Did Aspirin help to kill 100 + million people??

About a few months ago I had flu. I never normally take anything if I am ill but this time for some reason I decided to take some aspirin. I had a fever and cold sweats. That same day I felt better, my fever had gone and no longer had a headache. Day after was still ok. Then then next morning I felt terrible. Had the worst breathing I have ever had in my life, bad cough and all the normal signs of flu.
I decided to ride it out and after 2 weeks in bed and plenty of fluids I was ok again. During said time I did a bit of research about Aspirin and found some interesting things. Given that the hype is likely to start once again about swine flu, I feel this information is relevant.

Okay, first we have to travel back in time to 1918/1919 to the trenches of Europe. So called Spanish flu was rife but they thought they had a cure which seemed to work. Enter Aspirin into the equation.
The name Aspirin is derived from acetyl and spirsäure, an old German name for salicylic acid. Bayer (one of our much loved big pharma companies) was selling it around the world by 1899.
1 g of aspirin, on average, reduced the oral body temperature from 39.0 °C (102.2 °F) to 37.6 °C (99.7 °F) after 3 hours. The relief begins after 30 minutes, and after 6 hours the temperature still remained below 37.8 °C (100.0 °F) Along with reducing pain and headaches this seemed like the perfect medicine.

One of the symptoms of Spanish Flu was a fever and with the administration of Aspirin the Fever vanished as if a miracle cure (much like it did for me) The problem with the reduction of fever is it allows a virus to grow and spread. That is why we develop a fever in the first place, its our body trying to stop the virus spreading.
In days of old people understood this, they used to encourage the fever and break it.

Anyway back to the trenches. We will use a soldier as an example of how the process may of played out.

A soldier fighting in the Trenches starts to feel ill. He goes to the infirmary and gets administered Aspirin which is known to reduce fevers.
So the Aspirin has been administered and the soldier now feels fine. Word starts to get passed around and Aspirin (the miracle cure) starts being used over most of the developed world for Flu like symptoms.
The thing is a few days later said soldier is now seriously ill with liquid on the lungs, bacterial infection and struggling to breathe. For a few days he was okay, now fever has returned and more Aspirin has been administered to no avail. Said soldier is now on his death bed as many millions also were. Did Aspirin help play a part in his demise?

Another interesting thing to note about Aspirin is it may inhibit the absorption of vitamin C and we know how important that is in fighting disease.
I personally will not be taking Aspirin again to relieve the symptoms of the flu.
I understand that lots of people take Aspirin to thin the blood (My Dad being one of them) and for this purpose it seems to be fine. Then I got thinking that normally flu does strike the elderly, how many of them actually take Aspirin on a daily basis???...Hmmmm

Here is a list I found of products that contain Aspirin is for the USA will try and find a UK list also.
www.drugs.com...

All flu could be effected by this and could be one of the main contributors to death or am I just looking to deeply into this??

I could continue writing but realise that If I do most will only Skim over the thread content.
What do you guys and girls think? Did this help contribute to the death toll? I wonder how many people that have died from the resent Swine Flu situation took Aspirin. Would be interesting to see the results.
If you have any information to add or just want to add a comment then please do
Cheers Regards

Here are just a few links for you to read and to draw your own conclusions
www.sciencedaily.com...
en.wikipedia.org...
en.wikipedia.org...
www.nurseweek.com...
www.foodconsumer.org...
food/Healthcare/what_otc_drug_may_have_killed_more_people_in_1918_flu_pandemic_t.html
www.lewrockwell.com...
www.americanchiropractic.net...

funny you should post this about aspirin. I have just started taking a small daily dose after reading the news that it can help reduce the risk of common cancers.

A small daily dose of aspirin - 75mg - substantially reduces death rates from a range of common cancers, a study suggests.

Research at Oxford University and other centres found that it cut overall cancer deaths by at least a fifth.

www.bbc.co.uk...

reply to post by maythetruthbeknown

An intelligent, well thought out thread.
S+F
Thank you for a dose of common sense.

reply to post by woodwardjnr


I remember reading that article.Slipped my mind (too much alcohol over the festive period) Cheers for the link.
Seems they are trying to get more people to take Aspirin. Do you think they have a genuine concern for our health and Aspirin is really going to help prevent cancer or do they have another more sinister motive??
I am still undecided. What do you think?

reply to post by maythetruthbeknown


I try not to think that information put out into the public is a sinister plot to weaken us all to the swine flu. Aspirin has many medical benefits and if your gp believes the benefits outweigh the risk, then i prefer to believe the experts than conjuncture on websites.

I am surprised you didn't mention the aspirine causes Ryes syndrome in children. Tylenol is supposed to be a safer product for pregnant women and children.

Originally posted by frugal
I am surprised you didn't mention the aspirine causes Ryes syndrome in children. Tylenol is supposed to be a safer product for pregnant women and children.

Did not want to put too much information in original post as was meant to be Aspirins effect on Flu victims. Hoped others would do a bit of research and add things themselves, which I see has happened, so thank you for your comment it is much appreciated.
Regards

I take aspirin as a blood thinner.
I take two a day since my heart attack in 2006.

How many has aspirin saved.
If you take it at the on set of a heart attack it can save you life.

The first two medications i was given in the VA ER (UCLA staffed)for my heart attack were aspirin and nitroglycerin.
Just about every ER will give these two meds to anyone that walks in to there ER having a heart attack.

