About 6 months ago, my surgeon here in Taiwan had me start taking 100mg of asprin a day. It seems to help with the pain, but I’m curious why my doctors in the states never advised me to take it. Also, even though I have a low risk of rupturing, if my AVM did rupture, I read it would be difficult to stop. I’ve never had a bleed before, just pain and swelling. What do you know about asprin therapy? Have your doctors ever mentioned it to you as an option?
Carla,
What I’ve been told is to never take asprin because it thins the blood and the nature of an AVM being weak and thin blood gushing faster through an AVM is a bad mix. I would seriously question such a therapy.
Kim
I was advised never to take aspirin due to the blood thinning properties and if I did I could risk a rupture at any time. Even now 11 years later they still advise me no aspirin or Aleve at all.
I would advise against it but you might ask your doctor why he has you on a blood thinner regiment when you are at risk for a bleed and see what he says.
Before my AVM bled when I was ignorant to the fact that it was there I had severe headaches which were always diagnosed as migraine. I tried loads of meds to control the pain, and I found the best one was asprin. However, once my avm was discovered after it bled my specialist and almost every doctor I have seen has told me never to take asprin, ibuprofen or any similar types of drugs, as they thin the blood and will risk a further bleed - thinner blood would also mean faster bleeding. However I once saw a complete numptee of a doctor after my bleed who asked me if I was on any blood thinning medication suggesting this might be needed - he seemed to relate my avm and resulting stroke with a clot rather than a bleed, and I had to explain that I had actually had a heamorrhage, at which point he changed his mind about the blood thinning medication. I’d question what your surgeon has told you.
My Doctor has also put me on 81mg of Asprin daily, after reading this I am thinking it was not a such a good idea, I have had no bleeds but if it is going to make it worse then it must be the wrong therapy.
Our doctors told us no NSAID of any kind (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; includes aspirin, ibuprofen [advil, motrin, etc] or naproxen [aleve] due to the potential of causing a bleed, or at least making any potential bleed worse.
ok does this include tylenol??? What do you take for pain then??? I was debating all this every time Britt has a headache too…
Kati Strong said:
Our doctors told us no NSAID of any kind (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; includes aspirin, ibuprofen [advil, motrin, etc] or naproxen [aleve] due to the potential of causing a bleed, or at least making any potential bleed worse.
Tylenol is fine. It’s acetaminophen and doesn’t have the blood thinning agent. So Tylenol becomes the AVMers pain killer of choice…well the “light” ones of course! I know lots of people are on stronger medication for pain. But for OTC, get Tylenol!
I had never considered taking any medication before, but then a two years ago my pain got worse, so the doctor put me on daily asprin. It has helped with the pain for sure, and I never really thought it could be dangerous, and I trusted my doctor would have considered the risk. But many doctors here in Taiwan tend to feel their job isn’t fully done unless drugs are prescribed to a patient. I don’t think it would be a good idea to suddenly stop taking it. Did your doctor ever mention any risks with taking asprin? My avm is in my calf muscle. I wonder if location is a risk factor…
John Scragg said:
My Doctor has also put me on 81mg of Asprin daily, after reading this I am thinking it was not a such a good idea, I have had no bleeds but if it is going to make it worse then it must be the wrong therapy.
Thanks to everyone for your replies. Keep them coming if you have anything to add!
Carla;
I would not take asprin as it thins the blood that is why people with high blood pressure take it?
I take paracetamol and codiene (co- codamol) and have had to come off anti- inflammotaries as well which I used to take for a back problem, I learnt this the hard way as I had a seizure when I took the last one.
As Loz said lots of uneducated doctors think a stroke and AVM bleed are similar.
Having read all your comments and talked to my wife I have decided to stop taking the daily asprin my doctor recommended. He prescribed it when I had my first seizure and they thought it was a mini stroke, but none of the Neuro doctors later told me to stop taking them.
Looking over all this talk of ‘not’ taking aspirin. I don’t know what to think. Sure, aspirin thins our blood, there is no question bout it…I have been doing it for over 15 years now (the powered aspirin). But what I do not understand is, at one time my doctor placed me on a blood thinner to try to elevate the occurances of headaches and it did not help…but take a Stanback Powered Aspirin and drinking a milk shake…does help me tremendously at times. Sure, I have some pain killers for the headaches, but I am still confused.
I told my dr that I do it (I tell him anything and everything I do - covering all bases). He laughed as asked if I liked having a brain freeze…and of course I told him…hell no, but it works. He simply laughed with me and asked me to do it with diet coke (as i have sugar), I let him know it does not seem to work. The substance is not thick enough. Ohhhhh and while drinking the milkshake I walk (walking helps pump the blood).
Anyone have any idea why giving myself a brain freeze helps with my headaches, other than it probably assist in keeping swellin down??
wow! I had to switch GP’s about a year ago and my new Doctor put me on Warfarin with Heparin shots at first. I took the Warfarin for 4 months and felt really weak the whole time. My AVM/VM encompasses my entrire left foot and it’s questionable if it’s starting to get bigger and head up my leg in my calf. I can feel these strange “whooshes” there so the doctors didn’t want me to get a blood-cot, this is the reason I was put on Warfarin, funny how my Radiologist never recommended this. Thank-you for the heads up with all of this! I am now told to take a daily Aspirin which I have faithfully been doing so for months now! akk! It does nothing for the pain, I have to take tylenol 3 with coedine for the pain. I don’t think I have ever had a bleed either, just lots of pain and swelling. Thanks for asking this very important question about taking daily aspirin! I don’t know if I really want to take it now!
i was told by my doc that taking 400mg ibuprofen with the steroids would help reduce the swelling. now i have done the gamma knife thing. not sure if it helps you guys all out or but it has helped me out, but can honestly say that it has given me more movement, as i’m some what paralyzed (right side).