Baby Aspirin and Bruising

I have been on 2 chewable baby aspirin for almost 4 months on the advice of my EP. At my last appointment a week ago, I asked if it was really necessary to take, since I have very low stroke risk (zero CHADs. not that I understand what that is). I have only had 3 AF episodes and take flecainide as PIP which seems to work. He sort of blew off the question by saying, "Well, do people have strokes?"

I bruise badly, and easily. This concerns me, as I always have low platelet counts. So I got my CBC done, and my platelet count wasn't any lower than usual. But my hematocrit and red cell count are now at the very bottom of the range. Do you know if baby aspirin can cause this? My white cell count always runs low, too, and I want to avoid having problems with yet another cell group, red cells.

I hate to go against my doc, but I have started taking just one a day to see if the bruising lessens. I don't mind a little bruising, but I have been getting deep purple, large bruises from bumps and multiple smaller bruises just from pressure--like on my arms when I carry heavy boxes.

I now have chronic plantar fasciitis, and can't take ibuprofen to cut the inflammation----because I'm already taking the aspirin regimen. I wish I could quit it altogether. Do you think that's risky?

Thanks,

Calli
(61 yrs old, Sjogren's, Hashimoto's. Only med is Levothroid)

Hi Calli,

I'm 50 and on Warfarin (5 mg.). I have afib far more frequently than you do. Consider yourself fortunate your Dr. doesn't place you on Coumadin due to your age. My mother's friend (in her 60s) had ONE solitary episode of afib that lasted for about 20 hours and they put her on Coumadin for six months.

As I understand the current CHAD score, you get one point simply for being female. Then there is your age, I don't remember if you get another point at age 62 or 72.

I'm truly surprised you have that much bruising with baby aspirin. I don't even have that much bruising with Warfarin. I think the bruising is something that should concern the Dr. but maybe he thinks because it's baby aspirin it's no big deal. Actually again I'm surprised because when I first got afib in my early 40s (which was very infrequent) I was immediately placed on 325 mg. on aspirin. I did get some occasional bruising as well, but nothing serious.

If you want to hear something weird, when I got my recent teeth cleaning, I warned by hygienist that I am on Warfarin now. She said I actually had less bleeding than I did when I was just on aspirin!

If you're concerned about the bruising talk to your Dr. and consider other options. He may have the additional concern of silent afib. Some people (like me) occasionally have afib and no symptoms. So they don't always rely on us as patients to be able to say with 100% certainty just when we're in afib. And of course, if you're intermittent, even the holter monitor won't always catch it.

Calli,

Possible relief for your plantar fasciitis could be had through learning about and performing trigger point therapy release on yourself. My experience is that a high percentage of structural pain is of muscle origin.

The key element of trigger points is that they are localized muscle spasms that can refer pain elsewhere.

I've posted about this before. Here is a link, with other (cascading) links in it. You'll have to click on all the cascading links to get all the references I've posted.

<[www.afibbers.org];

For PF, suspected muscles could include:

soleus [www.triggerpoints.net]
quadratus plantae [www.triggerpoints.net]
abductor hallucis [www.triggerpoints.net]
tibius posterior [www.triggerpoints.net]
abductor digit minimi (the triigerpoints.net diagram for this is incorrect) [tinyurl.com]
gastrocnemius [www.triggerpoints.net]

How to Self Massage for Trigger Points [saveyourself.ca]

Other references:
[www.massagenerd.com]

George

thanks for the links
this foot pain is really messing me up. as it happens, the myofasciial clinic in the link you posted is near where i live. It's so complicated to understand. I think I might have to make an appointment ---hope it's not too expensive.

C

Calli,

If you go, ask them to show you how to "fix" the points yourself, in case they return.

George