Aspirin is a commonly used drug to prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.But I heard that adverse reactions will occur when taking aspirin for a long time, but the doctor said that you should not stop taking aspirin casually, otherwise the protective effect of the drug will be lost.

The doctor is right, aspirin cannot be stopped easily, but it does not mean that it cannot be stopped.When serious adverse reactions occur, you need to stop taking it.

First, aspirin is a “double-edged sword” aspirin is a human “miracle drug”, in more than a hundred years, people use large doses of aspirin fever, analgesic, anti-rheumatic, to help people away from pain. Nowadays, small-dose aspirin is mainly used to inhibit the aggregation of platelets, prevent the formation of blood clots, and avoid the occurrence of cerebral infarction and heart attack.

The pharmacological mechanism of aspirin is that it binds to the cyclooxygenase on platelets to produce an inhibitory effect. However, there are cyclooxygenase enzymes in other tissues of the human body, which will also be inhibited by aspirin, leading to a decrease in the production of prostaglandins, which have a protective effect on the digestive tract, thus leading to a weakening of the barrier function of the mucous membrane of the digestive tract, which is prone to damage.

Aspirin does not cause blood vessels to rupture, but it does weaken the clotting function of platelets, so that when there is a break in a blood vessel, the healing time is prolonged. To some extent, it may increase the risk of spontaneous bleeding, the most dangerous of which is cerebral hemorrhage.

Aspirin therapy is a “double-edged sword”, and it carries with it the risk of medication while treating the disease. Aspirin is recommended only when the benefits of using the drug far outweigh the risks. Adverse effects need to be monitored during use, and if abnormalities occur, it may be necessary to suspend the medication.

Second, the need to stop using aspirin in several cases

1、Allergy: some people may be allergic when taking aspirin, or induced asthma, need to stop using aspirin.

2、Digestive tract damage: long-term use of aspirin, may lead to digestive tract damage, induced gastric ulcers or make the existing ulcers worse. During the use of medication to observe whether there is abdominal pain, abdominal distension and other conditions, if it occurs to consult a doctor in a timely manner, if a peptic ulcer, the need to suspend medication.

3、Black stools: When the mucous membrane of the digestive tract is seriously damaged, it will lead to bleeding, and if the amount of bleeding is large, tarry black stools will appear. However, it is important to note that similar black stools can occur after consuming blood sausage and blood tofu, so be careful to distinguish between them. If the amount of gastric bleeding is small, it may not cause a change in the color of the stool. It is recommended that regular routine stool examinations be performed, and if occult blood is found, it is recommended that medication be suspended for treatment.

4、Thrombocytopenia: regular blood tests should be conducted during the use of medication to pay attention to the number of platelets. Aspirin combines with platelets to play a role, but when the number of platelets is low, the coagulation function will further decline. In this case, the aspirin dosage needs to be reduced, and in the case of severe low numbers, the medication needs to be suspended and the cause of the low platelet count needs to be found. There is also the need to stop the medication 7 days in advance when surgery is required to minimize intraoperative bleeding.

5、Coagulation dysfunction: human blood coagulation, not only platelet aggregation of a pathway, there are a variety of coagulation factors involved. It is recommended to do regular blood clotting time check, if found that the coagulation factors are abnormal, or need to be used in conjunction with anticoagulant drugs, aspirin may need to reduce or suspend the use of medication, to reduce the risk of bleeding disorders.

6、Poor blood pressure control: high blood pressure is the main risk factor for cerebral hemorrhage, if the blood pressure can not be stably controlled at 160mmHg or less, the use of aspirin is not recommended.

Third, after the elimination of adverse reactions still need to continue to take medication in the identification of the causes, eliminate the adverse reactions of aspirin, need to resume medication as soon as possible. Because most of the risk factors leading to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease is atherosclerosis, can not be completely eliminated, need to continue to use the drug in order to effectively prevent the occurrence of the disease.

In the process of medication, you need to keep using the drug every day, and it is not recommended to stop and eat the way of using the drug. Because the body’s platelets are renewed by about 15% every day, the protective effect will disappear if the medication is stopped for more than 48 hours. If you can’t tolerate the adverse effects of aspirin, you can co-administer gastric mucosal protection drugs or replace them with other antiplatelet drugs under the guidance of your doctor.

To summarize, aspirin is a “double-edged sword”, with both benefits and risks. It can prevent the formation of blood clots, but it can also lead to adverse reactions, and should only be used when the benefits of the drug far outweigh the risks. In the event of a serious adverse reaction while using the medication, it can be suspended under the supervision of a doctor. Consult your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions about your medication.