HeadWise HeadWise: Volume 3, Issue 1 | Page 31

exists for these two conditions( 4000mg versus 1000mg). This leads to a simple but important question; how much aspirin is the correct dose? Or perhaps phrased a similar way; how much aspirin is too much? Several issues need to be considered prior to answering these questions. First, individuals who have certain risk factors should either avoid aspirin or only use aspirin under close supervision of a health care professional, usually at a reduced dose. Some common risk factors include bleeding disorders( e. g. stomach ulcers, inability to form blood clots properly, concurrent use of drugs that can cause bleeding such as Coumadin), pregnancy( especially the third trimester), kidney disease, liver disease, asthma, and excessive alcohol consumption( 3 or more drinks daily).
Second, patients should strive to determine whether they are a migraine sufferer, as opposed to having some other headache disorder. Migraine’ s hallmark feature is disrupting a person’ s ability to perform normal activities of daily living such as being present and productive at their place of employment, fulfilling family responsibilities,( e. g. cooking meals, caring for children, cleaning house, etc.), or participating in social activities( dinner with friends, attend children’ s events, etc.). Other common migraine symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and sensitivities to light or sounds during an attack. If an individual is suffering with a headache so severe that the person is absent from work, is confined to a couch or bed, unable to perform daily tasks( preparing meals or doing other household chores), or is cancelling social plans with friends, there is a high probability that this person is experiencing migraine.
Patients with the issues mentioned in the previous paragraph should follow the FDA-recommended aspirin doses for migraine. If aspirin fails to provide relief for the majority of migraine attacks( e. g. treat three separate attacks with aspirin, but the drug fails to provide adequate relief for at least two attacks), then an evaluation by a physician should be considered.
However, if someone is able to complete their usual daily tasks despite being in the midst of an acute headache, the probability that this person has migraine is low. This individual should follow the FDA-recommended aspirin doses for“ headache.”
One final and important consideration is how many days per week should this medication be consumed? Although aspirin can be taken on a daily basis for the treatment of certain illnesses( e. g. stroke prevention), ingesting an aspirin
www. headaches. org | National Headache Foundation 29