I’m in Italy at present staying with in laws. One has had a heart event and is now taking “cardio aspirin” enteric coated.
When I asked about this aspirin they all told me no no this is not ordinary aspirin this one is prescribed for heart conditions.
It’s left me wondering why are we English being offered “ ordinary aspirin “ when Italians are getting “ a speciality” ??????
Any answers 🙏
Interesting, will be looking at answers to this one......never heard of it
My husband is on dispersible aspirin.He had to have an endoscopy.
He was told by an gastroenterologist that enteric coated aspirin didn’t necessarily protect the gut any better and was possibly less affective.
My husband is prescribed a PPI proton pump inhibitor to protect his gut lining.
He continues to take dispersible aspirin as he has a stent.
medicines.necsu.nhs.uk/is-t....
I take daily coated aspirin due to gastric problems (as well as a PPI). Since starting aspirin four years ago, I bruise easily and, if cut, have difficulty stopping the bleeding. So if my experience is anything to go by it is effective in doing what it is intended to do. If it wasn't as effective as it should be I suggest it would have stopped being prescribed.
Perhaps see the link I posted?
Thanks. I was previously aware of some medical opinion that coated was not as effective as dispersible. However, as I said, my personal experience suggests it is effective certainly for me, and, in spite of the view that it is not as effective as dispersible it continues to be prescribed, although dispersible is first choice. When I started aspirin I asked for coated due to gastric issues and stomach bleeds caused by other NSAIDs, which then I received until my prescription was suddenly changed to dispersible without me being consulted. When I queried this I was told it was a general directive with the intention of saving money since coated costs more than dispersible (every little helps it appears!). But after a sensible discussion with the GP my prescription was changed back. All that said it is possible that coated continues to be prescribed for those with pre-existing gastric issues even though it might be less effective than dispersible, since the 'gastric' consequences outweigh the 'cardio'.
I too have enteric coated aspirin with famotidine. I'm allergic to PPIs. I've already had peptic ulcers and was in almost constant pain from soluble aspirin. I too was told it's not quite as effective because of the length of time it remains in the body but I really had no option.
As Hidden has said they are just a coated aspirin to protect the stomach. Use of a PPI (proton pump inhibitor) such as Lansoprazole sems the preferred option these days as it also protects against other medications that may damage the stomach.
A reminder. It is often recommended to take 300mg aspirin for a suspected heart attack. In this case it should be standard aspirin and not the coated one although it is better than nothing. If
Ref PPI's There is a possible problem with these medications. PPI,s were developed principally for the purposes of reducing acid production for those who had stomach ulcers, and as such the trials of PPI was only covered a relatively short period, (stomach ulcers being cured relatively quickly with anti-antibiotics) there seems to be little data on extended use or what effects long term acid reduction may have on the body.
Unfortunately a lot of the medical profession seem to work to standard protocols without really looking at the picture as a whole.
I have been prescribed asprin 75mg dispersible and clopidigral both of which are hard on the stomach plus of course lanoprazole. After a while I got concerned about kidney problems and general digestive problems which when you go back to the data on PPI's are listed as known problems. I gave up on the PPI's carried on with the asprin with food and reduced the dose of clopidigral (also taken with food) My digestion is a lot better! my heart? well thats not been good since for ever but that is down to a carelessly performed angioplasty and the reluctance to do anything serious to resolve it. Think I would prefer enteric coated asprin but until today I did not know they existed.
you can buy enteric coated aspirin very cheaply in most pharmacies , savers , Superdrug, boots. My doctors would not prescribe them because of cost. I told them that I would buy my own then so they would not have to include them in my prescription.
The reply was that they must appear on my prescription because aspirin is part of my treatment. Consequently I have a draw full of ordinary aspirin. Seems crazy. Since I’ve been taking enteric coated ones I have not taken Lansoprazole. ( maybe I’m wrong not to do so)
But surely by prescribing enteric coated aspirin they would save the cost of the lasoprazole?
Like I said they work to protocols that are not created by the doctor sitting in front of you, IMHO a lot of time at a GP level they don't even think too deeply about it, there is a protocol they wont get punished for following it, the patient may not be best treated. may even die but they followed the protocol!!.
