OK freepers, forget tylenol. Three words: enteric coated aspirin (brand is Ecotrin, and there are generics of the coating). Despite tylenol being called SEAL candy-SEALs are young.
Here’s what happens: the aspirin is coated by design with a PH sensitive coating that will not dissolve in your stomach (which is PH 1.7 or so very acid). The coating remains with the aspirin inside and travels into the duodenum which has a higher (less acid PH) of around 6, which the coating will break down and then the aspirin released,and this actually occurs near the end of the of the duodenum, then heads into the small intestine where the aspirin gets absorbed into the blood.
Tylenol has been pitched for years as “not harming the stomach” because it is metabolized in the liver— well THAT is where the toxins are developed from tylenol—the ones that can kill you. Tylenol is a very weak COX-2 inhibitor vs. aspirin which is the Gold Standard of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)-the one which all others are measured against.
So why all this tylenol pitch? Lots of people who have aches and pains also have heart/vascular disease and are on blood thinners (warfarin)—aspirin is hum dinger of a blood thinner and ADDs to effect of any blood thinner— SO your blood will be very thin and not clot ( you bleed,.
which is dangerous of course), anf tylenol does not. Aspirin has to be balanced, and there are warnings about use of aspirin in children (rye’s syndrome).
People on warfarin, also take aspirin in many cases. They get their blood checked regularly for clotting time, and they are careful about their dosages and their diet. Yes, they have a higher risk for bleeding, but they have a lower risk of blood clots causing harm, which offsets the bleeding risk.
Except if you take any PPIs like Prevacid for GERD/heartburn. It will open in your stomach...