Anybody Ever Used Aspirin For Stress And Shock

[WILDER]

Does it work.

 

[SharonCC]

Do you mean for fish?

 

[WILDER]

I knew someone who ask that lol.
Yes.

Found this in a med list and was curious.
Aspirin 50 grains/10 gallons prolonged bath relieves shock and stress for fresh and salt water

 

[shelaghfishface]

lol i only as the title made me curious, but no thats a new one eh?

 

[Bignose]

I would personally require much more evidence than just "being on a med list".

Aspirin is a COX-1 inhibitor, and fish oil itself binds pretty strongly to COX-1 enzymes, so I don't really see what aspirin is supposed to do. And, given the known gastronintetinal problems associated with aspirin (causing ulcers is a main one) I don't think that I'd want to subject my fish to it. Longer term, aspirin is a platelet inhibitor and anti-coagulant (hence is it prescribed in low-doses to people with heart issues), and I don't think that platelets and coagulants are associated with fish stress.

Good water and darkness is usually good enough to relieve stress. Taking care to match or transition the hardness of the water the fish goes through is usually enough to prevent shock. I would trust both of those better than aspirin. Though, if someone can cite some research with aspirin, I'd be more than happy to read it. I just wouldn't use it without some strong evidence.

 

[WILDER]

It was listed on here.
http/www.pets-warehouse.com/Fishmed2.htm

 

[nosoup4you]

Effects of acetylsalicylic acid treatment on thyroid hormones, prolactins, and the stress response of tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus)

 

[WILDER]

nosoup4you you have to be a brain surgeon to understand that link you left.
Went completely over my head.

 

[fishlover500]

lol

 

[LauraFrog]

I'll try to translate it:

In a roundabout way, COX causes the release of a hormone that is associated with stress in mammals and possibly in fish. Aspirin (acetylsalicylate) inhibits COX so this hormone is not released. Aspirin reduces levels of Plasma PGE2 whatever that is, and also cortisol, another stress hormone.

Then it's a pile of blather as far as I can tell.

So basically, aspirin is binding to the fish plasma and preventing the release of hormones that cause stress, and therefore reducing the overall stress levels of the fish. IMO it's still risky though.

 

[Bignose]

Effects of acetylsalicylic acid treatment on thyroid hormones, prolactins, and the stress response of tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus)

Thank you nosoup, this was exactly what I was looking for. I certainly didn't follow the details of that, but It looks like there is evidence that aspirin can help alleviate stress. I'm still not sure it's all that necessary, but it still makes me happy that there actually is evidence for its use rather than word of mouth and hearsay and anecdote. Really and truly, this is a very rare day for these kind of discussions, because they usually end up with someone (ok, me) repeating over and over "there's no proof, THERE'S NO PROOF!". This time there is actually proof, and I am very glad I got a chance to look at that paper. I'm too busy right now to read it through in detail, but I'm definitely going to file it away for future reading.

Again, thank you very much, nosoup.

 

[nosoup4you]

Hey guys, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner...I had to go get some dinner. Fairly good synopsis, LauraFrog...are you a brain surgeon? LOL No problem, Dr. Honkerface.

 

[OldMan47]

I'm sure glad somebody steps in once in a while and asks for the evidence, Dr. Honkerface. Way too often the best we seem to get is anecdotal. I find a lot of the molly salt discussions don't even get that far but that is probably the most discussed issue with the least evidence presented.

 

[nosoup4you]

In regard to the Molly salt issue, I came across this little tidbit in a recent online search...

From Wikipedia:

Contrary to popular belief that these fish are a brackish water species that prefers some salt in their tank, this species of fish is actually a freshwater species spending little time in brackish water before swimming back to their freshwater bio-type. However, fish of the same species have been found in coastal sea waters, brackish swamps and freshwater streams happy and breeding. It appears Mollies are a hardy and highly adaptable species (this has been diluted over years of inter-breeding in tank-bred specimens).

Wiki entry for Poecilia sphenops

 

[LauraFrog]

Wikipedia is opinions and very hard to moderate. I keep mollies brackish based on personal experience that the ones that I can get in my area are plagued by columnaris, ich and fungus if kept in freshwater but thrive in brackish. Other people have no problem keeping mollies in freshwater. So I suppose it's an individual thing.

All I did was sift through a bit of scientific jargon and replace it with English. The technical names for chemicals and body parts are obviously necessary, but I don't know why they bother with the rest of it TBH. I've grown up on it and it still takes me twice as long to read things written like that and translate it in my head. lol I didn't even read all of it, I don't have time either Honkerface!