Bayer PLUS Extra Strength Aspirin, Pain Reliever/ Fever Reducer, 50 Caplets

Aspirin is a "Wonder Drug" 2005-09-03 Aspirin is a wonder-drug, the very first analgesic/anti-inflammatory medication to hit the market over 100 years ago. It is for mild to moderate pain and treats many different conditions such as arthritis, bone inflammation, joint pain, and even reduces fever. Aspirin causes blood platelets to not adhere to each other, thus it "thins" the blood and prevents blood clots from forming. Aspirin is thus used in emergency treatment of heart attacks and strokes. Some folks take a "baby" aspirin (81-160 mgs) each day to prevent blood clots from forming.

Aspirin is actually acetyl-salicylic acid. Manufacturers alter the structure of aspirin slightly to grant it different properties in terms of its digestion, to make digestion easier. Some buffer it with antacids while others coat the tablet with a coating that prevents its digestion in the stomcah (like Ecotrin). Regular aspirin, without any buffering or coatings is tolerated by most people, but some cannot take it without severe stomach upset. For these folks, the buffered form is a god-send.

Manufacturers add other compounds to their particular brand of "Aspirin". Caffiene is added to most aspirin products, as it shrinks blood vessels in the brain thus lessening headache pain. It is in a very small dose (33 mg), so it generally does not affect sleep. Some other added ingredients are phenacetin (another very mild analgesic) and in some cases Tylenol.

Unfortunately, Aspirin fell out of favor in the 60's and 70's when Reye's Syndrome developed in some children (under the age of 16) who took aspirin while they had the flu and/or chickenpox. About 30% of the children affected died and many more had permanent brain damage. Because of Reye's Syndrome, alternate analgesics were placed on the market, the premier being Tylenol. There is no reason to fear using aspirin if you are an adult, as Reye's Syndrome only occured in children under 16 years of age.

The usual dose of aspirin is 350 mg, with the "extra-strength form at 500 mg. Most adults will esily tolerate a dose of 650 mg (2 tablets) every 4 hours with a maximum daily dose of 5,200 mg. (Some with rheumatoid arthritis take up to 7200 mg/day with a doctor's supervision). There is no additional benefit to taking more than 1,000 mg every 4 hours. Increasing the dose beyond this point will only increase the toxicity of aspirin.

Aspirin should be avoided in people taking blood-thinning medications, those with stomach ulcers, and used with caution in insulin-dependent diabetics. Allergies can develop to aspirin as well. Never mix aspirin with any of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, such as Ibuprofen, as there is no pain benefit and the gastric upset chance is greatly increased. Don't mix aspirin with alcohol either, as it is hard on the stomach.

Used properly, aspirin is a terrific medication. I prefer to buy my aspirin in a generic form. One pays more for aspirin if it is produced by a name-brand manufacturer. However, the big-manufacturers also package aspirin in some of the buffered forms that some people tolerate better.

Jim "Konedog" Koenig

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