I've noticed that most folks (or so it seems) do not include plain ol' aspirin in their FAKs, myself included.

But according to various sources (in this case, mayoclinic.com) "For most people experiencing heart attack symptoms, doctors recommend chewing or swallowing a plain regular-strength aspirin. This recommendation still holds true if you are on daily aspirin therapy."

I'm not planning on having a heart attack anytime soon (but then, who does plan on it) — but I'm a 63-year-old guy who, physical activity wise, doesn't plan on slowing down anytime soon. Is there a "rest of the story" on this, or would the addition of a couple of aspirin be one more good thing in the bag of tricks?

I’m 48 and had a heart attack a few months ago, and the doctors said the aspirin I took helped a lot. I was out at a restaurant with my dad (thank God he was with me!) when I got a headache, I always carry aspirin for use with my knees from a motorcycle accident. I took the aspirin and within a min I felt like I was going to get sick. I canceled my order and went outside to upchuck as I was sure it was coming. About that time I started having chest pains from one elbow to the other. After 3-min my dad came out and we started heading to a hospital that was 5-min away.

When I walked in things started happening very fast, they hooked up an EKG and then almost ran with the gurney to the CAT-Lab. Within 15-min of feeling sick I was on the operating room with 2-doctors and 4-nurses running around. The doctor said the aspirin and quick response saved my life. So yes I would and will always have aspirin with me.

I was awake while they operated on me, the doctor was very good explaining what was going on and very friendly. I had 2-stints put in and spent 2-days in the hospital. I was very lucky to be so close to a hospital. I would have died if I was very far away as the arteries were blocked 100%. I occasionally have a little pain if I lift too much, but for the most part I’m doing well.

I take an aspirin in the morning with some other pills and one in the evening with some other pills. They are extra strength aspirin as that is the only one I take for my broken bone problems. I know they make low dose aspirin, but the stronger ones don’t bother my stomach at all and I want to make sure they do their job. My Son is turning 18 tomorrow (21st)and I want to be around to enjoy years with him.

I had a heart attack at age 39. I now carry at least three aspirin near me all the time. I always have a few in my briefcase, my shaving kit when I travel, my FAK when in the outdoors, in a plastic baggy in my inside coat pocket in the winter. I also now take a daily low dose enteric coated aspirin. Aspirin are good to have around. The aspirin that I carry are strictly for heart issues though. I use advil or tylenol for routine aches and pains. The aspirin is the "break in case of emergency" medicine.

You should consult your Doctor on asprin useage. For everyday use I hear low dosage is best.

Wow, Bob! That's a story with a happy ending; the kind we all like to hear. Having had a potentially fatal "incident" myself five years ago, I can relate. It does tend to give one a different perspective on things — simple things are appreciated more, and other things ain't such a big deal like they once were.

Thanks for sharing ... between you and Seeker, guess the FSK and PSK will each get a couple of aspirin squeezed in.

Re "consult with doctor first" ... agreed. In fact, my doctor suggested I start taking the low-dosage about a year ago, just because I'm officially an old guy, but true to form, I didn't start. Suppose I should just because.

Aspirin is usually the only pain reliever I carry in a FAK - reliable and useful in a variety of situations. And we are talking about first aid, not more advanced modes of treatment, right? I am at the age where I am taking 81 mg of aspirin daily and I still get out in the woods. I certainly hope I don't experience a heart attack in the boondocks, because I suspect I would need a lot more than a couple of aspirin. Speedy transport to definitive medical care is hard to come by in an outdoors setting.

I did ask about the low dose aspirin and also the ones I have always had with me since the 1989 motorcycle accident. He said if it doesn’t bother my stomach to take the stronger ones, go ahead and do it. I told him about my motorcycle problems and that I take them at least every 3-days depending on what I do while working.

As far as aspirin being the only pain reliever I have Perkaset (sp?) if the shoulder or knees get too bad. I always have it in my pocket (again since 1989.)


The heart doctor that did my surgery and after care was very good, he explained everything and was great at addressing my concerns & questions. The whole staff at the hospital was this way, great people.

My family does not have a good cardio history. I have aspirin in all my kits.

I have aspirin in my kits and I have no heart conditions at all; it might not be for me, it could be for a guy like Bob.

