You may not think that taking aspirin is much of a challenge. For many Americans, aspirin is such a familiar household product that they may not think about it much at all. Occasionally, though, someone who would like the benefits of aspirin may need a form that is easier to swallow.
Looking for Aspirin That Is Easier to Swallow:
Q. Recently, my mother coughed up an 81 mg enteric aspirin tablet that she didn’t swallow completely. We know she has dysphagia, so that might have been the problem. Perhaps, on the other hand, she didn’t drink enough water with her meds.
I was alarmed that the coating was gone, and the pill had swelled to twice its original size! The majority of aspirin tablets I’ve found are enteric coated to protect the stomach. Are there any that can be crushed so people like my mother could take them safely?
A. Soluble aspirin is popular in many other countries around the world. In the US, however, it is available primarily as brand-name Alka-Seltzer. This product contains sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and citric acid as well as aspirin.
To make your own, put one fourth of a plain uncoated aspirin tablet into a glass of club soda and stir well. We don’t know if your mother’s swallowing difficulties would make it hard for her to down such a concoction, though. Her distressing experience reminds us that it is important to use enough water when swallowing any pills.
Could Liquid Aspirin Be Easier on the Stomach?
Q. Is there a liquid aspirin? I would like to resume my aspirin regimen.
I stopped it due to upset stomach. I believe liquid aspirin would stay in the stomach a shorter amount of time, causing less irritation.
A. Effervescent soluble aspirin such as Aspro or Disprin is quite popular in other countries such as Australia, Canada, Great Britain and New Zealand. In the U.S., Alka-Seltzer includes aspirin along with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and citric acid.
We have come up with a homemade liquid aspirin solution. It’s very simple: Put uncoated aspirin into a glass of club soda or seltzer water. It will take a couple of minutes to dissolve with a bit of stirring. You can add one half teaspoon of baking soda to eight ounces of sparkling water to buffer the aspirin. For flavor, squeeze in the juice from a lemon wedge.