Aspirin should also be taken for unstable or chronic angina along with nitroglycerin. angina can and does in some cases be The first sign of or become a heart attack.
The first sign i had of a heart attack was angina that started about 20 minutes before my heart attack.

Oh and i was a EMT for 40 years before my heart attack and every ER i took a patent to gave aspirin to every one that was not allergic to it.

Originally posted by beezzer
reply to post by maythetruthbeknown

 

An intelligent, well thought out thread.
S+F
Thank you for a dose of common sense.

edit on 27-12-2010 by beezzer because: keyboard bad

Thank you for your kind words, just trying to get some information out there and urge people to do their own research and draw their own conclusions.
Regards

I wonder if just taking willow bark tea daily would be better. At least you'd know what was in it- no pharmaceutical additives to wonder about.

I'm starting a couple in-door trees for that purpose. They grow like weeds and it's not difficult to dwarf them.

Salicylic Acid-Willow Tree

Willow Bark Tea

No aspirin did not help kill millions of people..

If those were scientific facts, if aspirin was killing millions of people for a century or more now it would of been exposed by this time.

You have not come across anything new relating to aspirin, it has SAVED millions of lives in the form of reducing/preventing heart attacks..

Sounds like your *spanish soldier* got pneumonia and had nothing to do with aspirin.

Originally posted by ANNED
I take aspirin as a blood thinner.
I take two a day since my heart attack in 2006.

How many has aspirin saved.
If you take it at the on set of a heart attack it can save you life.

The first two medications i was given in the VA ER (UCLA staffed)for my heart attack were aspirin and nitroglycerin.
Just about every ER will give these two meds to anyone that walks in to there ER having a heart attack.

Aspirin should also be taken for unstable or chronic angina along with nitroglycerin. angina can and does in some cases be The first sign of or become a heart attack.
The first sign i had of a heart attack was angina that started about 20 minutes before my heart attack.

Oh and i was a EMT for 40 years before my heart attack and every ER i took a patent to gave aspirin to every one that was not allergic to it.

Thankyou for your comment. I do not doubt that Aspirin has health benefits but as with most things there are side effects . As stated in my Op my Father also takes aspirin daily. What I am trying to get to the bottom of is the correlation between Aspirin and its effect on Flu Patients, also whether or not it contributed to their deaths.
What is your opinion on this matter?
Regards

reply to post by maythetruthbeknown


Your *spanish soldier* just got pneumonia had nothing to do with aspirin is my opinion.

reply to post by maythetruthbeknown


Great thread.
I think it could have played a part, for sure. I guess the times you mention were extremely different to today. Many people today will take aspirin for the symptoms and antibiotics for infections. I think it is also important to note that the rate of vaccinations today against severe flu types is a lot higher than the periods you mention.

But I thnk you may be right, unfortunately many may have died due to a "quick" fix in relation to symptoms rather then illness being treated.
I guess during war etc, it was probably more important to try and keep soildiers in the battle as long as possible but it probably ended up killing them anyway.


I think you will find something similar (as in an application of medication that had adverse effects after the fact) happened to soildiers in the First Iraq war, who were given a cocktail of vaccines that were not even registered when they were administered. But I guess that is probably another thread all together.

Originally posted by MzMorbid
I wonder if just taking willow bark tea daily would be better. At least you'd know what was in it- no pharmaceutical additives to wonder about.

I'm starting a couple in-door trees for that purpose. They grow like weeds and it's not difficult to dwarf them.

Salicylic Acid-Willow Tree

Willow Bark Tea

edit on 27-12-2010 by MzMorbid because: (no reason given)

Thankyou for the links. I would much rather take something that is natural over something that is synthesised any day. Although I never really take medicine but could work as a cancer preventer as post a few above suggests.

Originally posted by thecinic
reply to post by maythetruthbeknown

 

Your *spanish soldier* just got pneumonia had nothing to do with aspirin is my opinion.

Ok that clears that up then ...nothing to see here

Thanks for your opinion. You may be right you may not be. I like to do research (still on going) before I draw my conclusions. Take care Regards

Elderly people would be more prone to die from FLU complications *LIKE PNEUMONIA* then the flu itself...

Sounds like a puff piece your making for *natural medicine* which is by far a placebo effect if any...

Science Daily - Aspirin Misuse May Have Made 1918 Flu Pandemic Worse

Western medicines have their hits and misses, but sometimes the approach just doesn't seem right. It's good for emergency care, but I myself usually don't rely on medical prescription.

reply to post by atlasastro


Thanks for your reply. The times were a lot different but some things remain the same.People still want their quick fix. People are too busy now, always in a rush and for what??
You are right that they just wanted them better fast so they could go and die in the battlefields. They would not of been good times, death everywhere.
I like the parallels you draw in relation to Iraq. I assume you are talking of Gulf War Syndrome, which I believe they are still trying to deny.
Take care and good health
Regards

I guess I believe in better living through chemistry. If I get a headache or genera pain orl discomfort I use aspirin. I've done this throughout my life and have general good health. It seems if I try to "tough it out" the pain or discomfort tends to run me down faster. With an aspirin or two I can continue on and it slips my mind I was feeling anything amiss. Original aspirin was an extract from willow bark and perhaps still is.

I am approaching 60 years of age and in a short time it will be impossible to "die young". Aspirin and similar remedies have done ME more good than harm it would appear.