Does Aspirin Have Any Advantages Over Methyl Salicylate?

Nokoni

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I’ve started using methyl salicylate topically and find that it has advantages over aspirin. For example, applying it to my knees reduces joint pain better than oral aspirin. Aspirin definitely helped, but even in doses large enough to cause gut irritation it wasn’t as effective as dabbing a bit of methyl salicylate on them.

Plus it also uncouples oxidative phosphorylation, per this emergency guide, which lumps it in with aspirin, and it has equivalent platelet inhibition, per this study. And transdermal administration, which is often preferred around here, works quite well.

And then according to this article:

Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) really only came into popular use through (a) recognition of the need to obtain a drug which was more palatable and less upsetting to the gastrointestinal tract than sodium salicylate, (b) the powerful competitive forces operating at the time, and (c) clever marketing approaches (Rainsford, 1984).

Which makes aspirin sound a bit like just another pharmaceutical scam. So it makes me wonder if, apart from convenience in certain circumstances, aspirin has any advantages over methyl salicylate? Any thoughts are appreciated.
 

Sativa

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it makes me wonder if, apart from convenience in certain circumstances, aspirin has any advantages over methyl salicylate? Any thoughts are appreciated.
Aspirin aka acetyl-salicylic acid would be my least preferred choice for getting salicylic acid. At least reacting it with bicarbonate makes it significantly more tolerable re digestion.

I'd rate Salicylate salts (eg calcium salicylate, sodium salicylate etc) as being most ideal, followed by the oil soluble Methyl salicylate, which is better suited for transdermal absorption, but can also be used orally, with caution as to the dosage used...
 
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Nokoni

Nokoni

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Aspirin aka acetyl-salicylic acid would be my least preferred choice for getting salicylic acid. At least reacting it with bicarbonate makes it significantly more tolerable te digestion.

I'd rate Salicylate salts (eg calcium salicylate, sodium salicylate etc) as being most ideal, followed by the oil soluble Methyl salicylate, which is better suited for transdermal absorption, but can also be used orally, with caution as to the dosage used...
Very nice, thanks :thumbsup:
 
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Aspirin aka acetyl-salicylic acid would be my least preferred choice for getting salicylic acid. At least reacting it with bicarbonate makes it significantly more tolerable re digestion.

I'd rate Salicylate salts (eg calcium salicylate, sodium salicylate etc) as being most ideal, followed by the oil soluble Methyl salicylate, which is better suited for transdermal absorption, but can also be used orally, with caution as to the dosage used...

But why?
 

Michael Mohn

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Methylsallcylate is quite hardcore, needs to be deluted a lot, absorbes slowly through the skin and stinks!
 

Inaut

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Methylsallcylate is quite hardcore, needs to be deluted a lot, absorbes slowly through the skin and stinks!
is this the case @Nokoni ?

Aspirin aka acetyl-salicylic acid would be my least preferred choice for getting salicylic acid. At least reacting it with bicarbonate makes it significantly more tolerable re digestion.

I'd rate Salicylate salts (eg calcium salicylate, sodium salicylate etc) as being most ideal, followed by the oil soluble Methyl salicylate, which is better suited for transdermal absorption, but can also be used orally, with caution as to the dosage used...
This is probably why I notice a difference with alkaseltzer. Aspirin never really worked for me.
 
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Nokoni

Nokoni

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is this the case @Nokoni ?


This is probably why I notice a difference with alkaseltzer. Aspirin never really worked for me.
Not in my experience. I was concerned about overdose cuz some girl athlete OD'd on Ben Gay or whatever. But measuring was gonna be a real hassle so I just put some on and it was fine so I put some more on. Basically titrated up. If I get enough on me I can feel the metabolic boost, including being noticeably warmer. So yeah it's hardcore but I like it that way. You do have to be careful. If you drank enough of it you could OD, same as DNP, but I doubt it's any more dangerous than aspirin in similar dosages.

I use it straight and get no irritation, but is a rubifacient and my skin in places will get pinker so some people maybe could experience irritation. I apply to one of my upper legs (ligament or tendon problem of many years that was thereby much improved) and it gets on my coconuts and that is quite noticeable. Even such indirect application is noticeable there so take care not to rub it there. But I get a little there every day and it's no big deal. Had to stop holding my junk out of the way cuz I'd forget that my other hand still had some on it. Not good but the discomfort was relatively brief.

Absorption is good. Probably less than 10 minutes from start until I'm getting dressed.

It does have an odor. Decays to non-noticeable in 30 minutes? But to me it doesn't "stink". I guess stink is in the nose of the sniffer. Smells like wintergreen, kinda minty. Smell is much less than Ben Gay.
 
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Nokoni

Nokoni

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After reading this, I'm sold. I'll pick some up tomorrow and test it out. I love EOs
I'll be interested in your experience, including as related to handling. My method is satisfactory though somewhat inelegant, but it's the best I could come up with.
 

Inaut

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I'll be interested in your experience, including as related to handling. My method is satisfactory though somewhat inelegant, but it's the best I could come up with.
So I just got home and put 4 drops undiluted in my belly button. I don’t feel any burning or irritation but my face, cheeks and chin feel very warm (20 min after application). How many drops do you apply daily?
 
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Nokoni

Nokoni

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So I just got home and put 4 drops undiluted in my belly button. I don’t feel any burning or irritation but my face, cheeks and chin feel very warm (20 min after application). How many drops do you apply daily?
I don't use drops. I decant into a wide mouth jar and dip 3 fingers in. I apply that, and repeat, probably 10 times in total in different places. Then I rub it in. I would think each dip would pick up multiple drops, so probably 20 to 40 drops in total (1 or 2 ml). Since it's so imprecise beware of getting too much initially. Titrate up to be safe.
 

LeeLemonoil

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Wintergreen oil is mostly Methyl Salicylate and is great, useful stuff. It’s the main plant Hormone of salicylates.


Fragrance and flavor industry both use a variety salicylate-compounds.
 

Inaut

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Wintergreen oil is mostly Methyl Salicylate and is great, useful stuff. It’s the main plant Hormone of salicylates.


Fragrance and flavor industry both use a variety salicylate-compounds.
I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to discover it. It smells like root beer ❤️

How would you recommend dosing it @LeeLemonoil ?
 

LeeLemonoil

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I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to discover it. It smells like root beer ❤️

How would you recommend dosing it @LeeLemonoil ?
One drop at a time.

Into mouthwash.
Into facial or body lotion.
Into olive oil or to a meal.

And see how you feel from it.

I‘m the resident EO guy. It’s my job to know.
 

Inaut

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"Effectively, 1 drop of wintergreen essential oil = ~81 mg of aspirin [a baby aspirin]."
 
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Nokoni

Nokoni

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"Effectively, 1 drop of wintergreen essential oil = ~81 mg of aspirin [a baby aspirin]."
Doesn't sound right. Roughly the same effectiveness. Methyl weighs a little less than acetyl but it wouldn't be by a lot. Most of the weight would be in the salicylate. Subtract out the excipients in the baby aspirin, say 50%? One drop weighs 40 mg? Sounds high.
 
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Nokoni

Nokoni

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Doesn't sound right. Roughly the same effectiveness. Methyl weighs a little less than acetyl but it wouldn't be by a lot. Most of the weight would be in the salicylate. Subtract out the excipients in the baby aspirin, say 50%? One drop weighs 40 mg? Sounds high.
Wait a minute. The 81 mg is already net of the excipients. Sound even higher.
 
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