Why is aspirin so bad?
544707
Association however strong, does not imply causation. There is no significant evidence that Reye's syndrome is caused by the use of aspirin. Here is a list that claims that Reye's syndrome could not be associated with aspirin usage:\n1. Reye's syndrome did not exist before 1950- it suddenly appeared in the 1950s but aspirin had been used since 1899; paracetamol (acetaminophen) was discovered in 1955.\n2. Reye himself concluded that aspirin was not a cause of the syndrome.\n3. Aspirin ingestion occurred in patients with viral illnesses who did not develop Reye's syndrome.\n4. Uncertainty about the timing of the onset of the syndrome- whether the data are anaylysed with protracted vomiting or the onset of altered mental status as the starting point is material to whether or not an association with phenothiazines is found. \n5. International differences in patterns of the disease and association with aspirin.\n6. Reye's syndrome was disappearing before label warnings were introduced in 1986.\n7. Some cases of Reye's may have had undiagnosed inborn errors of metabolism.\n\nOther studies have also concluded that "an aspirin a day, keeps the doctor away." With these catchy phrases and hidden side effects that people may not be aware of, people have started taking daily dosages of aspirin to prevent atherosclerosis. This maybe true for the populatoin in general, but not specifically for the elders. 65 and older users of aspirin have shown little or no benefits, on the other hand many side effects arised.\n\nBleeding and hemmoraging are major problems for the elderly population which uses aspirin, therefore being suseptible to adverse effects of the drug is on person to person bases. If no bleeding, allergic reactions, or other side effects arise than aspirin is great for headache and pain relief and may even prevent strokes or heart attacks. Hopefully you found this useful and not baised... I am niether trying to promote the drug or telling you to avoid it... Just informing my fellow "Yahoo Answerer". GL
403099
Aspirin\n\nOnly its acetylsalicylic acid
751981
It depends on the medication mostly. But yes many medications can cause bleeding on their own, and the chances of this are increased if you take it along with other medications.\n\nNSAIDs (Non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs) have this as a side effect. this is why many people who take aspirin on a daily basis are advised to take the aspirin ec, which is entericoated and causes the  medication to be released inthe intestinal tract rather than the stomach.\n\nOther meds inthe NSAID category are ibuprofen (advil and motrin), and naproxen sodium (aleve). These should not be taken together.\n\nIf you take aspirin as a maintenance drug and need a pain reliever, it would be wise to ask your doctor for specific instruction but mostly they recommend tylenol (acetometaphen) since it is not an NSAID and doesn't upset the stomach as much.\n\nAny time an NSAID is taken, drink milk or take it after eating something.
486450
Kind of depends on the Aspirin tablet. If it is coated or bufferend, it will have less. But generally, the percentage that is acetylsalicylic acid is quite high. Other ingredients may include corn starch and cellulose.\n\nSorry. I don't have the actual percentage. However, if you have an accurate (and precise) scale, weigh a 325mg pill and calculate the percentage.
318350
Just want to warn you that people are not suppose to take hormones as they take aspirin.\nHormones can b very dangerous bcse they can change your internal balance!
777209
Your body makes molecules that stimulate inflammation (pain, swelling, etc.) To make these molecules you body uses an enzyme called cyclooxygenase (COX) and aspirin blocks this enzyme so that the inflammatory mediators don't get made.
799976
The experimenter messed up the experiment. Or the tablet contained no aspirin. try it again. Or the chemicals you used were old and expired.
1095639
When you swallow a pill, it has to dissolve and be absorbed in your gastrointestinal tract into the bloodstream, from where it travels throughout the body.  So you'd get a little aspirin in every part of your body, instead of targeted at a specific place.  The rub on creams like Aspercreme have to absorb through the skin into the affected area, passing through the muscles that (I assume) are aching BEFORE they get into the bloodstream and get diluted.  So if general muscle aches and pains are your problem, the cremes are better, but for something like a headache, you'd need the pill (unless you'd LIKE slathering your whole head in the stuff, but it still wouldn't be as effective for a headache, since headaches are typically spasms in your blood vessels, so you WANT the aspirin there instead of on the surface... but I digress)
989499
There are not good and bad medicines, dear.\nThere is good use and bad use of medicines. \nRead carefully the instructions (including the containdications and side effects) and if you need to take it, you can do it. Just don't overdo it! Taken occasionally for headaches or a common flu or for another minor symptom, it  will not harm you, if you are a healthy individual. \nJust take care if you have high blood pressure, peptic ulcer or any kind of problems with your stomach or if you are taking any other medicines contemporaneously. In that case, you have to consult your doctor.\n\nIf you are taking it as a pain killer, that is on a frequent basis, ask your pharmacist or your doctor about it. There are many other methods, having less side effects, that alternative medicine can offer to you.\n\nKaterina
303338
Everything has side-effects. It's a question of how bad it is. It's probably better for you that high cholesterol.
168396
Doctors don't recommend aspirin because it's good for your health - they recommend it because it thins blood which will help if you have high blood pressure or heart problems.  Except that they are finding now that this doesn't work as well (if at all) for women.\n\nOTOH, constant use over a period of time contributes to ulcers, if not causing them.\n\nNO medicine is without negative side effects, and should only be taken if the benefit outweighs the risk.  It is best that YOU know what the risk is when you take medicine so you can decide if it is worth it to you.
1179705
Aspirin is a highly effective antiplatelet agent, ibuprofen will inhibit the antiplatelet effects of aspirin, making it nothing more than a stomach irritant, ibuprofen is only a short acting remedy for mild pain, inflammation and fever, aspirin does the same thing but works better on the pain, why would you take ibuprofen
1109913
Absolutely. NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) are very dangerous. Ibuprofen, in fact, can increase your risk of heart attack (http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=635702005), or more commonly, cause internal bleeding.  The best thing you can do is to figure out what's causing the pain, and then eliminate the cause.
950965
Aspirin (acetyl salicylic acid) is a naturally occuring analgesic.  Buffered aspirin has a coating of alkali to offset the acidity.
3878
In 1897, a German chemist with Friedrich Bayer and Company was searching for a treatment for his father's arthritic pain and began to research acetylsalicylic acid, which worked well. His discovery resulted in the development of a product introduced as Aspirin
43365
Aspirin is generally used as a painkiller although recent studies have suggested a use as a method of controlling blood pressure
1060769
Aspirin to Prevent Blood Clots\nAbout one in four heart attacks and strokes may be prevented by aspirin.\n\nA daily low dose of aspirin lowers the risk of having a heart attack or stroke if you have:\n\n    * angina.\n    * a previous heart attack (myocardial infarction).\n    * peripheral vascular disease.\n    * a previous stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA).\n    * certain other heart and blood vessel conditions.\n\nThe usual dose is 75 mg. This is a lot less than the dose for pain relief. If you need to take painkillers (eg for headaches) it is best to take alternative painkillers such as paracetamol