I followed up on this and purchased 56 enteric coated 75 mg asprin and will give them a go, cost £2.99 which would be lot cheaper than getting them on prescription in the UK. When next I get to see a GP will investigate the possibility of getting my repeat medication changed as being of an advanced age I don't pay prescription charges and given the future I see coming even £2.99 may not be affordable in the future.
Re Lansoprazole, this medication reduces stomach acid by upto 75%, you need acid as part of the process of fat digestion. Fat is not all bad there are many vitamins A, K, D, and E are all fat soluble which would indicate to me that fats have to be handled correctly in the body or the benefits that these vitamins bring will be lost or reduced. Interestingly all those vitamins would appear to have major influence on cardiac disease. Now in the intestine bile is the other component involved with the processing of fat so if like me you have no Gall Bladder then fat processing will be to some extent compromised and i hav'nt even gone into the effects on Gut Bacteria which is also important to good digestion. It was and is for these reasons that I wanted to get off of Lansoprazole. One other factoid about stomach acid as you get older the production of stomach acid reduces something I read somewhere but I cannot find it at the moment.
Also to add and not ambush your post,
I was told { after I thought that I could save the NHS some money } that I had to have prescription drugs only because they guarantee the contents of them against over the counter ones, that also included a PPI which is readily available now OTC { over the counter }
I may not be rich but was taken back on the snub given to me over what I thought was help, until it was explained to me why.
Hi Fynndog . It maybe the coated ones are easier on the stomach . However I tried those and suffered a bit and went over to the ones you dissolve and had no problems. I take it with my porridge and I know it works judging by the amount of bruises etc I have 😺
t think you are right. All the other ingredients seem the same now I’ve had a look. Thank you for reply.
oh i love this reply. Si sì hai ragione. ( you must be right)
it was the “ cardio” bit that foxed me. I take enteric coated ones but mine are just enteric coated aspirin. This Italian one I was told is not ordinary aspirin “ it’s cardio”
Having looked at the ingredients they are the same as my enteric coated ones but 100mg not 75mg.
So maybe that’s it. If you have a heart issue you get 100mg in Italy. And it’s called cardio so no one makes a mistake
interesting- one of my recent hospital ward mates who was in his 80s and was taking a host of daily meds was questioned as to why he took daily aspirin by the Cardiologist. The cardiologist would not prescribe it and advised the GP to stop.
In many of our experiences - we acquire a daily and growing list of meds. It’s always good to question; review and evaluate.
you are right. I did understand that we needed aspirin to thin the blood. We just accept what we are given without question.
You our welcome to your opinion for that is what it is, you give no evidence to substantiate the statement.
Fair comment, it is my opinion based upon circumstantial evidence,
However lets consider heart health for, years Coronary Heart Disease has been treated according to a standard protocol based upon a now totally discredited theory (Hypothesized by one man Ancil Keys )based upon cholesterol where cholesterol was assumed to be the cause of the problem rather than one of the results. Keys cherry picked the data to match his theory and from this was developed a Protocol that depended on a class of drug especially invented to reduce cholesterol. Even today these protocols are still being followed even though the theory behind them has largely been discredited which to me at least says that a lot of Doctors don't think too deeply about the treatments they prescribe. I won't go into the treatment practices involved over the last two years because that would surely get me banned.
Association is not causation.
I feel you are being disingenuous about the medical profession or are you being mischievous ?
10% of heart attacks occur without any permanent blockages of the coronary arteries.
Myocardial Infarction non obstructive coronary arteries MINOCA.
Possible causes of a MINOCA are angina non obstructive coronary arteries, ANOCA .
Association is not causation pity some one didn't point that out to Ancil Keys and his team.
Disingenuous? mischievous? No just very questioning. My comments in this are not about Heart Attacks per se only atherosclerosis its causes and treatments.
I’d consider that the health system is very different and pharmacies are there to make a profit. I remember having to pay €15 for children’s neurofen 10+ years ago.
You can’t buy paracetamol , antihistamine or any basic medicines in a shop other than a pharmacy in Italy.
Plus every thing is a specialist need for an Italian ( no offence , it’s just what they say )
I am in UK and prescribed these.
Aspirin 
Clopidogrel and aspirin 
