# Effects of Aspirin on IBS-D



## PhillyAngel (Jun 17, 2009)

Greetings!It has been a while, but yesterday I took two aspirins for a knee problem and I noticed this morning like a few previous times, aspirin appears to have a positive effect on my IBS-D. Instead of loose bowels, I pass balls or more normal formed stools. My normal daily routine consist of taking psycillium husk every evening as suggested by my Gastro doc a few years ago. It seems for me that the addition of aspirin enhances the effect of the pscillium husk (pardon the spelling!). Has anyone else have such an experience or is this all in my mind? I intend to question this when I go for my colonoscopy follow up office visit.Happy 4th everyone!phillyangel


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## petra (Feb 2, 2009)

Hi PhillyI dont have any experience with aspirin but I know that if I take NSAIDs such as ibuprofen on an empty stomach this can give me d. I notice this when travelling specifically on aeroplanes when I get back and hip pain on long flights. Sometimes get tempted to have a drink or two to help me sleep but then I pay the price when I get home or even on the way home. Can't think of any reason why aspirin should help if I'm honest but hey...........


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## crstar (Jun 29, 2009)

i found info that says ibs-d is from inflamed intestines.........the aspirin probably helps the inflammation...........the problem with taking something like that, is it can cause problems later on..........i'd try finding natural vitamins & or minerals, herbs, that take down inflammation.............i know that vitamin A, with things that work with the A, help mucus membranes & tissues heal...........it's only a guess tho........the thing about that fiber or any kind of fiber, it may make matters worse...... indigestible fiber is rough & can cause injury on the way out..........indigestible means exactly that, we can't break it down.......there's a good book called fiber menace, u can find it on the net........it's enlightening.........


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## PhillyAngel (Jun 17, 2009)

Thanks for the replies. I was wondering if it was me just experiencing this or what. I am still curious to know if others have experienced the same thing and what their take might be. Taking aspirin is something I use as needed whenever discomfort in my arthritic knees and/or lower back becomes unbearable. I will only use aspirin within an hour of eating a meal and always with plenty of water. I refuse to take other NSAIDs unless I really have to. Otherwise, I have found that for me, psyllium husk does slow down my BMs, make them less watery, explosive and unpredictable, eliminates constant leakage and in general make life alittle more bearable. I also know that for me, change is constant with IBS-D, so I suspect there will come a day that psyllium husk (or aspirin ?)may no longer have a positive effect on me.


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## keycat (Apr 6, 2009)

It's great that you found something that works! I've never heard of aspirin helping IBS-D before, but anything's possible. People have been finding new uses for different types of medicines for a long time. I do have a theory as to why aspirin might work for your IBS-D. I've read (in one of the posts here, actually) that one of the causes of IBS-D is an oversensitivity of the nerves in the digestive tract. This produces increased activity and pain. One of the ways that anti-depressants work to control the symptoms of IBS-D is by combating that sensitivity and decreasing pain. Since aspirin is a pain reliever, perhaps it works in a similar way that anti-depressants do - calming the overactive colon and the signals it sends to your brain that makes you need to go.That's just my layman's theory, however. Who knows for sure?Just one more thing - I'm sure you're aware of this since you seem to be very responsible about how you take aspirin and what amount, but just in case you aren't, you should know that aspirin can cause bleeding in rare cases. I mention it only because I've known a lot of people who think that because a drug is available over-the-counter, it can't possibly be dangerous. Aspirin is relatively safe and many people take it every day without any ill effects, but just make sure you talk about it with your doctor.Best of luck!


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

PhillyAngel, in 1995 a study from the London Hospital found a direct link between blood platelet activity in cholesterol accumulation and bowel inflammation. Aspirin has been used for years to control that platelet activity for cholesterol and this may well be what is causing your relief. While the doctors proposed that medicines developed for cholesterol control might be useful for our problems, they were not able to find a treatment that worked for this. I have been using a flavonoid supplement on a daily basis since it was first tested in 1998, originally begun for my cholesterol problems, which has had the same beneficial outcomes for both my D and GERD. (My wife also uses it to stop her GERD problems.) One of the benefits of this treatment is that there are no side effects re bleeding or other digestive problems, as may occur with aspirin.My wife and I also have arthritic problems in our knees and my hips. We have been using a glucosamine complex, combined with naturally sourced anti-inflammatories (bromelain from pineapple stems and ginger) and anti-oxidents from green tea which has negated those problems for almost the same length of time. At least for us, these two supplements have been key in rebuilding our health.Mark


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## PhillyAngel (Jun 17, 2009)

Thanks for all your responses!OverItNow, I will look into the information regarding the 1995 London Hospital study. I am aware of the problems aspirin can cause so I don't use it frequently, only when I experience discomfort that just won't go away and it hinders me.As for the arthritic knees, at the suggestion of an orthopedic doctor, I tried glucocamine with chondronitin. The doctor indicated that the supplement must also include MSM. He also indicated that the supplement worked for some people but not others. I guess I am in the 'others' catagory because after taking the supplement for over one year, I felt and saw no changes. I drink green tea a lot, especially in the winter and I see no effects to my knees. Ginger I use too but I haven't determine what effects that has on me.


