If you are meant to chew aspirin when having a heart attack because it works faster, is there any reason you should just swallow regularly instead?

Question

If you are meant to chew aspirin when having a heart attack because it works faster, is there any reason you should just swallow regularly instead?

In: 448

Answer 1

Yes. A possible side effect of Aspirin are minor hemorrhages (bleeding) in the stomach. Taking the tablet whole decreases that risk, especially if it has a stomach acid resistant coating. (Side note: the tablets with stomach resistant coating should be taken on an empty stomach, the ones with regular coating after eating some food.)

In an emergency, acting faster is more important than decreasing side effects. For head aches or daily use as a platelet aggregation inhibitor (“blood thinner”), saving a minute or two is usually not worth the risk.