New insights into why aspirin works so well • Hacker News Board

Re: New insights into why aspirin works so well

#131

Post by marginalia_nu » Wed, Mar 29, 2023, 9:36 AM UTC

selfmodruntime wrote: post #128

INTPenis wrote: post #124

When you say in 2023 that they have "new insights" as to why a common over the counter drug works it really doesn't instill great confidence in pharma. Seems like we're still grinding up rhino horns and tiger penis and hoping for the best outcome, just that we do it with extensive testing now so we get a statistically acceptable outcome viable for marketing.

No. Science has all along been testing if something works and then finding out why. Often the „why“ is orders of magnitudes harder to find out than the „if“. For example, we can observe how the brain functions in some instances, but why it works like does will elude us perhaps forever. Highly complex systems like the inner biomechanical workings of our brains are essentially a black box.

"Why" questions in general are pretty difficult question to answer in a satisfactory way.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36GT2zI8lVA

Re: New insights into why aspirin works so well

#132

Post by coldtea » Wed, Mar 29, 2023, 9:47 AM UTC

qsi wrote: post #113

coldtea wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Note that Aspirin is just a brand's name, and you could find the same thing under different names in different markets. E.g. Panadol Extra is the same thing.

Panadol Extra is paracetamol with caffeine, not acetylsalicylic acid, which is Aspirin.

Ah, my bad. So, could look for "acetylsalicylic acid + caffeine" combos from brands other than Bayer. Except if there's some special legal restriction for acetylsalicylic acid in Singapore.

Re: New insights into why aspirin works so well

#133

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Mar 29, 2023, 9:47 AM UTC

photochemsyn wrote: post #19

I imagine different people tolerate different anti-inflammatory over-the-counter drugs differently. Side effects of overuse are significant however and include liver, kidney, and gastrointestinal damage (acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin respectively I think with some crossover effects). Use judiciously, and only take regularly under a doctor's supervision as side effects can be minimized with additional drugs whi…

[deleted]

Re: New insights into why aspirin works so well

#134

Post by ycombinete » Wed, Mar 29, 2023, 9:49 AM UTC

sammalloy wrote: post #120

I had to stop taking aspirin in all forms about ten years ago because it produces tinnitus-like symptoms, even in small dosages. No idea why.

It’s ototoxic and damages your hearing, causing tinnitus, that’s why.

Re: New insights into why aspirin works so well

#135

Post by jeffparsons » Wed, Mar 29, 2023, 9:51 AM UTC

simianparrot wrote: post #45

nobody9999 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>It's shocking to me how we still refer to paracetamol and ibuprofen in the same breath when their relative risks are so different. And it's shocking to me how we still refer to paracetamol (Acetominophen for us USAians) and ibuprofen in the same breath, when paracetamol might as well be a sugar pill, for all the good it does and ibuprofen is the liniment of the gods!

Ibuprofen being an NSAID is high risk for anyone who’s had stomach ulcers due to its risks involved in causing GI bleeding. For people like me it’s simply not even an option.

This is the kind of thing I'm thinking of, not people taking higher doses than recommended on the pack. For some people, no amount of ibuprofen is a good risk, and I don't think people in general understand this. Nobody reads the label and wonders "could this apply to me?"

I guess what I'm suggesting is it should be available over the counter, but not off the shelf.

Re: New insights into why aspirin works so well

#136

Post by herbst » Wed, Mar 29, 2023, 9:54 AM UTC

fsiefken wrote: post #105

zabzonk wrote: post #8

annecdata: aspirin is pretty good as an anti-inflamitory and hence pain-killer. the reason i don't take it is that it irritates the stomach, and i have enough issues with my insides as it is (irritable-bowel syndrome - not fun) i currently use cocodamol (codeine and paracetomol) to control my arthritic pain, but it isn't doing so great. at the end of the day, if you really need pain control, you probably want a pure…

Kratom might be of use, a friend used it as an alternative to morphine at the last stage of her live. She was much less drowsy. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7309661/

I've had multiple friends developing light opioid addictions from kratom. It's no heroin, but it didn't look easy to get away from it

Re: New insights into why aspirin works so well

#137

Post by News-Dog » Wed, Mar 29, 2023, 9:56 AM UTC

jamal-kumar wrote: post #12

zabzonk wrote: post #8

annecdata: aspirin is pretty good as an anti-inflamitory and hence pain-killer. the reason i don't take it is that it irritates the stomach, and i have enough issues with my insides as it is (irritable-bowel syndrome - not fun) i currently use cocodamol (codeine and paracetomol) to control my arthritic pain, but it isn't doing so great. at the end of the day, if you really need pain control, you probably want a pure…

I have a friend who has suffered from something known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis since he was still a teenager, and he doesn't function very well without pretty decent doses of CBD for the past long while I've known him. I recognize legality issues are prohibitive in many parts of the world but if this is an option to you I would suggest trying this or anything else that takes the actual inflammation down inste…

  'list of Types of Arthritis'

Arthritis Types : https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/types.html

>Arthritis means inflammation or swelling of one or more joints.

It describes more than * 100 conditions *,

that affect the joints, tissues around the joint, and other connective tissues.

Specific symptoms vary depending on the type of arthritis, but usually include joint pain and stiffness.

Re: New insights into why aspirin works so well

#138

Post by intelVISA » Wed, Mar 29, 2023, 9:56 AM UTC

School-Cotton wrote: post #68

astrange wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are very safe when taken as prescribed but quite dangerous when you don't read the directions. Although IIRC taking fever reducers when sick significantly increases how long it takes to recover. Those fevers are there for a reason.

> taking fever reducers when sick significantly increases how long it takes to recover I’ve also heard this, and always wondered whether it was true or a myth. I really have no idea. Any chance you have a reputable source?

Would you turn off your CPU fan when it spins to 100% from opening ${electron app} just because the sound was annoying?

Re: New insights into why aspirin works so well

#139

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Mar 29, 2023, 9:59 AM UTC

zabzonk wrote: post #8

annecdata: aspirin is pretty good as an anti-inflamitory and hence pain-killer. the reason i don't take it is that it irritates the stomach, and i have enough issues with my insides as it is (irritable-bowel syndrome - not fun) i currently use cocodamol (codeine and paracetomol) to control my arthritic pain, but it isn't doing so great. at the end of the day, if you really need pain control, you probably want a pure…

[deleted]

Re: New insights into why aspirin works so well

#140

Post by qsi » Wed, Mar 29, 2023, 10:01 AM UTC

coldtea wrote: post #132

qsi wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Panadol Extra is paracetamol with caffeine, not acetylsalicylic acid, which is Aspirin.

Ah, my bad. So, could look for "acetylsalicylic acid + caffeine" combos from brands other than Bayer. Except if there's some special legal restriction for acetylsalicylic acid in Singapore.

Hm, now that you mention it, it's not common to see Aspirin here in the drug stores. Apparently you can buy low dosage Aspirin online but the regular dosage seems elusive. I'll ask in the pharmacy next time...