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

I was thinking about this after I posted this, and I want to add that it might be worthwhile, if aspirin doesn't have an upsetting effect upon you, to try the "daily dose" of the low dose, coated aspirin that gets prescribed for heart disease. It would be interesting to see, in an experimental mode, if that is enough to control this for you.Mark


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## cherrypie09 (Jan 20, 2009)

I have not experienced aspirin helping the diarrhoea, but i take codeine phosphate to help with the diarrhoea, it has a constipating effect as well, and was prescribed by the gastro doctor of the IBS-D.


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## vickieibsd (Jun 12, 2009)

Asprin did nothing but make me worse ! Asprin tends to make my stomach hurt even when my IBS is in control.


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## Starry_Eyed (Apr 8, 2009)

dr prescribed med can cause constipation in some people..maybe your body is just more sensitive? But I do have the same type of responses to advil when taken with food/juice/milk (i dont take asprin only because I found that advil works a lot better for me). its a nice response/break after a day in pain to not have to worry about D!


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## clarkfarm (Jul 25, 2009)

Hi,I was very interested in your post. Having had a total hip replacement on May 20th, aspirin 325mg twice per day is now required. I have been taking it since the end of June, and my IBS symptoms have vanished. I was very nervous to take the aspirin because other meds I had been on through the surgery (Coumadin, pain meds) had really made the IBS worse. It was difficult to leave the house. Have not had one issue this entire month! So incredible! I only need to stay on the aspirin until the end of August, but now I'm considering staying on it because it has helped. I really attribute my current good belly to the aspirin as it is the only thing that has changed.I am concerned about longterm effects, though, so please if you continue to research this keep me informed. I'd love to hear what you learn!Hope you continue to improve as well,Clarkfarm


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

Clarkfarm,If aspirin eventually causes problems, drop me a line. The flavonoids I take are designed to work for a wider range of people without the side effects of ASA. Of course, as long as the aspirin works, what could be better?Mark


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## Glenda (Aug 15, 2000)

aspirin and NSAIDs have been found to cause damage to the lining (or mucosa) of the digestive tract primarily in the stomach and upper intestine. This damage can result in an ulcer or intestinal bleeding. Although this can happen to an individual who is an infrequent user of aspirin or NSAIDs, it is of a much greater concern in frequent users, and those consuming higher dosages of these medicationshttp://seniorjournal.com


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## pants123 (Dec 28, 2010)

PhillyAngel said:


> Greetings!It has been a while, but yesterday I took two aspirins for a knee problem and I noticed this morning like a few previous times, aspirin appears to have a positive effect on my IBS-D. Instead of loose bowels, I pass balls or more normal formed stools. My normal daily routine consist of taking psycillium husk every evening as suggested by my Gastro doc a few years ago. It seems for me that the addition of aspirin enhances the effect of the pscillium husk (pardon the spelling!). Has anyone else have such an experience or is this all in my mind? I intend to question this when I go for my colonoscopy follow up office visit.Happy 4th everyone!phillyangel


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## pants123 (Dec 28, 2010)

Hi, was searching on google because since developing IBS 8 years ago and having no joy with any meds (advised by Doc to follow a less healthy diet....) I recently started taking aspirin as a long term health booster and lo and behold my bowel habits (apologies) have drastically changed! I now find I am regularly bunged up, but this is probably a normal bowel habit that I am just unfamiliar with.....not sure if I like it or not.....!


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## knothappy (Jul 31, 1999)

I had to have heart tests done and a well known cardiologist in my area said all people over 45 should be taking a low dose asprin every day i mentioned the bleeding and ulcer problem and he asked would i rather have an ulcer or a heart attack? i asked him if it would make my ibs d worse and he said it might just help it..i have been on it for some months and so far it may have helped just a little bit..we shall see.. sometime my ibs will leave for a little while and come back with roaring avengence for a long time with nothing helping at all for weeks.


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

knothappy said:


> I had to have heart tests done and a well known cardiologist in my area said all people over 45 should be taking a low dose asprin every day i mentioned the bleeding and ulcer problem and he asked would i rather have an ulcer or a heart attack? i asked him if it would make my ibs d worse and he said it might just help it..i have been on it for some months and so far it may have helped just a little bit..we shall see.. sometime my ibs will leave for a little while and come back with roaring avengence for a long time with nothing helping at all for weeks.


Knot, I am glad to hear you are getting at least some improvement. I know this has been a long struggle for you.Aspirin gets it's cardiovascular benefits by controlling the speed of platelets around a cholesterol buildup. (This is the same process that it presumably is accomplishing with the inflammation related platelet activity in your digestive system.). Aspirin does not have that effect in the presence of adrenaline. Adrenaline is released when we are under stress, so it would make sense if you are experiencing stressors, which I believe you are, that may account for the flares. If you find there is a relationship between your stress and your D, the flavonoids, which are not impacted by stress, might be a simple solution and will certainly give you the same cardiovascular benefits as the ASA.Best,Mark


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## Trudyg (Aug 16, 2002)

Just a side note on the cholesterol issue, not sure anyone wants the info or not. Cholesterol meds can mess w/ your mind. I was on them for a short time and just went stupid--brain fog, like dementia. Did some research and found many people diagnosed w/ early onset dementia that was caused by these drugs. Be careful, the effects don't always go away. Mine took about 6 months til I finally felt back to normal.


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## Siea (Jun 21, 2010)

How long does it take till you notice the effect?Like immediately or a week?I started yesterday but noticed no improvement today. oday I take 250 mg with every meal (4meals).Hoping for improvement tomorrow.


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