Aspirin: Alcohol and I are not good friends

As one of the most famous classic drugs in the medical field, aspirin has been widely used since its introduction, and has a history of more than 100 years. It did not attract much attention when it was first introduced, and it was not until 1897 that it was discovered to be very effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis. In recent years, it has also been discovered to be very effective in preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases, and has become one of the standing medicines for many families. At present, it is widely used in the clinical prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, such as preventing stroke, myocardial infarction, and deep vein thrombosis after major surgery.

So although aspirin is old, it is still as effective as ever. So, what should you pay attention to when taking aspirin? This article will answer your questions.

Should I take aspirin on an empty stomach or after a meal?

First of all, aspirin is most commonly coated with an enteric coating, which means that it dissolves and works in the intestinal fluid. This requires us to take it on an empty stomach , usually 1-2 hours before or 2 hours after a meal , to shorten its residence time in the stomach and smoothly reach the small intestine to work. If the medicine is taken during or after a meal, it will mix with the food, prolong its residence time in the stomach, and may cause the enteric coating to dissolve, causing it to transform and fight in the stomach, irritating the gastric mucosa, and causing stomach discomfort.

Original drawing: A YONG

Can aspirin be taken in pieces?

Secondly, if you like to break, crush or chew the enteric-coated aspirin tablets, it will also damage the enteric coating, so that it will start to work when it passes through the stomach, and you can't blame it for getting angry with you in the stomach. So remember to take the enteric-coated aspirin tablets and swallow them whole on an empty stomach.

Do not drink alcohol while taking aspirin

Aspirin also has a bad friend - ethanol, which is what we commonly call alcohol. When the two are together, ethanol will not want to turn into acetic acid and be excreted from the body. This will cause acetaldehyde to accumulate in the body and cause liver damage. Therefore, everyone should remember not to drink alcohol while taking aspirin.

Be careful when taking aspirin for a long time

In addition, since aspirin may cause gastrointestinal bleeding, if you take it for a long time, you need to pay attention to whether your stool turns black. If you find that and exclude the possibility that you have eaten pig blood, duck blood, iron supplements, etc., which can also cause black stool, please go to the hospital for medical treatment in time. It would be even better if you can monitor stool occult blood regularly.

Stop taking aspirin before surgery

Since aspirin can inhibit the aggregation of platelets, which prevents our blood from clotting, if tooth extraction or other surgical procedures are required , bleeding may not stop, so remember to tell your doctor that you are taking aspirin.