan. and June, plateaued, then lost another 10 between August and now.  Down to 280 from a high of 316.  As my weight has gone down, so too have the dosages of the various meds I'm taking.

The doctor suggested the baby aspirin as a precaution during the diet/exercise regimen I have been using to drop weight.  Last week I developed a sore in the back of my throat which bled excessively for several hours.  I normally have not had issues with bleeding so the doctor on call (NOT my regular MD) suggested that I stop the aspirin for 3-4 days to allow my throat to heal.  Since then there have been no problems.

However, I've seen all kinds of reports about how stopping aspirin therapy cold turkey can lead to other issues.  What are my risks and is there an effective way to wean off of aspirin other than just stopping?

Thanks very much.

[RadioAstronomyObserver]

Don't know if it's the same thing or not but it sounds like it...  My mother had a small cut on her arm, something for a small band-aid.  A few hours later it still didn't stop bleeding, in fact I think I mentioned it here late last year/early this year.  We went to the hospital where another few hours went by and it still didn't stop bleeding.  The Dr in the ER had some band-aids that they were supposed to be testing out, These where saturated with a blood clotting agent, and even then it took a couple hours for the bleeding to stop.  Memory says it was about 12 hours from initial cut till it finally stopped bleeding and it was bleeding only a drop every few seconds.

  She takes Lipitor and aspirin as you do.  Connection between the Lipitor and Aspirin?

[ed34]

Did your mother have any clotting tests? surely the platelet activity is far too low?
I'm on aspirin and clopidogrel (Plavix). Before I was on these drugs, a cut, even deep, would stop bleeding very quickly, withing minutes. Maybe that was the beauty of very high cholesterol? anyway, since being on blood thinners, a cut takes about an extra ten minutes to heal, but no more than that. Blood tests have shown my clotting factors are as they would want them to be. Can you imagine how much damage would occur from any cause of internal bleed? Is she on the standard 75mg aspirin a day?

[kenkeith]

QUOTE: ...." since being on blood thinners",

>>>>>>taking coumadin, heparin, lovenox, aspirin, aggrenox, plavix, hirudin etc. DOESN'T cause blood to be THINNER.....it doesn't flow better, isn't "more slippery", isn't more "watery".....it is simply less likely to form a clot in response to injury.....

If aspirin were a blood thinner, it would be an answer to occluded vessels. Thin the blood (reduce vicosity) and blood could easily move through narrow occluded vessels.  Aspirin is an anti-inflammatory agent and anti-platelet characteristics.  It is not because the blood is "thinner" that causes an injury to bleed longer!

[RadioAstronomyObserver]

After reading the responses I reread your question.  I'm no expert, I'd trust KenKieth and Ed before trusting me.  However, Stopping Aspirin cold turkey should be no problem, shouldn't be a single side effect at all.  If there is anything to consider it would be to take it easy till the throat is healed and once healed start with the Aspirin again as apparently the Dr had some reason you should be on it while "exorcising(?)".

[ed34]

"If aspirin were a blood thinner"

Strange how 'blood thinner' has become such a common term. Even my Doctor and Cardiologist use it. I suppose the reference is simply from the fact it stops blood thickening into a clot?

[ChatterAlly]

There is a report out now that shows that aspirin therapy reduces the chances of colon cancer by 24%.  Any thoughts on this? How could this study conclude this?  And why has my doctor recommended the adult dose of 325mg to the low dose of 81mg?

[kenkeith]

I read the AP source in this morning's paper that indicates aspirin can reduce colon cancer.  The data was collated from death cerificates and certificates, etc, and the recommendation is 81mg. I have read 81 mg is sufficient for some protection for heart patients as well.  That is the dose I have been taking for years.  

[ed34]

Isn't it odd how the US have standard as 81mg and the UK/Europe have 75mg? I wonder why they always have to be different. It's the same with Plavix, 75mg, I don't know the standard dosage of this in the US?

[RadioAstronomyObserver]

  I could imagine it's the politics of having "free" medical as opposed to what the US has.  But then I don't know enough about how Aspirin works.  Could also be the average American is fater than the average UK citizen making the base dose higher for us(?).

[ed34]

found this.
http://www.theheart.org/article/206139.do

It appears you wouldn't see any difference between 81 and 75mg anyway.
Interesting reading tho.

I'm not sure if body fat would increase blood volume in the body, would it?