Question:
should I take Asprin or Tylenol. Please Help

   — JOEY F. (posted on October 16, 2002)

October 16, 2002
My Dr. says to only take Tylenol. Hope that helps. She also said that headaches can be caused by dehydration and to try upping your fluids. Good Luck to you!
   — Leah H.

October 16, 2002
I say take aspirin it's less upsetting to the stomach, plus aspirin has the antiplatelet effect on your already delicate stomach it could cause other problems.
   — deniece M.

October 16, 2002
Take the tylenol. Aspirin is known to cause ulcers, and even if you don't have one, ppl with WLS can easily develop them and so you have to behave as though you already have one (a bariatric surgeon told me this). Stay away from all anitinflammatories (aspririn, advil, motrin, any other forms of ibuprofen, arthrotec, relafen, even vioxx). Once in a while won't kill you, but you definitely do not want to take them regularly.
   — Patricia E.

October 16, 2002
My surgeon "allows" me to have whatever painkiller I chose so long as I cut it in fourths. The problem with ibuprophen and aspirin is if they sit on your stomach because they don't fit through the hole into the intestine (where they need to dissolve and do their job) then they can eat away at the stomach lining. Try putting a bit of aspirin or ibu powder on your inner lip and feel the burn. It's awful. I cut mine in quarters and have had no trouble whatsoever. But of course, follow what YOUR surgeon tells you :>)
   — [Deactivated Member]

October 16, 2002
I've actually thought that I need to ask my doc about those new quicktabs that dissolve in your mouth. Sounds good to me -- provided they don't taste terrible.
   — Jenni K.

October 16, 2002
AS a person who had ulcers pre-op, I can tell you that aspirin can be deadly. Only ONE could leave me writhing in agony. Many has been those of us who didn't have that little tidbit and ended up in ER with a gastric bleed. Tylenol is safer for the pouch, in moderation. If you find yourself needing to take it daily, it can make your liver mad. If you're talking occasionally, Tylenol. If you need frequent pain meds, work with your doc OR a GI doc who can protect your stomach. Treat yourself AS IF you are an ulcer sufferer.
   — vitalady

October 16, 2002
Ask your pcp for a pain patch perscription..it won't effect your stoma...
   — Cheri P.

October 17, 2002
For Roux-en-Y Gastric Exclusion, BTC recommends Tylenol or the generic equivalent only (acetaminophen). Absolutely no aspirin or other NSAIDS, such as ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, Advil, Aleve, Naprosyn, Celebrex, Vioxx, etc. Most people are under the impression that these no-no's are because they dissolve in the stomach and are irritating....this is true to a certain extent, but it's not just because it dissolves in the stomach. It's actually because these drugs circulate in the bloodstream and irritate the stomach. I had the grand idea one time that if all these meds were available in an enteric coating (i.e. they wouldn't dissolve until they got past the stomach), then we could take them. I mentioned it to a WLS surgeon and he said it's not because they dissolve directly in the stomach, but because in circulating in the blood, they are rough on the stomach. Hope this helps. But as always, check with your specific surgeon/facility.
   — Lynette B.