This article was published in FDA Consumer magazine several years ago. It is no longer being maintained and may contain information that is out of date. You may find more current information on this topic in more recent issues of FDA Consumer or elsewhere on the FDA Website, by checking the site index or home page , or by searching the site. However, some may be more effective for certain types of ailments, and some people may prefer one type to another because of their varying side effects.
Some manufacturers add caffeine to aspirin.
Since a two-tablet dose provides roughly the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee, you can get the same effect by taking two plain aspirin with coffee. Buffered formulas may offset aspirin's directly irritating effects on the stomach lining. They may be useful for people who get heartburn or stomach pain when they take aspirin, as well as for those with arthritis, who need to take as much as 4,000 mg every day. The downside of coated aspirin products is that they may take up to twice as long to provide pain relief as plain aspirin, according to Weintraub. Last September, an FDA advisory panel recommended that labels on products containing aspirin warn that heavy drinkers are especially vulnerable to developing GI bleeding.