Hi, everyone. I just heard from my PED friend (she is the lady I met on a chance encounter who first told me about the procedure) regarding her 6-month follow-up. She is disappointed that her annie is only half gone and a second PED may need to be inserted in another 6 months. I told her this is not unusual and she not be too worried.
She also said she was told to stop taking aspirin, though, as her blood was getting too thin. Her doctor said neurosurgeons in Europe have stopped prescribing "aspirin for life." This seems like a BIG turnaround...and I'm a little nervous about it. Have the rest of you been told you will always need to take aspirin? What do you think??
Very interesting. I am on aspirin, but only 81 mg, which is the lowest possible dose. Did she say what dosage she was on? I'm quite interested and thought about it when I've seen others post that they are on 325 mg, which I thought was kind of high. The purpose of the aspirin, from what I understand, is to stop the possibility of clotting happening behind the PED. I don't see the need for a high dosage for that and think that is why my surgeon suggested 81mg. I will continue to take the aspirin (all my blood work was exceptional before my angio in December) and hope that it keeps doing what it's supposed to do. I just wonder if there are other factors that are thinning her blood? Does she take any additional blood thinners or anti-inflammatory drugs which are also known to thin blood that you know of? I am curious as to what others have been told by their surgeons and the dosages that they take. I wouldn't put too much credence on her experience as from what I've see, we all heal differently. She just may be one of those "rare" ones who don't need the blood thinners, or maybe it's an allergic reaction. Let's see how every one responds!
Hi Wendy, I stopped aspiri n and plavix 5 months after the PED , and this is the standard routine here in Italy, where the first PED Have been applied starting from 2009.
Take care, giovanni
Thanks, Linda and Gio. I think I will contact my doctor to see whether I will need to lower my dose of aspirin once my 3-month window is done. It is true, Linda, that we each heal differently and so each case may require a different approach!
Well, this is the "lady" to whom Wendy has been referring. I don't take any other blood thinners, except more aspirin if I got a headache, which is rare. I was taking a 325 mg daily and was supposed to for life, but now I'm taking an 81 and will quit it next week. No allergies, but I have always bruised easily. I'm a little nervous about quitting, but will follow orders. Dr. Lanzino said that is what his European colleagues are doing.
Well hello lady!!!! and welcome to our group!!! As Giovanni said, in Europe they stop both aspirin and plavix after 5 or 6 months and he's now two years since his PED was put in place. Hopefully, you will have the same success!
Please keep us posted on how you are making out. We all learn from each other the different ways our bodies heal.
I will be on low-dose aspirin (100mg) for the rest of my life I was told - but who knows it might change. I assume it was due to some issues I had after my PED including mild stroke. I think it depends on your personal health circumstances. Aspirin for life is not a given if you had PED as you can see from the various responses here. I heard that aspirin could be good for preventing strokes and then later on there was complete turnaround - that aspirin is not good for you. We all can just hope for the best, I suppose.