Chewable Aspirin?

[question everything]

Spouse returned home after an aortic root dilation and valve repair surgery and three weeks in rehab with a long list of medications. For now. Among them warfarin and 81 mg chewable aspirin.

Many of us take this "baby aspirin" on a regular basis, I take the enteric coated tablets so I am curious about the benefits, if at all, of a chewable one.

(Spouse is doing OK, by the way. As with many surgeries, the operation was only the first step; the next weeks and months are the harder ones but, so far so good. Spouse is glad to be back home.)

[elleng]

1. Dunno, remember AsperGUM?

[hlthe2b]

2. Chewable aspirin is absorbed faster...

and more consistently so that it is considered more effective than regular aspirin, (whether swallowed whole or chewed and then swallowed).


BTW, there are increasing concerns in recent journal publications over the absorption of enteric-coated aspirin, so you might want to run that by your own physician. The benefits of more reliable absorption may be outweighed by other factors that had you choosing enteric-coated, to begin with, but it would be wise to check.

[question everything]

3. Thanks. I will. And, of course, one does swallow after chewing?

Interesting that Target/CVS carries the chewable as a prescription.

[hlthe2b]

4. yes

[questionseverything]

5. Absorbs faster and the orange are yummy

Hope everything goes well

[SWBTATTReg]

6. Pills are so tiny, I don't see why the chewable version is really needed ... if one has a gag reflex

then perhaps so, but IMHO, the pills are so tiny that the chewable version vs. the non chewable version is somewhat not really needed...I've had experience w/ the 81 mg aspirin (coated), never a problem in taking, either popping into the mouth directly w/o water or fluids (forgot to get a glass of water, etc.), or taking like I normally do w/ my other meds w/ fluid (water, etc.). Experiment perhaps w/ the different versions of the 81 mg. aspirins out there. I'm sure that they are many versions (?, not sure really) to chose from.

And just a thought here (random), if you chew the 81 mg. aspirins, wouldn't one lose the 'coated' feature (to prevent upset stomachs, etc.)?

Good luck, and glad to hear spouse is doing good.

[question everything]

7. Thanks. I suppose when one chews you get tiny particles that any coating would be meaningless

I think.

[SWBTATTReg]

8. Makes sense to me that if you chew, you destroy the 'coated' feature, unless they found

a way to make an aspirin pill and each part of the aspirin pill totally coated, so if the pill is broken up, each part is individually coated too, which to be honest w/ you, I don't think they have such a thing. Otherwise, it'd make 'coated' aspirin, price-wise, too pricey.

Best wishes to you.

[Warpy]

9. It's chewable because it's a pediatric dosage and kids react better to chewables

Taken with warfarin, it can reduce the warfarin dosage.

Chewing it comes in handy when you have a really nasty sore throat. It's soothing for maybe 10 minutes or so.

Definitely take it with food or milk. It can be hard on the stomach at any dosage.

[question everything]

10. Thanks. Yes, aspirin is directed to be used in the morning.

Warfarin is specifically directed fo evening use.