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Aspirin Addiction?

I have a friend who takes 4-6 aspirin a day.  The reasons he gives include headache, energy boost, muscle pain...and sometimes no really good reason.  Is this an addiction?  What are the possible short and long term effects? Suggestions for change?
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Avatar universal
I am physically addicted to methadone, benzodiazepines, quetiapine, nicotine and caffiene.  These drugs are extremely physically addictive because these drugs fill all of the different ‘feel good’ receptors in your brain (like endorphine receptors) and when your receptors get completely filled, your brain makes more and more receptors, hence why addictions get out of control.
Asprin (acedacillic acid) doesn’t fill those brain receptors, so it is not physically addictive.
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How are you 21flavours?  How is the holiday weekend coming?  Are you working any program or still caught?  I know it's hard, friend.  I know.  hugs
Hi!  Thanks for asking :).  
Even though I am addicted to a few meds, I don’t have a ‘drugs for fun’ addiction (I don’t know how else to describe types of addiction).  I take 7 meds per day because I was shot in the head 25 years ago.  Along with brain and nerve damage, I have lead pellets in my brain and eye socket that can’t be removed (actually in the last few moths, a pellet migrated from my right eye socket to my forehead so I have a small lump in my forehead and they cancelled my surgery to take it out because of Covid YAY!)  Hence why I take so many meds.  In my response to ‘aspirin addiction’ I just mentioned the meds that I am physically addicted to (plus the caffeine and nicotine addictions which aren’t medically prescribed lol).  But cause addiction in the brain the same way).  I left out blood thinners, blood pressure meds, etc that I take because I could stroke out at any second due to the lead shotgun pellets. I also have to get Chelation therapy often due to chronic lead poisoning from the pellets.
ANYWAY BLAH BLAH BLAH!
So I comment in the addictions section to let people know the physical mechanics of addiction but my reasons for being addicted to certain meds check off different boxes.  But addiction is addiction and it’s all physically the same whether it was fun that got out of control or it’s reasons like mine.  So I have no judgements towards the ‘fun that got out of control’ addicts because when they took their first hit, they weren’t saying to themselves “gee wiz, I want to become a hardcore addict and have this drug take over my life and ruin it”, they were just looking for a bit of ‘feel good’ for the evening and almost every addict started when they were young, naïve and invincible.
So ANYWAY!
How about you?  What addiction has you in the push-pull, love-hate headlock if you don’t mind me asking.
S**t I think i just made both our comments public!  I’m SO SORRY!  If you know how I can erase our comments please let me know!  Sorry again :(
Avatar universal
I am addicted to Goody's.  I love the taste of them and they make me feel better after taking them.  I have taken them everyday since last September 3-4 times a day.  How would I know if I had stomach bleeding?  How can I stop when I have already tried and did not suceed????
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Avatar universal
Good point, IR. Very important. Completely forgot about the anticoagulation and I do bleed like a stuck pig if I get cut. I personally don't have any stomach problems with it but lots of folks do.
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Avatar universal
Hi aracadiarose-never have known aspirin to be mood altering myself so it would be hard to think of aspirin as an addictive drug. There are some side effects I know of regarding high use of ASA, one is decreased coagulation, which is it acts as a blood thinner. This is why it is recommended that people without contraindications to it such as bleeding disorders take it if they have a family history of heart disease. It can be preventative health for things like heart attack or stroke, but usually a small dose, like one baby aspirin is recommended for that. If your friend sustains an injury such as a cut, the time to stop the bleeding may be a bit longer and more difficult than someone not on aspirin. Also, in high doses it can irritate your stomach also causing bleeding there. But as far as addiction goes... I guess any drug you come to depend on psychologically to do something for you can be considered an addiction or dependence. Hope your friend's doctor is aware of his/her ASA use, you may suggest that they discuss it with their physician.
Take care, IR.
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Avatar universal
I take a lot of aspirin for it's antiimflammatory (sp?) properties.  Can't take ibuprofen.  Have done so for years.  And also have stopped with absolutely no problems, except the inflamation comes back. If his stomach can tolerate it, it's probably okay.
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