Aspirin is working for me!!!
 

I started taking 1 adult aspirin (i'm in my 40's so keep the baby dose) and wow!!! MY DURING-THE-NIGHT LEG JOLTS HAVE STOPPED!!!!
AND i've been taking 140mg of Baclofen (still do & need it cause i've been a C7 paraplegic since 1989 & get spasms double strength) and even that much Baclofen couldn't stop them!!
Yes I exercise, swam 1700 laps so far this yr ect, eat strong, i'm amazed!

I was correct about lack of circulation = spasms!

I noticed a difference the 1st morning and 4 days later, swear I feel more detail with my numbing hands! Awesome.

I liked taking Aspirin the short time I did, but my stomach rebelled and hurt so I stopped. Hope it never bothers you! Sounds like it's working great!!

The secret is, don't take it regularly, skip a day now and then. It will usually continue working then.

I take bayer as really needed, not every day..

Glad it works for you..:hug:

Eddie- the aspirin makes sense to increase circulation. I am happy it is working for you and in awe of your swimming. Just getting there and into and out of the pool is work.

Best to you,
ANN

Good to hear a success story! Glad you're feeling better. :)

Update
 

Sensory gain in fingers must've been a one time thing but..
Nightly leg JOLTS are still squashed plus daytime spasms are slightly reduced!

You might want to try AlkaSeltzer original formula, for your aspirin. It is soluble in the water, and less likely to cause GI bleeding. However all aspirin, and other NSAIDs, affect bleeding systemically and not just locally. So a bleed is always possible anyway.

I use generic version from WalMart, and it is very inexpensive.
A typical foil pouch is 2.. so if you only want 325mg of aspirin, then use one, and refold the foil to save the second one.

Some of us on PN use this for peripheral neuropathy pain.
I believe that the extreme fast action of the effervescent type is working as an anti-inflammatory... and not just on platelets.
Some of your pain may be PN in nature, therefore.

While I do think aspirin is effective, check with your doctor and use sparingly if possible to avoid bleeds. Some hidden ones are possible in the brain, and have been seen in patients taking baby aspirin doses daily. (81mg). One should be very aware of the risks of chronic aspirin use.

Thank you for Alka tip. I chewed my 1st few doses but it botherd my mouth & throat and wonder if it's that hard on the whole digestive tract.

Months ago, I tried 1 baby aspirin 4x/day which = 1 adult pretty much but, I stopped taking them because my stoma (intestine, colon what have you) would bleed very easy while applying colostomy stuff every morning. It bled this time as well, but has pretty much ceased which leads me to wonder about Sally's comment stating to take it on/off so my bod doesn't adjust to it.

All I know is it is working, reducing my spasms (still get them of course), which leads me to the whole lack of circulation, ccsvi (but in my lower half) theory. I know when I sit still waiting for Dr appt, when I move to leave after sitting still for a while, my legs jump & ankles/feet vibrate back/forth like i'm possessed but, keep moving & they aren't half as bad when I transfer to/fro chair.

It may also be that the little bit of aspirin is helping with inflammation as well. But, definitely keep an eye out for any bleeding, bruising easily, upset stomach, etc. For me, I only take NSAIDs if I absolutely have to due to digestive issues. It's too hard on my stomach.

Last night I stayed up late working on friend's mri & forgot to take the asprin before bed.
Awoke like clockwork around 5am to right leg giving a quick JOLT every 30 seconds. Luckily I had baclofen stashed for times like that & 1/2 hr later, went back to sleep.
Moral of the story, asprin absolutely works. Another night i'll try tylenol to see if it's the pain med effect or circulation though I don't know how tylenol or advil do their thing? Mech of action in tech words anyone?

Because pain is an acidic condition...meaning at the receptors, there is an acid reaction, the dual nature of the AlkaSeltzer is useful because of the presence of the bicarbonate. It temporarily blocks this action, and for us on PN it can last for 4-8 hrs.

It is only about $2.00 for 36 doses of 2 tablets/pack. If you only use one, that is 72 doses. I typically use 2 tablets about 2 times a week on average. This of course blocks irritation to the GI tract from the initial dosing, but the systemic effects on bleeding remain. That is why I only use it occasionally.

One shouldn't chew aspirin... it erodes your tooth enamel, and may damage your gums. The only indication for chewing an aspirin is when a heart attack is suspected and the aspirin is for aborting that.

ALKA seltzer - between it's name and the fact you said it LOWERS acid, you made the connection for me between ALKAseltzer and ALKAlinity.
I add ALKAlinity Increaser to my pool when needed, acid to lower it, (mostly to lower PH) which is closely related to alkalinity.
My 10lb bag of ALKAlinity Increaser is Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate, PH Increaser's the same w/o Hydrogen.
What's interesting is I take Vitamin C 4 to 5x/day to make urine acidic to fight UTI's since spinal cord injury 23yrs ago. Was discharged from NYU/RUSK this way and surely will continue it.

btw...1 adult aspirin at bedtime's still working excellent for my sleep time leg jolts & the stoma/bleeding issue seems to have adapted.