Good Thinking Russ,

My hunting partner had a heart attack 2 years ago (he is trying to deny it now) at age 44, he is the reason I will be adding aspirin to my kits.

Mike

How can you deny it, if you have a heart attack you generally end up in a hospital, no real question as to having one if the doctors say you did?







I’m over weight, but I’m active, work a job that required me to keep active. I would never have thought I would have had a heart attack. I guess we all think it will happen to the other guy and not us.

My dad had a quad bypass but he’s 79 years old, not 47.

My blood pressure was in the good range as were all my cholesterol levels. It is supposed to be 200 or lower, mine was 152, well in the good range.

You just never know what’s coming. I do know that I will always have a cell phone with me when out camping or any other activity that takes me away from people. In the past I enjoyed breaking free from people and being out by myself to fend for myself and leave things like phones behind. But a heart attack requires immediate serious medical treatment if I want to stay alive, so from now on I will have it with me. It may not be turned on, but it will be there if needed.

I have a variety of pain meds including asprin as they all have their uses.

It's too bad we often wait until we have a bad experience before we become more pro active. I carry anti-histamine but I didn't until my dad learned the hard way he was deathly allergic to bee stings and nearly lost his leg over it. Had he not been in the back yard when it happened, he could have lost more than that.

So far I have never had a reaction to bee stings, my brother and I (were being stupid) use to knock them off the house all summer long with the garden hose. We would then stand there and kill them when they hit the ground. Needless to say the bees didn’t like us much and retaliated.

So could he. He'd been stung many times previous to that (He was in his early 60s at the time) and had never had a reaction. Now he's allergic to just about anything which 'stings' and has to carry at least one double ended epi-pen.

I always think about that when we go fishing by the North Saskatewan River and have to climb down a steep wooded face for 10 minutes to get to the river. Climbing out of that and getting to help would be hard even with the epi-pen...they only give you about 15 minutes of grace per dose.

If that's me one day, I'll be able to reach for the Reactine and get my butt to the hospital while my leg swells to 3 times it's normal size...only more slowly than it would have had I not been prepared.

I don't have any aspirin anywhere, even at home. Even popping just one gives me a rather serious pain in my stomach.

I think you folks may be interested in this article on the results of a new survey that just came out about how many Americans recognize the warnings signs of a heart attack. You have to recognize the possibility of a heart attack to take, or offer, an aspirin, after all.

Actually, before reading the article, mentally list the most common symptoms of a heart attack in your mind, then check your answers against the article. Don't be surprised if you don't get all of them.

OK, for the non-medical folks here...
-81 mg of aspirin (aka "baby dose") is the normal once-daily variety. Going higher in dose hasn't shown any improved efficiency. The prevention benefits are identical.

-During a heart attack, 325 mg (aka, 4 baby aspirins) is the dosage. However, the hospital is going to put a lot more meds in you: oxygen, morphine, nitro, heparin, etc. Aspirin just buys a little time.

-Allergic reactions can't, by definition, occur until you've had at least one contact with the offensive agent. That is, most people aren't allergic to bees/peanuts/shellfish/etc the first time. Your body has to recognize the offending object, and over-reacts to it using pre-made antibodies. You can't make an antibody until you've been exposed to something once (just like no one is immune to chicken pox without having first caught it, or had the vaccine!)

-Aspirin probably is worth the weight of carrying. Just don't expect it to stop chest pain by itself.

I prefer ibuprofen, seems to work better for joint and muscle pain, and acetaminophen, the OTC pain reliever least likely to cause adverse reactions, over aspirin but carry aspirin simply because of it ability to thin the blood. Single dose foil packets make it easy to keep a short supply on hand. Even in a pocket kit where space is tight.

I carry a bison capsule filled with 325mg Aspirin on my key ring. I "always" have my keys with me, and there fore have aspirin. I had a heart attack in 2002, and my surgeon and primary care physician both at different times told me that prob. saved my life.
As a former WEMT, we had a standing protocol of administering 325mg aspirin when any patient exhibited any heart attack symptoms.

If you think you or someone else is having a heart attack, as soon as possible, pop 1 aspirin, chew and swallow.