Aspirin Misuse May Have Made 1918 Flu Pandemic Worse

HIV Medicine Association ^ | October 2, 2009 | Unknown

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[GOPJ]

High aspirin dosing levels used to treat patients during the 1918-1919 pandemic are now known to cause, in some cases, toxicity and a dangerous build up of fluid in the lungs...

Does it work that way with everyday type flu?

[decimon]

High aspirin dosing levels used to treat patients during the 1918-1919 pandemic are now known to cause, in some cases, toxicity and a dangerous build up of fluid in the lungs...

Does it work that way with everyday type flu?

I don't know. One reason for posting this stuff is the feedback in the comments from people with better knowledge.

[GOPJ]

Maybe a freeper doctor will post a reply...

[Old Professer]

Anything is possible, it seems.

aspirin use and pulmonary edema:

http://www.japi.org/april2007/Corr2.pdf

[decimon]

Excellent. Thanks.

I don’t know that I’ve ever reacted to salicylates but how would I know? Lung congestion feels like lung congestion and that’s expected with a cold, flu, whatever.

[webstersII]

It’s not just a question of hemorrhaging being worsened by blood-thinning aspirin.

The other issue with aspirin is that it lowers fever. In the early stages of viral infection the virus replicates extremely rapidly (in geometric fashion). The main way the body fights against the replication of the virus initially is by increasing body temperature, so that viral replication is shut down, and so that Natural Killer cells and other immune system components travel faster in the bloodstream to attack the virus.

Taking something for the fever during the early stages of a viral infection only gives the virus more chance to get a stronger foothold, and when the body has manufactured enough antibodies to kill the virus it could already be overwhelmed.

Plus, the more of the virus that is killed by antibodies, the more waste products tend to build up in mucus membranes, including in the lungs. This is what causes the “Cytokine Storm” that makes people susceptible to secondary lung infections. Secondary infections are what kills people with flu infections, not the original virus.

[decimon]

Thanks. Good info.

Secondary infections are what kills people with flu infections, not the original virus.

I believe that's true of many virus infections. The virus might not be debilitating-to-deadly but it opens the door to secondary bacterial infection that may well be deadly.

[webstersII]

“The virus might not be debilitating-to-deadly but it opens the door to secondary bacterial infection that may well be deadly.”

Yeah, and when you consider that flu doesn’t usually include a hemorrhagic component then that seems to add even more credence to the aspirin story.

[metmom]

ping

[neverdem]

I’ve seen the thread already. Thank you anyway.