Alkalinity Seltzer

Eddie Cranberry capsules are better to avoid UTIs.:)

AlkaSeltzer was originally formulated decades ago for hangovers.

Since then we have learned much about effervescent products, and that they deliver drugs (and some vitamins) quickly into the blood. We've also learned about acid/base swings in the blood, which are really kept by our body's systems to a minimum. But at the receptor sites for pain, there is an acid gradient to activate the pain impulse. This was posted on a pain site.

What the bicarb in the AlkaSeltzer does, is block receptor and also that of histamine. Histamine does many things in the body and brain. In the brain it is the signaling molecule for the release of other neurotransmitters.

So today, AlkaSeltzer is much more than a simple hangover remedy-- plop plop fizz fizz, oh what a relief it is!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxjb2UJZ-5I

Here is a little story from this summer. Our son came upNorth to visit for a short while and we went out to lunch and he and I had a perch basket. Nice perch...I love perch..and they were very generous with it.
I wondered why...since perch is expensive. Then we went back to the island and he took his camera to explore and I picked up my major book Pillars of the Earth, and when he came back he said his feet were burning...and so were mine! I thought...aha...the fish was going old, and had that histamine thing which causes tingling and burning. So we both did the plop plop fizz fizz and within minutes we were back to normal. He was IMPRESSED ... not many things impress him about us anymore! LOL

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scombroid_food_poisoning
our case was mild.... but this can be a very uncomfortable thing to have from old fish.

Eddie, isn't it nice to find a simple, cheap solution to such a vexing problem? So happy for you! :)

Eddie, I was not asked to take aspirin until I got the disease Polycythemia Vera, in which there CAN be lowered circulation in the peripheries (toes, legs, hands). The doctors said they didn't know what caused the spasms or jerking, but they wanted me to take the aspirin because it makes the platelets in the blood less sticky, and thus they pass through vessels more easily. But I am convinced you are right--poor circulation induces spasm, makes PN pain worse.
I cannot take aspirin by mouth, so I grind it up in heavy skin cream and rub it on my skin. Some hematologists are suspicious that won't work, others say it seems to work, some say it might even work better that way. So I keep rubbing it on, about l/4 of one uncoated powdered aspirin per day (equiv. of a baby aspirin a day). If I did not do it this way I would not do it, because of stomach pain. It is a requirement for Polycythemia Vera, so I had to think of a way; actually my late husband thought of this way. I miss his engineering mind.
It's sad when a beautiful mind goes away.

:hug:Hey, you can try a migraine formula which contains tylenol, and asprin plus a small amount of caffiene. Does't keep me awake or anything. The caffiene helps with the opening of blood vessels also. Just a thought.

Another plus for taking some ASPIRIN.

jackD

Update
 

The constant annoying while I try to sleep leg jolts (mind you I take 140mg baclofen/day) that aspirin helped and then didn't help, was a sign to take 6 day oral medrol dose pack. It worked as it has the last few times taken, usually every 6 months it works out to be. I kept taking the nightly adult aspirin, and the past few days switched the aspirin for a ibuprofen and leg jolts are staying at bay (at night anyway). Thought ya'll would like to know.

I'm glad you are finding relief. My Doc once told me, if I had to use an OTC pain med, to switch back and forth. It works better. I guess you found that out..:hug:

Yepp I ate more aspirin last week than I have in my whole life. It really does help a lot in my case.

I actually had so much pain in my skull I was on the verge of crying....

Hey Sally, what I mean is/was..is it the platelet less sticky effect helping blood flow from aspirin, or the pain reducing aspect as any script pain med pretty much stops them dead for hrs.
I went back to aspirin, ibuprofen did about the same, maybe.

I have to wonder if any of you have had testing for gammopathies? In peripheral neuropathy some patients have elevated antibodies (proteins) in the blood which thicken it.
When thick it impairs circulation in the small blood vessels, and causes nerve damage and symptoms of pain, numbness and tingling. Muscles can cramp.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoclo...d_significance

There are also globulins that may thicken blood, and one type is called cryoglobulinemia which occurs when it is cold out.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryoglobulinemia
The photo does not represent all patients. Some do not get the skin lesions until late in the course.

All hyperviscosity problems can be made worse with eating high fat high sugar foods. This raises triglycerides and thickens the blood also and makes for poor circulation as well. There have been studies done on healthy volunteers who developed very thick blood after meals with high fat in them. This lasted for 8 hrs or more. (ice cream is a big offender ! ;) )

I'm going to try one alkaseltzer tablet in a glass of water, and see if it helps. Thanks for the information in this forum.